2019 FC27 Closet Storage

[AgBullet]

I know there are previous posts on this subject, but I wonder if anyone with a FC27 has recently added drawers to or modified the main closet with shelves. I'm specifically interested in the Container Store Elfa drawer solution...what size did you use, and how did you secure it to the closet. Any solutions would be interesting. As others have noted, we find the closet to be a little wasted. Thanks.

[daleyocum]

For our FC25 we used Elfa drawers to do just what you describe. They are a perfect fit in the smaller closet on the 25. On your 27 you’d likely have a little space to one side to hang something or storage.

We flipped around the hinges so the door opens on the opposite side because most of what we store in the drawers in kitchen relates rather than clothes. We had to take the hinges into account when placing the drawers, on your 27 you may not have to.

We attached the shelves to the closet wall as well as the floor.

This makes a huge difference for us, we’d always choose drawers over hanging storage. These came from Container Store.

[AgBullet]

Originally Posted by daleyocum

For our FC25 we used Elfa drawers to do just what you describe. They are a perfect fit in the smaller closet on the 25. On your 27 you’d likely have a little space to one side to hang something or storage.

We flipped around the hinges so the door opens on the opposite side because most of what we store in the drawers in kitchen relates rather than clothes. We had to take the hinges into account when placing the drawers, on your 27 you may not have to.

We attached the shelves to the closet wall as well as the floor.

This makes a huge difference for us, we’d always choose drawers over hanging storage. These came from Container Store.

Thanks! Great installation! Did you order them online or buy direct from the Container Store?

[daleyocum]

Originally Posted by AgBullet

Thanks! Great installation! Did you order them online or buy direct from the Container Store?

We happen to have a Container Store locally so we went that route. They do mail order as well.

[wulfraat]

Recommend you reinforce the closet floor from below if you are going to stack some weight on it. Ours collapsed on us. It’s only stapled in.... not designed for any real weight bearing..

We ended up rebuilding it with adjustable shelving. Added power outlet and a vent fan for our ice maker too.

[drbrick]

nice great ideas

[KHarris]

On our 2017 28’ International we did the same using rolling wire baskets purchased at Home Depot, attached slide rails to shelf. The other thing we did that’s been a tremendous addition was to add pull out shelves on all the cabinets below the twin beds and the front seating. Custom made by Rev A Shelf online. Saves a lot of bending and rooting around!

[twestover]

We decided to start from scratch on the closet, and what a lovely big closet it is. We left the top shelf as it was but replaced the rest of the closet with four huge deep drawers. The only things we really hang are coats - I normally leave my ball gowns at home while camping - so we fold everything else and put it away in these drawers. We fold lightweight jackets and put them in the drawers or bins under our bed and heavier jackets hang on the back of the bathroom door or on hooks in the bedroom. We love the drawers - it feels like such a better use of this space, in our opinion.



Terri

[my3sonsdad]

Originally Posted by daleyocum

For our FC25 we used Elfa drawers to do just what you describe. They are a perfect fit in the smaller closet on the 25. On your 27 you’d likely have a little space to one side to hang something or storage.



We flipped around the hinges so the door opens on the opposite side because most of what we store in the drawers in kitchen relates rather than clothes. We had to take the hinges into account when placing the drawers, on your 27 you may not have to.



We attached the shelves to the closet wall as well as the floor.



This makes a huge difference for us, we’d always choose drawers over hanging storage. These came from Container Store.

We’re redesigning a very wide pantry closet from scratch into a combination of shelves and wire drawers with a diy pantry frame/doors.

How did you secure to the wall/floor? Just drill holes through the elfa frame?
I noticed that elfa doesn’t offer a standard clip to secure them.

They also indicate that wire shelves are not compatible with the drawer slide frame. Any chance you can provide the vertical width of the slide opening (eg 1/4”) ?

[daleyocum]

Originally Posted by my3sonsdad

We’re redesigning a very wide pantry closet from scratch into a combination of shelves and wire drawers with a diy pantry frame/doors.

How did you secure to the wall/floor? Just drill holes through the elfa frame?
I noticed that elfa doesn’t offer a standard clip to secure them.

