My stretch goal for my stay in Jaffrey was to build the enclosure around my electrical system that I’ve had in my head ever since the interior started to come together. With the storage stuff dealt with and the diesel heater installed, it was time to tackle this one.
I’m no master carpenter, and it shows in this build. But how hard can a box be? Actually, I made it a little harder for myself than it had to be by challenging myself to use as many recycled materials as possible. A leftover scrap of plywood from building my previous van was almost the perfect size for the top of the cabinet, which would also hold my fridge. I had a lot of wood pieces in my old slat bed from my starter van, too, and the legs were exactly as wide as I wanted this cabinet. So I got my tools and my scraps together and went to it.
I started by screwing two-foot vertical supports to the plywood base already bolted to the wall for my electrical system. I cut and attached a 2×4 brace between them, using part of the slat bed. The slat bed legs and L-brackets formed the sides of the box, as well as another pair of two-foot vertical supports.
Because of where I had space to attach the sides to the wall, the box ended up being a little bit wider than planned, but that was okay. It gives the driver’s seat some room to maneuver, as well as ventilation out the top, behind the seat. With another support across the top front of the box, I screwed the plywood down to it.
With no cutting whatsoever, I then screwed the pegboard to the long side. This is the same piece I had zip-tied to the folding table that used to be here. This will provide more ventilation than a solid piece of plywood or wallboard, and also let me hang stuff from it if I choose. When I need access to my electrical system, I just remove four screws and pull the pegboard off. I considered adding hinges, but it’s just as easy to remove it completely.
While this was going on, I defrosted my freezer for the first time in far too long and gave the inside a good wash. I had the luxury of being able to put my food in Ally’s freezer while doing this. With that done, it was time to quasi-permanently install the fridge, rather than bungee it into place.
I drilled, then screwed a couple of hooks into the plywood, then used turnbuckles between the hooks and the fridge handles to hold it down tightly. Hand-tight on the turnbuckles is plenty tight enough to keep the fridge in place, plus I can loosen and remove them by hand if I need to. With plastic handles, I don’t want to put a lot of force on it anyway, just enough to keep it secure.
And that’s it. The new cabinet fits the space perfectly, unlike the table that stuck out farther than I wanted it to. The table will now replace my old one that I accidentally chopped up a bit during the original van build. A couple of bags can hang from an S-hook I put in the angle iron between the fridge and drawers, though that space is also sturdy enough for me to sit on if I want to. I also moved the pair of 12-volt outlets that were poorly attached to the back of the driver’s seat to the side of the cabinet, where they’re now secure. I finally have something solid to attach them to.
A keen eye might notice that my brown plastic drawers are taller than they used to be. I bought yet another set of them from Walmart and added them to the stacks I already have. This extra storage is enough to store pretty much everything I didn’t have a place for, even including the stuff I kept from my storage unit. I gave them a little extra reinforcement with tape and bungees to prevent them from tipping over around left turns. This is at least as exciting to me as the new electrical cabinet. For the first time, everything I own is here with me, not in a storage unit.
Now it’s just a matter of putting everything away, packing up, and preparing for the drive on Friday. That’s going to take a bit of work, particularly the trailer since I’m still transporting a few leftover things from storage to their new homes, but I can make it work. I may or may not make Milford bike night tonight depending on the rain. I have one more social visit tomorrow afternoon. And, of course, there’s always work to do, which I put off this morning because it was sunny and nice.
As much as I love and appreciate my gracious hosts in Jaffrey, I’m starting to get itchy feet from sitting still too long. It’s been necessary as I get all of these projects done, and I have no regrets after doing it. But it’s time for a change of scenery. Fortunately, I already have plans for that.
Smokey Da Van 