stove burner-top tray and trash container holder

In our 171, space is extremely tight.  I earlier described how I made an extra-large 14”X20” bamboo cutting board into a tray that is placed on top of the stove burners to increase the available work space. I used a 1” Forstner bit, an extremely valuable tool that I had no idea existed before this project, to center the ¼” diameter double ended screws fastening the 1” diameter legs, each 2” long, to the cutting board and then capped the legs with rubber tips. It is very stable.

For storage of the tray when not being used I have now made a holder from an 18” long length of 1X4 board placed on the top  of our little dinner table next to the curving front wall of our R-Pod.  From my scrap pile I made a little metal tab that sticks down between the table and wall to keep the holder from moving away from the wall. Near each end of the board, using double ended screws, I raised a couple of vertical 1” diameter dowels, each about  1 ½” long, that hold the tray in a vertical position.  Although it was now pretty stable, I then added two little blocks made from  1”X4” scrap to the board to support the tray’s legs when it is in place. Finally, I put a 4” length of 1X4 on the ledge that the 171 has between the table and the wall. Altho maybe overkill, this does keep the tray from moving towards the wall even with severe shaking.

I am very pleased with this stable and relatively out of the way storage place for the cutting board-tray. It would  be simpler, maybe, to just put longer dowels into the board to hold the tray vertical, without the added blocks on the holder or trailer ledge, but I was concerned, maybe unnecessarily, about them breaking off when the holder was stored for travel.

 Now, when the tray is in the storage position, I hook a small covered trash container (covered to minimize odors) over the tray like the one below -  

https://www.amazon.com/kary-chef-Garbage-Cupboard-Automatic/dp/B07FVNZ6BQ

With two people in the trailer, the trash container is accessible but out of the way. When I am using the tray I just leave the trash container near the tray holder on the table top.