August 02, 2017

Making a Small Camper Workspace

I think the hardest thing about living in a small space is the lack of countertop. In our trailer, which wasn't meant to be lived in full time, there is exactly seven inches of kitchen counter space. If I'm not cooking on the stove top, I can use that space, but bottles won't stay upright on the grate, and particles of food fall through the grate and onto the burners. But trying to prep food while I'm cooking on the stove is a real pain. So I decided to make a removeable top to extend the counter space when I am cooking or prepping. It is out of the way against the wall when I need the whole sink.

Before:


After:


That light spot on the counter is a reflection of the light above it.

I made is using a pieced board from Home Depot similar to this one. The one I got had final thickness of 5/8". I also had to cut it down on the table saw so it's final size is 19"x48". Then I wanted to try out a tinted Watco Danish oil on it so I bought a can of cherry tint. On pine, it was kind of an orangey-red, but so is the trailer, so that's okay. I like Watco oil because it penetrates the wood and I think that helps with water resistance. I won't be using this as a cutting board, so being food-safe didn't matter.

It has not only made cooking in the trailer easier, but it is also a good place to put the Instant Pot which I use a lot to keep from heating up the trailer.

8 comments:

  1. That's brilliant. It really is. Good thinking.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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  2. Hi! Thanks for stopping by my blog traveling bug. My husband is German and so all of his family lives in Germany. We have been married 20 years now and we thought it would be a great opportunity for our children to know their family and learn how to speak German.

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  3. A great solution to your space problem.

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  4. So cute! Happy trails and mini meals.

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  5. You are so clever. Hope by now there is a lot of progress on the barn. I really don't know how you are managing. The time we spent in our trailer was at most a week!!!

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  6. Marti - I was just thinking. Our trailer had a folding cover for the cook top. When it was closed - it gave a good flat surface. WIth your skill, I would bet you could make something that might even double as a cutting board, but certainly would be a flat surface for meal prep. Ours would double as a spot to drain dishes!

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