Beach mods Part 1: Kitchen Pod MKII (good old Ikea Alex)

[Bugsy]

Brilliant!!

Hope you didn't see any of your pans in there Lesley!

 

[Brindisi]

Hope you didn't see any of your pans in there Lesley!

Going to start and label my property!

 

[Max-Felix]

Had a go at forming Dibond into a curve - definite no!

Also back to Ikea again, IIRC the standard chopping boards they sell are a spot on fit in the cutlery drawer.

 

[kave]

I have thought about this kitchen idea for one year now. I made my own pod almost complete with two tanks, one fresh and one for dirty water using this set: http://xtc.aulich24.de/product_info.php?info=p208_Wasserversorgung-kpl---Set-3.html
However, one of the reasons I got the Cali Beach instead of a full blown white is that I dont like to fuss about with emptying tanks etc.
My last thought that I will probably do this week is to make a pod with storage only and one of the tanks for fresh water and no sink. I will get this http://www.outwell.com/en/Products/...collaps-washing-base-whandle--lid-cream-white

It seems really smart, quite overpriced but I like the idea that I can dry plates etc inside it as well.
Overpriced?

 

[Max-Felix]

I just planned to use one of these good old Addis jobs in the storage box. Nearly always in use with either clean or dirty stuff in it so I see little advantage in having it collapsable. And only £3 from the local hardware store.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Cleaning...shing-Up-Bowl/B00CIZIQ42/?tag=vwcalifornia-21

 

[WillSS]

Here is a little taster of the vinyl wrap for the sides - maybe not everyone's cup of tea but one of my favourite features of the (older) Beaches is the deckchair Takato trim and this fits in pretty well with that, how I wish they had kept this one 'jazzy' feature in the '50 shades of grey' current models. So, this will be on the sides and the top will be in a blue Vohringher shade similar again to the pod from last year in the OP.

Also a nod to one of the custom Maxxcamp colours.

Nowt wrong with a bit of Takato! You could always add these inka covers to your forthcoming purchase but not sure it'll match with your vinyl wrap now!
Looking forward to your progress here, personally this MK2 ditching the sink and keeping the space/full size bed has much more appeal than your MK1, albeit that was very impressive in its own right. Hoping it'll have a few fold out flaps for extra worktop maxicamp style.

 

[WillSS]

Lots of foldout flaps... (without that sink)

 

[Max-Felix]

Thanks, yes I plan a fold out flap over the storage box. The MK1 did allow the back third of the bed to be full width and IME this is the important bit as you only need the width really at elbow points not legs.

 

[Sp0_0k]

Interested to see how you implement 2seater bench unfolding with Alex
Didn't ever hit me to reinforce the box so heavily. Why did you decide to do that? It is pretty heavy already.
The perfect clean solution would be to narrow the Alex by 2centimeters. But that's some heavy reworking so I ended up simply building my own shortened multiflex board.

 

[Max-Felix]

It does not really add any notable weight - only some aluminium and the extra drawer bases but these are only small pieces of 3mm HB - perhaps total extra = 0.3kg?

Main reason is to protect the edges against knocks and to reinforce the drawer bottoms against bowing etc.

Not much more I can do until I find a Beach though as I expected to have one but that is in the other moaning topic...

 

[Days out]

Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I love Dibond (or ACS), so light, rigid and strong. Posted more on this in the other pod build linked in first post. It's super easy to cut and shape too. Lots of finishes available but the brushed silver looks the most professional.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_...brushed.TRS0&_nkw=dibond+3mm+brushed&_sacat=0

I have not tried forming it into curves but will have a play.

You could join it with alu angle or brackets or a thin bead of PU adhesive but a bit fiddly.

The normal stuff is 3mm but I got a sample in 6mm which I'm considering for a flap up table or a roof locker.

Hi again. In the end I went with some off cuts of MDF and some sticky back plastic I found in the garage. Yet to make the cover/tray but happy with the result.

