IKEA Kitchen?

[BigTiny321]

Due to time constraints, I'm considering going with kitchen cabinetry from IKEA. With their apartment-sized cabinetry, I figured it would be perfect for my 40' Blue Bird. I've seen a couple of vids where others installed IKEA Kitchens, but I haven't seen any follow-up vids on how well it has withstood the road.

Has anyone here used IKEA cabinetry, & if so, what has your experience been with it? I know building my own would be best, but I'm on a time crunch now, & I have to be moved in quicker than originally planned.

Thanks in advance for your responses!

[rossvtaylor]

Check out the videos from youtube.com/LacroixCruiser (Yvan and Sylvie). Even though they owned a custom cabinet shop and built their buses inside that shop, they used IKEA cabinets in their 3 builds. Yvan explains why and it's worth watching.

They are friends and they've visited us a couple of times, most recently about 3 weeks ago. I've seen their cabinets in person and they still look and work like new. I wouldn't hesitate to copy them.

EDIT: to add... Our preferred method of doing a conversion, when we were doing those "full" builds, was to build out the interior surfaces and the systems (plumbing, electrical, etc) but to let the customer pick and install the cabinets. My wife named that, "making the bus IKEA ready". Although I've not seen those builds in person since, the customers haven't had any issues with the IKEA cabinets they installed. The cabinets in Yvan and Sylvie's bus have been all over the countries of Canada and the US...they live in their bus full time and travel for business.

[BigTiny321]

Thanks! I wanted to build my own, out of ¾" Birch, but now I'm in a bit of a rush to get on the road, & I've had an increase in my build expenditures, due to the use of day laborers to help with the skinning(24" roof raise). The guy with "Mobile Dwellings"(Youtube) used IKEA cabinetry, & it looked solid. Now, I have more confidence in going that route. See y'all on the road soon!

[cadillackid]

so i have an IKEA folding table in my DEV bus.. ut mounts to the wall and is my folding work table.. Ioften use the bus to transport equipment or toss an air mattress down to sleep so I fold down the table.. I put the table in june of 2016.. and the formica is separating from the particle board and has been doing so esp on the edges for a couple years. since the table was cheap im just going to buy another one.. my bus spends a lot of time on the road (or did till work got so busy I havent used it much for long trips last couple years).. so im in moist areas.. dry areas.. really hot.. really cold and in between.. in my opinion any Laminated type materials will come apart in the changing conditions of a bus. however the cabinets / tables which are wood will likely hold up pretty decently...

[syntaxterror]

I have been looking for cabinets that would hold up in a bus myself. Having in a cabinet shop that used 3/4" maple material so it was a solid but expensive product. Building boxes/ cabinets is not hard but you need space to do it. Home depot has plywood ready to assemble cabinets that might hold up better. I prefer frame less cabinets but these might be a descent option as they better material.

[Iceni John]

Originally Posted by syntaxterror

Home depot has plywood ready to assemble cabinets that might hold up better. I prefer frame less cabinets but these might be a descent option as they better material.

Interesting. I have an IKEA Godmorgen bathroom cabinet that's holding up fine so far, with a slab of granite on top of it. I was thinking of using IKEA Sektion cabinets for the kitchen, but every time I'm in the local IKEA they tell me that one or another of them is unavailable. I don't want to buy some of the Sektion parts, then find the remaining ones are NLA. What is the name brand of Home Despot's plywood DIY cabinets? If they don't look too tacky they may be a better option at this point. I want a very clean simple Nordic-meets-Bauhaus look, so IKEA was my first choice for that reason.

John

[motorsoup]

Ikea kitchen cabinets can be upgraded in the build process. I've tossed the base feet in favor of a built in box base- making a box out of 1x pine that the cabinets sit on is studier than the plastic feet Ikea provides. Another upgrade is in applying the cabinet backs, where they get some structural integrity from. I've used glue and an air stapler rather than the hand brad nails Ikea provides.

[syntaxterror]

Just a link as HD has different grades of cabinets.https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hampton-...B-WH/301289132
Put "plywood" in the search criteria. They also have ready to assemble cabinets that use thinner plywood that might not hold up as well. My biggest concern with particle board is more it getting wet.

[1catlady]

Have you seen the summit tiny kitchens?

[syntaxterror]

I looked them up. They have some nice stuff for a smaller footprint but I have about 120" of space for my kitchen/living room and would prefer full size cabinets. This might all change as things evolve.