Foam Desk in 315RLTS

[howson]

I'll try to keep this short and will fill in more details as questions are asked (or not!).

Let's start with the OEM floorplan of the 315RLTS (shown below). Note the arrows pointing to the both the kitchen and dinette slide trim as they played an integral role in the configuration of the foam desk.



The OEM rear couch and side stands were not the best use of space for the DW and I. We've had a temporary folding table between the side stands for quite a while but after extensive research decided on trying our hand at building a foam desk.

There is way too much technical details to go into the actual construction process of foam-based furniture or cabinets. The best resource I've found on the topic is Nomad's YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@falkornomad His Foam Bones series is fantastic and is the genesis for most of the construction technique used (with some custom changes that I will mention below).

Why foam? Again, watch Nomad's videos as he goes into great detail on the justification (weight, cost, etc).

STEP 1: Plan the Desk

To accomplish this task I took quite a long time to learn how to use SketchUp (a 3D drawing program). The version used is from 2017 (the last full-featured "free" version that can be installed locally on a computer). Works great on my old Windows 7 computer, though some of the latest YouTube videos from SketchUp, the SketchUp School and The SketchUp Essentials don't always work on the older version. I'm just not willing to fork over the $$$ for the newer version.

So below is the concept (version 17!) for the desk as drawn in Sketchup with the side walls and rear wall of the camper.





The small box labeled "1" is a wireless router. The shelving unit ("3" in the pic) is where a small NAS and UPS will eventually be located. Number 2 is an embedded outlet with USB connections (there's one behind both laptops) so it's easy to plug in items used on the desk.

So why shelves instead of drawers? Remember at the beginning I mentioned the slide trim? Any drawer that might pull out will impact the slide trim, thus the drawer would have had to be offset (inboard) almost three inches to clear the trim when opened. Moving the drawers inboard sacrificed way too much space, so shelving was chosen as the alternative. The left side will be for tool storage and the right side for printer storage, as previously mentioned a NAS, UPS, and a DeWalt charging station (with battery storage).

The concept above doesn't show it, but the shelving units are being built separately from wood for strength and space-saving. The weight savings for these two small shelving units (versus the space lost if made from foam) was not worth it.

Cutting out the foam pieces was the first deviation from Nomad's process. I chose to use my table saw and jig saw with blades that are meant for cutting luan (lots of teeth). Cut very clean.



The 1" x 1" notches were probably overkill...a lot of work so everything could be dry-fit. Next time I'll cut them longer, maybe even as large as 4"x1".

Once all the pieces were cut the table was assembled (dry fit). Note the notches the arrows are pointing to are a mistake--but they'll be covered so (thankfully) didn't need to cut a top again. Note there's a 1/8" luan top piece, too.




Also note the "L" in the back corner in the picture above. There are two of them, one on each side, that will remain free-standing. The "L" covers up the wiring in the back corners. Below is the deconstruction of the camper (side stands removed) showing the wiring. The wires going up the wall are part of the brake lights mounted high on the back wall (see https://gdrvowners.com/forum/operati...2121#post22121 ). Those wires will be covered up with the same trim used in the original modification.




continued in next post...

[howson]

The second deviation from Nomad's process is using TiteBond II glue instead of gripper paint to secure screen to the foam. Works great, though the glue runs easily thus care must be taken during application.



Third deviation was to use dowels as an additional method of holding the pieces together. A 1/4" x 2" dowell worked well with a 5/32" hole drilled into the foam just a bit over 2" deep. The dowels ensured the reconstruction in the camper was exactly the same as the dry-fit build in the garage.

To protect (and finish) the foam on the bottom of the desktop the DW decided to use shelf liner. Light, easy to glue in place, and is tough material.



Assembling the desk together is a slow process as it was critical to ensure fitment and that the right pieces were glued at the right time. Waiting for the glue to set (or not, depending on the step) was crucial, too. Extraordinary care was taken to ensure glue didn't bulge out and bond to the trailer's wallpaper.



