Storage solution |
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Podsible Dream
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Location: Hightstown, NJ Online Status: Offline Posts: 571 |
Topic: Storage solution Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 9:43pm |
We found a simple solution for clothing (and similar lightweight items) storage. Closetmaid from The Home Depot now has a basket device that is made to suspend from their dual track uprights. They are approx 6x6x19". They are available in white or 'brushed nickel'. We placed two on the shower wall of the 171 over the bed(our foot end) and then two over the other end one over the window valence and one on the cabinet wall. I used electrical cable hangers - 1/4" size - screwed to the walls with #8x1/2" self tapping pan head screws. I figure that we won't be doing pull ups on them, so it isn't necessary to use any mollys or plastic devices. I have used these clamps to hang a number of plastic coated racks in the galley using the same philosophy. They have survived so far. We also purchased a set of space enhancing plastic coated racks from the Walmart. I mounted a couple of them to the 'ceiling' of the cabinet areas above the frig, which adds about 30% more space for towels, etc.
We used the baskets for our last 5 day trip for clothes and underwear with room to spare- two for each of us. They also provide a place to hang the spectacles at night! Photos to come. |
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Chris and Walt
'10 RP-171 'Free Spirit' '13 Dodge Durango Crew 5.7 L Hemi V8 |
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iamsmonk
Senior Member Joined: 14 Nov 2010 Location: North Carolina Online Status: Offline Posts: 114 |
Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 10:34pm |
So where are the pictures of this neat idea????? Oh, how you tease us!!!
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Sherrie & Carol,
Henri, Jay & Tanner 2004 Dodge Dakota w/4.7 V8 2011 r-pod 177 Let's go camping! |
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Damour
Senior Member Joined: 07 Jul 2011 Location: Quebec Online Status: Offline Posts: 162 |
Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 10:35pm |
Oh yes I'd like to see that
do you have the links directly to the store ? (home Depot)
Just to see what it is exactly
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rp 171 , from Québec with not a good english writing lol
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Damour
Senior Member Joined: 07 Jul 2011 Location: Quebec Online Status: Offline Posts: 162 |
Posted: 17 Aug 2011 at 10:48pm |
And you can screw that strong enough ?
I will need to read again and slowly how you have done that |
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rp 171 , from Québec with not a good english writing lol
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Podsible Dream
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Location: Hightstown, NJ Online Status: Offline Posts: 571 |
Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 11:55am |
Okay, Okay, no more teasing!! Here are the pictures.
Actually I usually post from my iPad and haven't mastered all the document and photo handling techniques - having been raised on a PC - so I didn't post photos last evening. Today I am at the computer - don't tell my boss... Here are some pictures of the storage solutions: The baskets are called ShelfTrack large baskets from Closetmaid and are available at most home stores - we got two at Home Depot and two at Lowes after trying out the first two. Menards should have them too, or get them on line from a source -www.closetmaid.com has the full line of their products. They are designed to fit to a dual track standard mounted on the wall for flexibility. We figured that fixed is a better option after seeing other stuff get bounced around in the traveling Pod. By the exit window: On the other side: The wooden structure in the last photo is a mounting platform for a 19" flat screen TV that the first owner had installed. It is made of oak (unfinished as of yet) and quite nicely done, so I kept it just in case, although we're not in-bed TV people. The fan is a 110V clip-on from our local big box place. I moved the CO monitor to the opposite side so I could fix the one basket above the window valence above the exit window. Other photos are of the storage racks in the galley. These started life as hanging ones for the shower, so I took a hack saw to the hanger part and mounted them to hold either the coffee and tea supplies or the various needs for the sink and oral hygeine (no sink in our shower in this early 2010 model 171). The paper towel holder is a single arm mount that is screwed into the bottom of the shelf - it has a drawback that the roll is larger than the arm and has a tendency to unroll... we now use a rubber band to hold the towels in place. Note that the bottom of the upper cabinets is a dual