They also indicate that wire shelves are not compatible with the drawer slide frame. Any chance you can provide the vertical width of the slide opening (eg 1/4”) ?

We just drilled through the Elfa frame and drove screws into the side and bottom. It didn’t seem to mind.

I can give you the vertical dimension of the drawer slide channels when I get home. I’m sure it’s metric but .25” would be a good approximation. I personally would rather have drawers than shelves in a trailer anyway since it contains things better over bumpy roads.

[daleyocum]

Originally Posted by my3sonsdad

We’re redesigning a very wide pantry closet from scratch into a combination of shelves and wire drawers with a diy pantry frame/doors.

How did you secure to the wall/floor? Just drill holes through the elfa frame?
I noticed that elfa doesn’t offer a standard clip to secure them.

They also indicate that wire shelves are not compatible with the drawer slide frame. Any chance you can provide the vertical width of the slide opening (eg 1/4”) ?

Just measured the Elfa track gap at 5/16”.

[my3sonsdad]

Thank you!

[ealmasy]

Originally Posted by AgBullet

I wonder if anyone with a FC27 has recently added drawers to or modified the main closet with shelves. I'm specifically interested in the Container Store Elfa drawer solution...what size did you use, and how did you secure it to the closet.

Did you try the Elfa drawers in your FC27 closet?

We're considering the same thing, using the Elfa "Narrow Tall Drawer Solution", which looks like it should fit, but it isn't clear whether there will be enough room for the drawers to slide in and out.

[ealmasy]

Went with Elfa x-narrow tall drawers in our FC 27FB.

[foobar]

Went with the narrow Elfa system drawer system too.

A heads up for you. You are about to discover the same problem I did if you put any weight on the floor of the wardrobe in a 27ft Airstream.

I used the narrow Elfa system in my 2022 globetrotter 27fb twin in a similar setup.

I found out the hard way that the wardrobe floor cannot support any weight. The left and right halves of the wardrobe are built as separate modules. This includes the 3/4" thick Plywood floor. So you get a seam down the middle of the floorboards with a thin strip of wood underneath to span the seam. This strip of wood uses exactly 1 screw in the rear of the wardrobe floor to support the seam.

Needless to say, if you put any weight on the wardrobe floor, it rips the single screw out of the rear and the rear of wardrobe floor collapses, rendering the Elfa shelves useless.

I made a temporary hack on my last trip to fix this structural weakness until I can implement a more robust, permanent reinforcement.

See the photos below for the image of the boards I cut and wedged into place vertically between the wardrobe floor and the composite subfloor, along with a few photos of the drawer system and the side supports I rigged up using some custom spacers + velco command strips to prevent the shelves from falling over without screwing any screws into my wardrobe walls.

I purchased a cheap mitre box + mitre saw from home depot in New Mexico for $12 along with a 1"x3" board that I cut up to make the vertical supports.

[ealmasy]

Originally Posted by foobar

A heads up for you. You are about to discover the same problem I did if you put any weight on the floor of the wardrobe in a 27ft Airstream.
I used the narrow Elfa system in my 2022 globetrotter 27fb twin in a similar setup.
I found out the hard way that the wardrobe floor cannot support any weight.

This is part of the reason the shelves are anchored the way they are, with thick cable ties going to eight separate heavy duty tie-downs – to take up some of the weight and reduce strain on the floor. Hopefully that plus being judicious about what we put in the drawers will be enough to avoid issues.

But thank you for the heads-up and photos of your fix. I may pursue that anyway even if we don't have problems, just as a belt-and-suspenders measure.


(Partially repeated from the What did you get... thread since people may be more likely to find the topic here.)

[AgBullet]

Having started this thread, I thought I'd share my '19 FC 27 solution. I have a carpenter friend who built in shelving on the left side of the closet which was most useful. However, we now have a '23 Globetrotter 27, and the opening is narrower, although the closet space inside the doors seems wider. We haven't decided what to do with the existing space yet, but it will probably involve my carpenter friend. Sorry about the pics being 90 off.