One note from the picture above. Some of the pieces are made from Owens-Corning "pink" foam and some from Lowe's (gray). The pink stuff has slits pre-cut that weakens the foam--I don't like it. Great for a contractor that wants to easily cut out 16" strips (for a wall) but not ideal for building with IMO. The gray foam from Lowe's is OK, but unfortunately comes with plastic film attached to both sides. I'm convinced the film must be removed to ensure the foam pieces glue together, so just an extra few minutes of peeling. Not too difficult to remove.

For screen reinforcement (to stiffen the foam) we decided just the top foam piece needed it. The desktop has screen on the bottom and top. The top screen had to be done with the desktop installed as it had to be bent in a "U" to get it past the slide trim and under the window shades). If I'd screened both sides before placement the desktop might have been too stiff, thus why there's a gap all the way around between the edge of the top and screen. I didn't want to accidentally get glue on the walls. (The desk is not attached to the camper at this point--it's just sitting there.)



As of the writing of this post, the top luan is glued down and drying as shown below. Extra wood and weights were placed on top, along with clamps as possible, to hold the pieces together. It will stay like this for the next 24-36 hours go give the glue an opportunity to dry and bond.



This afternoon will be working on the electrical. The OEM boxes will be replaced with floor-mounted outlets that will be hidden behind the "Ls". As shown in the concept drawing in post 1, two outlets will be embedded in desktop and plugged into the hidden outlets behind the Ls. The outlet chosen is from Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BLJZM8Q2

So that's two posts that wrap up a couple of months of learning, planning, and (the start) of execution. I skipped over a lot otherwise these posts would be quite the tome.

Before asking questions about the construction method, please watch Nomad's videos referenced in post 1 so we have a common understanding of the basics. Then feel free to fire away with the knowledge that this is not a time-tested modification (at least for me) as of this writing. I'm very pleased with the initial results, but only time will tell if building from foam was the right choice.

Howard

[dsimmons]

HOWARD. Neil sent me here to review this post. This is amazing! I am so happy that you’ve worked out a way to do this mod. I can’t wait to see how this turns out and how you and Neil can build one of these for me…. 🤣.

Hi to DW!

[Jimmer]

Awesome! Super job, as always!!!

[howson]

25 May Update

Got the electrical swapped over to new boxes and outlets (both sides). These will be mounted and behind the "Ls" in the rear corners. Probably won't need all the outlets (only plan on using three total out of the eight available) but it gives me options in the future should a need arise.



Completed the shelving units, too. The Kreg jig kit came in handy so all the shelves are adjustable.



The trim on the sides is functional to keep the shelves from sliding forward.



As of now the entire unit slides into place. The reason the unit is built like this (and the "L" in the corner) is so that if I need to do a repair or access the brake / marker light / electrical wiring the design of the unit allows a relatively quick disassembly without destroying anything.

[howson]

26 May 23 Update

Mounted the electrical boxes that will be behind the "L". First step was cutting down plastic wall anchors and gluing them into the foam. Then a square piece of 1/8" luan was glued to the wall and was also screwed into the anchors. The electrical box was then attached to the luan with extra heavy duty mounting tape and screws.



Also made shelving units to utilize the space in front of our feet. These are similar to the shelves built yesterday for the side area. Note the electrical cord from the outlet installed in the desktop. (Still need to route the wire through the side of the cabinet and foam so it can plug in.)



As mentioned earlier, the outlets are installed in the desktop. There are dust covers in all the USB ports to keep out debris. (There are six standard and two "C" USB charging ports along with the five NEMA outlets on this power strip.)



Might be the last update for a few weeks. Most of what's left is "make it look good" work.

Howard

[Jlawles2]

I'm a bit disappointed you did not make the shelving units out of foam also.

