Overhead Bin Suggestions....

[Kestrell]

My wife and I are in Love with our 28' international and after almost a year now I still giggle alittle bit when I catch sight of it sitting quietly on the side of the house waiting for the next adventure. But there is one little logistical problem we just can't seem to work out to our satisfaction.
Does anyone have any creative ways for creating any sort of organization in the overhead bins. It just seems to me there is alot of wasted space I'm not using in there. Whatever I put in those bins just rattles around and ends up in a jumble. I've thought about shelves or something like that but I just can't seem to decide.

[Rog0525]

The overhead lockers are a good spot for linens, bedding, clothes and other stuff which doesn't rattle.

[C Johnson]

Originally Posted by Rog0525

The overhead lockers are a good spot for linens, bedding, clothes and other stuff which doesn't rattle.

While I have an older AS, I have the same issue. Do you think the canned goods etc. would damage the coveted plastic bins in the lower cabinets ?

Right now I have the food items up above on the streetside and the pots and pans on the curbside. I don't see the cooking utensils rearranging themselves like the fooditems seem to do. Interesting idea, I might do some re-arranging next week to see if it'll work for me. Thanks for the idea.

Chris

[uwe]

Stores that sell home accessories sell canvas lined baskets in different sizes. Perhaps you could find some of these baskets to hold small and light items grouped together. Use the rest of the space for linens and clothing as ROG suggested, and it will keep the baskets from sliding around.
You could also line the bin with a light colored non-slip shelf liner, to keep things from sliding about.

[GStephens]

Here is what works for us. First, line all shelf surfaces with non-slip shelf lining material that you can purchase from any Wal-Mart or camper supply. Second, limit items stored in the upper bins to light weight items. Canned goods and other heavy materials should be stored as low as possible, not in the upper bins. For canned goods we purchased small plastic baskets that hold about six or eight cans each. These baskets can easily be set down on a counter one at a time to facilitate selection of canned items. It makes it much easier than trying to move items around so that one can see what is there. The baskets also prevent canned goods from sliding around and they prevent the hard surfaces of cans from discoloring or scratching the cabinets from vibration while on the road. Third, we use small inexpensive square plastic containers of various sizes purchased at a dollar store that can be sealed against humidity, bugs and rodents to store our flour, sugar, corn meal, cereal, bread, towels, wash rags, linens, toilet paper and paper towels. These containers allow you to easily see what is inside and they keep food items fresher. Containers such as these can be stacked one on top of another in a uniform manner thus increasing the usable space found in the overhead cabinets as well as in other cabinets throughout the trailer. They also allow us to keep our linens, towels and paper products stored over the winter without fear of rodent contamination or damage should such an infestation occur. Over the years we have experienced rodents from time to time in spite of our keeping all entrance points blocked with tin foil, continual use of baited traps and our checking of the trailer on a daily basis.
GStephens

[tin sista]

All great ideas, I'm surely going to go out there and reorganize some more! Amen about those plastic dollar store containers, its amazing you can get a pack of three there and they work just fine--nice on junk drawers too. At a forum rally a lady had a lovely set up in her trailer with labels generated by her printer on the various containers. That is especially nice for those who didn't set up the organization scheme as they can find things more easily. (reduces the number of "honey where did you put the.... questions). What a nice idea for a thread.

[rebel beck]

Love all the above. But I just found another nifty after buying some new blankets I found they came in a great heavy plastic bag with zippers so I have washed up all my sheets and some other linens and putting in the zippered bags for storage in the trailor.

Becky

[Janet]

Consider using baking pans as containers for loose items, canned food, etc. You hardly ever use those pans e.g. bread pans, square cake pans, and they take up a lot of space. But... when you need 'em you have 'em and in the meantime they hold little stuff. The new silicon pans are especially nifty - as they are sonewhat flexible and totally silent - no rattles.

[Pahaska]

I have "double-decked" some of the shelves in every trailer I have ever owned (6). The big dinner plates reside under the small stuff and the tall glasses reside underneath the mugs and small stuff. If the upper level has a lip and is close to the door, I have no problem with stuff falling out when I open the cabinet. Plastic boxes can slip in under the upper shelf if everything is sized right.

A small shelf at the very top makes a good place to stuff in the koozies. They take up no useful space that way.

I just, this afternoon, built a wood rack to store my desert-size plates vertically so that they take less space and can be easily reached. The varnish is still wet, so I haven't taken a photo yet. I'll post that to the Classic 28 thread when I get it installed in the trailer.

[Kestrell]

I'm already using the overhead bins in the bedroom for storing linens and "soft" stuff like extra pillows, it's the overhead bins in the kitchen area I'm mostly looking for a solution for. I like the double-decking idea Pahaska has since it's along the lines of what I was thinking. A couple of photos of how you managed that would be greatly appreciated Pahaska.

[cammur]

In the galley top storage area we do three things: hang cups from cup hooks I added on the top; store plates on two levels, thanks to one of those wire shelf units designed to gain you more space in kitchen cabinets; and (my pride) a paper towel roll mounted on a 3/4" dowel, which I glued into a hole I drilled in the inner right side of the cabinet. (The roll stays in place thanks to a rubber washer or gasket I found somewhere that just fits over the open end of the dowel.) Plates below the paper towels.

The cup hooks were a bit of a problem. They need to be mounted as far back as possible and with some separation, or walking in the trailer with the cabinets closed causes the cups to rattle against the cabinet door or each other. Also, glasses can't be stored too close, or the swinging cups may cause some damage on a rough drive.

[davidz71]

Go to www.globalindustrial.com and hit the bins/totes/containers then stacking bins. There are all kinds of plastic bins of all sizes you can fit in the overhead storage bins.

[Pahaska]

Originally Posted by Kestrell

I like the double-decking idea Pahaska has since it's along the lines of what I was thinking. A couple of photos of how you managed that would be greatly appreciated Pahaska.

Here is the only shelf photo that I have handy. It is the cabinet over the roll-out pantry in my former Classic 25 and I stored my drinking glasses, mugs, and the like there.

To attach the shelves to the cabinet ends, I use a white plastic "F-shaped" molding (SKU 26366-84677) that I buy at Home Depot in 8' lengths. It is cheap, lightweight, and the slot in the "F" is just right to fit snugly onto a 3/16" plywood shelf. This plywood thickness is plenty strong for the size and load in the overhead cabinets. I can staple through the plastic or use screws to attach it. I cut a saw kerf in a piece of scrap oak molding to make the front piece.

[Pahaska]

I just posted 2 photos in the 2005 Classic 28 thread at http://www.airforums.com/forum...tml#post189238

It is almost like having an extra cabinet.