Replacing Lagun table bracket with door

[hobo]

We ordered the Lagun table that fits between the twin beds but have NEVER used it.  In fact, it's never even been in the trailer.  At this juncture, for our style of camping, we just won't use it.  We are going to sell it (cheap) but I want to know how difficult it would be to remove the bracket and put in the extra door front for storage?  Would love to hear from someone who has made this conversion.  Thanks

[topgun2]

hobo - 

You might want to PM ScubaRx about this.  I don't think that he did the exact thing you are talking about, but, he did install two very similar doors in the propane tank cover area.

Bill

[DavidS]

I installed an Access Door to the basement in my Ollie; it was not an option when we ordered it. I got the door from Jason at Oliver for $99.50 + tax. They charge $175 for one installed, on the build sheets. 

I covered the areas to be cut with blue tape, and measured carefully where I wanted to cut. I cut holes in the four corners with a hole saw, and then cut the straight areas with a jig saw with a fine metal cutting blade. This website helped. After cutting, installing the door was easy. 

We really like the door. The backend of the basement had rarely used items  (i.e. extra hoses, 50A to 30A adaptors) that we now store in the tow vehicle. With the access door, we now store our extra shoes at the back of the basement. We are happy with it. 

[hobo]

45 minutes ago, DavidS said:

I installed an Access Door to the basement in my Ollie; it was not an option when we ordered it. I got the door from Jason at Oliver for $99.50 + tax. They charge $175 for one installed, on the build sheets. 

I covered the areas to be cut with blue tape, and measured carefully where I wanted to cut. I cut holes in the four corners with a hole saw, and then cut the straight areas with a jig saw with a fine metal cutting blade. This website helped. After cutting, installing the door was easy. 

We really like the door. The backend of the basement had rarely used items  (i.e. extra hoses, 50A to 30A adaptors) that we now store in the tow vehicle. With the access door, we now store our extra shoes at the back of the basement. We are happy with it. 

David,   So I understand fully:  When you open up the lower portion of the cabinet, does this actually just give you access to the bowels of the basement or is there a floor in the cabinet which allows a separate storage space?  Thanks, Hobo

 

 

[DavidS]

1 hour ago, hobo said:

When you open up the lower portion of the cabinet, does this actually just give you access to the bowels of the basement or is there a floor in the cabinet which allows a separate storage space?  Thanks, Hobo

Yes, this gives access to the part of the basement that is furthest from the basement door. The stuff I had stored there was in a milk crate, and it was so far back that I made a retrieval device - a hook on a long dowel rod. 

Edited June 20, 2020 by DavidS

[hobo]

11 hours ago, DavidS said:

Yes, this gives access to the part of the basement that is furthest from the basement door. The stuff I had stored there was in a milk crate, and it was so far back that I made a retrieval device - a hook on a long dowel rod. 

David,  Just wondering (have never seen this space), would it be reasonable to expect that once opened up for a new access door, a false bottom could be put into this space which makes it a separate storage compartment.  Seems there is a fair amount of height above the floor level to play with here.   Again, I don't current have access to it so I can't tell for sure.  Thanks again.  Hobo

[DavidS]

12 hours ago, hobo said:

Just wondering (have never seen this space), would it be reasonable to expect that once opened up for a new access door, a false bottom could be put into this space which makes it a separate storage compartment. 

Hmm. If you want to make it a separate storage compartment I think you would need to put it a vertical wall to separate it from the rest of the basement. I do not see the need, though. 

In my trailer, as I look into the access door from inside the trailer, on the right is a milk crate in the basement, and to the left of the crate is the area where I store our shoes. I found a rectangular tray with about 2.5 inch high walls which fits the area perfectly, and I put our shoes in there. The only advantage of the tray is that on the rare occasions when the milk crate is removed, the shoes do not spill into the area designated for the milk crate. The tray is not essential.  

Edited June 21, 2020 by DavidS

[Ray and Susan Huff]

We are ordering the access door and I'm sure will find numerous uses for it:

Laundry hamper, bottled water access from inside, shoes, more TBD!

 

 

[ScubaRx]

The basement hatches are very handy.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

32 minutes ago, ScubaRx said:

The basement hatches are very handy.

You get a lot of storage and basement access with the elevated twins, but I'm not willing to give up the headspace.  