Looks good. What finish are you going with? Unfinished Pine Verneer so you can stain match the shelving units? https://wisewoodveneer.com/product/knotty-pine-veneer/

I would not be surprised if you find a plastic laminate that matches the cabinet finish. Be sure to go with the vertical grade where possible as it's thinner and more forgiving.

https://panolam.com/pattern-search/?..._type_color=or

https://www.wilsonart.com/laminate/d...RoCpp4QAvD_BwE

https://www.formica.com/en-us/produc...vancy&f:Color=[Gray]&f:Style=[Woodgrain]

If you have enough money and some time, I think Nevamar will custom print sheets for you.

[howson]

Jlawles2 -- finish work is TBD. Headed out for a three week trip soon, so the desk is functional but far from being complete. Hopefully it gets finished in July and I'll provide updates at that time.

[Jlawles2]

Howard, the hardest thing once you get to finishing is going to be the contact cement needed to place the finish skins. Typical contact adhesives are rich in VOC that melt plastic. They do have some water based but I have never used any of them.

I suggest you test several before applying the finish. I do know 3M 77 and the other one melt foam (test piece for insulating the attic access panel).

[howson]

Howard, the hardest thing once you get to finishing is going to be the contact cement needed to place the finish skins. Typical contact adhesives are rich in VOC that melt plastic. They do have some water based but I have never used any of them.

I suggest you test several before applying the finish. I do know 3M 77 and the other one melt foam (test piece for insulating the attic access panel).

Already done (glue testing). The Nomad videos explain the entire process. I'll be using Titebond II.

[Jlawles2]

Have you seen this video? https://youtu.be/0Uz9YeehLU4

https://hotwirefoamfactory.com/028B_...sion_Glue.html

[howson]

Have you seen this video? https://youtu.be/0Uz9YeehLU4

https://hotwirefoamfactory.com/028B_...sion_Glue.html

Oh yes, I'm pretty sure I've seen every video on YouTube related to building with foam.

The Hot Wire Foam Factory's tools are tempting, but they sure are proud of them. So far I've managed with my table saw and jig saw, using blades meant for laminate. For small work a utility knife works well enough.

As far as the glue...I'm sure the Foam Fusion Glue is good, but the Titebond series (either II or III) works really well, too, and is readily available in my local big box store.

[Jlawles2]

She tested the glues. The wood glue probably works for most of what you did, but there may be a few places where the foam glue becomes a better option (like laminating). In one of her test after 48 hrs, the wood glue was not cured (this could be an issue with large lamination areas due to lack of moisture exit paths).

Just thought it was an interesting test for those large lay up areas. Note she built a teardrop out of foam.

[howson]

17 Jul 23 Update

The desk is nearing completion! A few more days of installing trim, installing equipment wiring and other assorted tasks and it will be ready to show.

In the meantime I thought some might be interested in how the cabinets under the desk evolved to their final configuration.

First picture below is "ready to travel" mode. The arrows are pointing to a bungee cord (that otherwise might be missed) that's securing the lattice work.



Lattice? Yep--it's black vinyl lattice leftover from a yard project. Trimmed the shelves back just enough so the lattice slips into place (bends easily). The bungees ensure if the items on the shelf move significantly (and impact the lattice), the lattice won't pop out of place. The lattice comes out easily and will be stored next to the theater seating (or behind it). Weighs very little and will stand up to a lot of abuse.

Each shelf has a bungee secured underneath. The middle cable wrap allows the bungee to slide back and forth. The outer cable wraps are there to store the bungee up and out of the way when they are not securing the lattice. Since the cabinet is made so the shelves adjust, the bungee goes with the shelf. (DW gets credit for all this cleverness.)



The shelves are secured in place using a plastic clip that holds it securely. No vertical movement. On the sides of the cabinet, trim keeps the shelf from sliding forward. I did have to shave off about 1/8" of an inch of the plastic "finger", though, or it was impossible to get the shelf back out with how it came from the manufacturer.



More to come later this week or early next week when the entire desk is complete.

Howard

[Beachcamper]

howson a very nice write up and execution. I used this product for repairing the top of a table I use as a desk in my unit. It is very durable have had it for 3 years now. Might work for the veneer of your desk it is self adhesive.

https://amzn.to/3PWLwlb