Thanks for the advice and inspiration to make stuff and modify my van a bit for ease and practicality.



Made to measure for my utensils etc.



Above. That's a little secret place for scissors etc to keep them away from my inquisitive 4 year old boy!

 

[Max-Felix]

Love it - groovy!

 

[Max-Felix]

Quick update as the bottom flap is done.

I would have preferred a drawer but with the need to attach the pod to the floor and the fact the bottom drawer only allows around 5mm clearance to the base like others I've gone flappy.

These type of hinges work well and allow the front to clear the carcass:

Some careful measuring needed as clearance is very tight all round (and dry runs on spare 15mm stock) but the fit is not too bad:

 

[Sp0_0k]

Got it secured to the floor at the side. Still possible to mount at the floor with some heavy modifications, cutting and installing a thin metal plate.

 

[matt-k918]

Hi. Got inspired to (very) lightly modify an Ikea Alex for our Beach today, instead of our Reimo Pantry unit. Decided that extra storage was a actually higher priority than the water & sink with all the mess that 2 young boys can create!

Went for the VW fixings and a side hinged bottom drawer front. By fitting the bolts to one side on a spreader plate we can still easily fit some storage boxes in the bottom.

Hopefully this will bring some order to the chaos!

 

[Max-Felix]

Well done!

Mine is on permanant hold as I got an SE in the end.

If anyone wants a partially modified Alex with all the vinyl wrap and other bits to complete at a bargain price please let me know!

 

[hewittd]

Another way to get more storage in your 3-seat Beach:

This is the Samla box from Ikea. In our Beach they replace the three small under-bench trays. We've used them for years. They hold about 50% more and fit nicely in the space. At £1.50 a piece you can't go wrong! Lids costs just £0.50. Look for article no: 401.029.78

Really?!?! Ooo, might even have some of those knocking around in the house already..

Thanks for the tip, every bit of extra storage helps!

 

[emz_aus]

Thanks to everyone who posted about using a Ikea Alex unit as it was just what I was looking for, & I can’t believe the amount of gear you can store in it & have now cleared out all my full plastic boxes from under the rear extendable bed base!

However has anyone got any magnet alternative suggestions for stopping the drawers opening while driving? I installed 2kg strength magnets on one side of each of the top 2 drawers but these don’t seem to work with fully loaded drawers, plus the 3rd larger drawer has less gap to fit the magnet too so I couldn’t even fit the one I used on the top 2, so for now I have elastic ties around them! (pics to follow).

Thanks in advance.

P.S. Ikea Nordli for the rear next..

 

[Sp0_0k]

Just make mechanical switches. Can make it almost from anything. I grabbed some plastic things in a store that work perfectly.

 

[matt-k918]

I looked at all sorts of different high strength (high-ish cost) neodymium magnets, but in the end found an acceptable solution with 2-off standard b&q cupboard door magnets in each drawer

There isn't a way to fit these on the side or front edge of the drawers, but I attached the plate to the back of the unit and the plastic part on the top edge of the back of the drawer. I fixed a small wooden batten to the back of each drawer to screw the magnet into, I think it was about 8-10mm thick to fit between the back of the drawer and the back of the unit? I've never had a drawer fly open since fitting these

 

[emz_aus]

Hi matt-k918, They look like the same magnets as mine, but you obviously did a better job! A pic of the plate & batten would be great if you get chance, Thanks

 

[matt-k918]

Rubbish pics since I didn't want to remove a drawer! Nothing too sophisticated. The batten had to be thin enough to allow the drawer to fully shut. I found exactly locating the magnets fairly critical..... too far back and they close without the drawer being fully shut, not far enough and they don't connect so it took a bit of faffing to get it right

 

[emz_aus]

Revisiting an older post but wondered if anyone anyone has any suggestions for the easiest way to implement a fold out or attachable flap to the side of the Ikea Alex with bits I could easily source from my local DIY store to avoid me wandering around aimlessly looking for a solution !