[hobo]

ScubaRX;  Any chance you could get a pic of the bottom of that space and post it as you have it configured AND one without the tray in it?  Thanks.  Hobo

 

[ScubaRx]

Hobo,

I will post some photos of the basement interior as seen through the lower access door.  I'm not sure what you are referring to when you say "tray." I believe what you are seeing may be the aluminum plate that is mounted to the interior of the outer hull to support the spare tire carrier mounted on the outside.  That is the reflective area in the upper half of the opening.  There is a light mounted in the basement in the center of that area that is "on" in the picture as indicated by the lighted switch to the right of the door.

A quick description of the area aft of the door:  This area drops off into a "well", the floor of which, is 10" below the  bottom of the hatch and is about 6" below the surrounding basement floor.

 

[Ray and Susan Huff]

1 hour ago, ScubaRx said:

Hobo,

I will post some photos of the basement interior as seen through the lower access door.  I'm not sure what you are referring to when you say "tray." I believe what you are seeing may be the aluminum plate that is mounted to the interior of the outer hull to support the spare tire carrier mounted on the outside.  That is the reflective area in the upper half of the opening.  There is a light mounted in the basement in the center of that area that is "on" in the picture as indicated by the lighted switch to the right of the door.

A quick description of the area aft of the door:  This area drops off into a "well", the floor of which, is 10" below the  bottom of the hatch and is about 6" below the surrounding basement floor.

We plan to order the optional hatch for basement access.  I am pleased to see there is a light in this area.  I'm not sure how the basement lights are switched on and off.  Can you turn on the light, pictured above, from inside the trailer or is the switch located inside the outer basement hatch?

 

 

 

 

 

[topgun2]

Susan - 

Be careful what you ask for!  ScubaRx has switches for switches.  Truly an Oliver to see if you ever have the chance.

Bill 

[ScubaRx]

I put two lights in the basement. The one visible in the photos and an identical one nearer the outside access door. They are controlled by two 3-way switches, one just inside the outer basement door and one inside the trailer down low, to the right of the basement access hatch. Both of these switches have auxiliary indicator lights so you know that the basement light is on. 

Edited June 30, 2020 by ScubaRx

[Ray and Susan Huff]

2 hours ago, ScubaRx said:

I put two lights in the basement. The one visible in the photos and an identical one nearer the outside access door. They are controlled by two 3-way switches, one just inside the outer basement door and one inside the trailer down low, to the right of the basement access hatch. Both of these switches have auxiliary indicator lights so you know that the basement light is on. 

So the light in the "far back" of the basement isn't standard?  Might have to utilize our battery LED stick on puck lights . . . . . unless I can talk our grandson into wiring something up. . . . . . he's an electronic fiend 😀

[topgun2]

In order to light up this area I found an LED light strip in WalMart that is used for lighting the bed of a pickup truck.  I spliced into the power at the existing "standard" light that is just over the outside door into the basement area.  By having lighting all around I can see into the entire area even if one section of it is blocked by the large amount of "stuff" I carry in there.  I'll try to get a picture and post it later.

Bill

Note that I chose to not have the inside basement door.  In the picture with the "on/off switch" you can see the "standard" light fixture that comes with the Elite II.  Also note that in the first and second picture you can see the extra insulation that I added to the access  door(s).

Edited June 30, 2020 by topgun2
added pictures

[Ray and Susan Huff]

7 hours ago, topgun2 said:

In order to light up this area I found an LED light strip in WalMart that is used for lighting the bed of a pickup truck.  I spliced into the power at the existing "standard" light that is just over the outside door into the basement area.  By having lighting all around I can see into the entire area even if one section of it is blocked by the large amount of "stuff" I carry in there.  I'll try to get a picture and post it later.

Bill

Note that I chose to not have the inside basement door.  In the picture with the "on/off switch" you can see the "standard" light fixture that comes with the Elite II.  Also note that in the first and second picture you can see the extra insulation that I added to the access  door(s).

Thanks for the pictures.  Is that a 2 gal or 5 gal bucket?  It looks like the rear of the storage compartment has a fair amount of space.  We are definitely ordering the access door at the base of the nightstand.  It will be a good place to store things you want inside access to . . . . . and maybe a laundry hamper, extra shoes . . . . bottled water . . . . . the possibilities are endless!  At less than $200 for the option, it is money well spent.

 

[topgun2]

That bucket is actually a re-purposed kitty litter container and is probably more like 4 gallons.  I found that the relatively square shape plus it having a lid worked better in that space.

Bill

p.s.  for a size comparison - the blue object in the back is a set of links levelers.  Also note the red ribbon on the ceiling of the first two pictures - this is the hatch that is covered by the nightstand since I have the twin bed model therefore making it inaccessible.  In the king model this hatch is available to be used under the bench seating.