layer of plywood with space in between for wiring for lights and the TV//DVD/Radio. The spice rack is from Ikea - I've seen a few others in the same place in other pods mods. Hot beverage area: Sink area: OK, so how do I support these racks and baskets? The interior walls of the pod are 1/8" plywood with a contact type plastized wall covering. If one removes any of the attached hardware (curtain hold-down brackets, alarms, lights, or the fancy mesh holdalls on snaps) one finds they are held in place with simple screws, no plastic anchors or mollys or the like. So I figure that with a sufficient diameter short screw with a fairly coarse thread, one should be able to hold 5-10 pounds of stuff on the walls without pulling out the screws. I don't suggest using the attached devices for chin ups or holding your 5 lb exercise dumbells, but so far our experience has been positive. Especially in the galley where the white racks are resing on the counter top. Here are pictures of the hardware. The white omega shaped brackets are Closetmaid brackets and come in a back with screws and plastic anchors (rather costly on a unit basis!) The other holders are electric cable brackets found in the electric department. They are avaialble in several sizes 1/8, 3/16, 1/4" etc. These are the small ones. I use 1/2" x #8 pan head sheet metal screws to fasten both brackets. They drive with a Phillips head and are self-tapping. No drilling, with the electric driver, just a bit of a push is needed to get them started. Note I buy in bulk and my wife has generously allowed me to use the bottom drawer to store extra hardware... The choice of a hanger bracket depends on the wire thickness, the weight to hang, and the ease of doing the job. Some of mine were awkward to position so I tried different brackets. Here is a coat rack we put inside the door for jackets and the like. It was found at the Home Depot as an unfinished pine piece and I stained it and polyurethaned it. (I still haven't been able to match the stain on the FR cabinets...) There you go, Sherrie and Damour! Thanks for listening, Walt. |
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Chris and Walt
'10 RP-171 'Free Spirit' '13 Dodge Durango Crew 5.7 L Hemi V8 |
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Damour
Senior Member Joined: 07 Jul 2011 Location: Quebec Online Status: Offline Posts: 162 |
Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 1:27pm |
I love all that mods
Good job !!
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rp 171 , from Québec with not a good english writing lol
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 18 Aug 2011 at 3:55pm |
I like the basket above the emergency exit window, I didn't want to put a shelf there because I didn't want it in the way if we had to get out fast. But a small basket might be ok.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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drjenk
Newbie Joined: 01 Oct 2011 Online Status: Offline Posts: 9 |
Posted: 10 Oct 2011 at 12:33am |
For the door hanger near the door, how long were the screws that you used? I'd be afraid of going through the other side. Also where they wood screw style?
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Podsible Dream
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 03 Dec 2010 Location: Hightstown, NJ Online Status: Offline Posts: 571 |
Posted: 10 Oct 2011 at 7:34am |
I use so called sheet metal screws in the pod. They have a finer thread than wood screws and hold better in the thin plywood of the pod walls. For the rack ijust inside the door on the outside of the shower wall, I used 1 1/4 inch ones, as there is about one inch of wall thickness (to allow for the shower controls) and there was some depth of wood to go through We only hang lightweight items there - no winter coats yet! So it might be that I end up with plastic expandable inserts in the final analysis.
We have discovered that the little plastic cable ties are not strong enough to handle the rigors of in and out placement and removal of clothes and the like. They work fine in the kitchen where the little racks are resting on the counter, but over the bed, they have broken. I have replaced them with the Closetmaid hanger devices, although they are more expensive. Good luck! |
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Chris and Walt
'10 RP-171 'Free Spirit' '13 Dodge Durango Crew 5.7 L Hemi V8 |
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ron_whitt
Senior Member Joined: 08 Sep 2011 Location: Chesterville On Online Status: Offline Posts: 261 |
Posted: 14 Dec 2011 at 5:14pm |
This is really great, I can't wait till spring when I get my 177, these pics are worth their weight in gold... Everyone on this site is really great can't wait to meet some of you folks this coming summer.
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Ron & Shirley
2020 Tacoma 2012 177 rpod |
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