Anyone know if the little cabinet in front of the AC unit is structural for the AC? Or is it just sort of built around it? Considering removing it for a little more floor space, but I don't want to do that if it's going to make the AC fall out or anything.
From what I have read, the cabinets are important for structural wall support. And something will have to keep the AC steady as it cannot balance on the wall. But a brace could do that. Happy camping!
PointyCamper is right about the structural support of the cabinets. We bought our NTU 2006 Aliner with the A/C cabinet removed. The previous owner wanted more room too. Thank goodness he had saved the trashed cabinets in his spare parts pile in his garage. I contacted John Pheil about how to go about reinstalling the cabinets to the wall and he confirmed that they do indeed provide support and stability for the sidewall. The A/C sits in a shelf/pan attached to the wall in our unit. It is completely independent from the cabinet.
Well shoot! I was planning on taking out the dinette benches too, on the other side. My plan was to eventually build bunk beds up against the front wall, but I was planning on doing a few camping trips with no benches, just to get a better feel for the space before building something. Surely I'm not the only one who's taken out a bench or cabinet here and there? Anyone have any experience with this?
I was looking at an a liner on sale where the prior owners took out all cabinets except for the sink cabinet, problem was the side walls were flexing and not meeting up with the roof in areas. If you found a way of bracing the wall I think it can be done, but I wouldn't know how.
You have to realize that most campers built on a light duty frame. Everything flexes and moves. Minimal weight, minimal thickness, minimal cost. If you ever start modifying one, you wonder how they can get away with selling something so shoddy.
