Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Thor Forums > Thor Motorcoach & Motorhome > Class A Motor Coach
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 08-25-2014, 11:28 AM   #1
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 31F
State: Georgia
Posts: 166
THOR #631
Installing home built storage on 31F Four Winds

Members,
My wife and I are enjoying our 2013 Thor Four Winds 31F, which has an open area under the main slide out that presently contains only the grey water drain for the kitchen sink tank. This is a large open area with a almost 3 foot door. I'll post pictures of the before and after showing how I've used the area to store levelers and other items that don't need protection from the elements.
John
Athens, GA

__________________
JDHoge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-25-2014, 12:51 PM   #2
Moderator Emeritus
 
FW28z's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2011 Four Winds 28Z
State: Michigan
Posts: 1,273
THOR #531
I always like to see what people do to improve their rigs. I have done a few things myself, but not in that area (yet). Be interesting to see your before/after photos.
__________________
The only thing that works on a RV is the owner...
FW28z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-25-2014, 10:19 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 31F
State: Georgia
Posts: 166
THOR #631
Members,
Some photos of what I did are added below, but first, the verbal description.
Problem: Our 2013 Thor Four Winds 31F had a fairly large area on the left side kitchen slide out that only held the drain for the kitchen sink. When I first looked at it I thought that maybe something was missing or hadn't been ordered or included bc the area was so large! Photo 1 shows the length of the area.

So I kept thinking about how to use this wasted space and finally decided that I would put in three steel frame members that could support the weight of a grill or the horse stall mat levelers that we made. (Horse stall levelers are heavy rubber mats that are virtually indestructible.)

So I bought three 6 foot lengths of angle iron from Lowes and made three steel frames that I bolted to the cross members of he RV. (see remaining photos).

In order to do this project you've got to have some tools and a welder and some muscle to run a drill while on your back under the RV.

But all in all it was a fun project that I hope will give us the storage space we needed for our levelers.

John
Athens, GA
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	Empty area.JPG
Views:	277
Size:	105.1 KB
ID:	115   Click image for larger version

Name:	Metal Brackets.JPG
Views:	279
Size:	131.9 KB
ID:	116  

Click image for larger version

Name:	Detail of Brackets.JPG
Views:	267
Size:	120.6 KB
ID:	117  
__________________
JDHoge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-18-2014, 10:16 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 31F
State: Georgia
Posts: 166
THOR #631
My new metal brackets got their first use recently when we went to a local SP for several days. The horse stall pad levelers fit into the rack pretty well and didn't fly out or shift due to their texture and weight. However, as an added measure of safety, I'm going to put a half inch exterior plywood floor into the area and probably undercoat it once in place.

I'll provide photos soon.

John
Athens, GA
__________________
JDHoge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-21-2014, 11:42 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 31F
State: Georgia
Posts: 166
THOR #631
Here are some pictures of the plywood floor that I made for the steel brackets and then a photo of the area loaded up with all of our levelers and the Blue Ox tow bar. I'm adding extra pictures so you can see the detail.
John
Athens, GA
p.s. The pictures are obviously out of order, but the point is that we've gained a place to store our tow bar and heavy levelers and that this weight is across from the on-board water storage and between the front and rear wheels.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version

Name:	photo 1.JPG
Views:	260
Size:	141.8 KB
ID:	122   Click image for larger version

Name:	photo 2.JPG
Views:	201
Size:	110.3 KB
ID:	123  

Click image for larger version

Name:	photo 1-1.JPG
Views:	223
Size:	129.7 KB
ID:	125   Click image for larger version

Name:	photo 2-1.JPG
Views:	212
Size:	141.9 KB
ID:	126  

Click image for larger version

Name:	photo 3-1.JPG
Views:	195
Size:	101.3 KB
ID:	127  
__________________
JDHoge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 06:36 AM   #6
Moderator Emeritus
 
FW28z's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2011 Four Winds 28Z
State: Michigan
Posts: 1,273
THOR #531
Very nice.
__________________
The only thing that works on a RV is the owner...
FW28z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 02:01 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2013 31L
State: Florida
Posts: 2,181
THOR #908
nicely done!
I wish that I was a welder. I don't have any of those empty storage bays like that on my coach, but I'd like to build a structure like that between my rear tires and holding tanks and drain pipes.....

Curious that they would put such a big door like that with no box behind it. I wonder if the factory forgot someting.... Anyway, nice solution!
__________________
blw2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-22-2014, 05:54 PM   #8
Moderator Emeritus
 
FW28z's Avatar
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2011 Four Winds 28Z
State: Michigan
Posts: 1,273
THOR #531
I have a long door like that for my 28Z, but unfortunately the grey water tank is in the way of any possible storage. Kind of strange... opening the long door and the dump valve is on the front side, and the grey water tank is on the rear half.

There is really no practical use I can think of for the door being so long.

Probably someone dropped a cup of coffee on the drawing at the factory and smeared the image and this is the result?
__________________
The only thing that works on a RV is the owner...
FW28z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-23-2014, 12:44 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 31F
State: Georgia
Posts: 166
THOR #631
Thanks for the compliments. My son helped me with the welding--said I needed to do more than tack welds; had me make a puddle of molten steel all the way up the seam. He was okay with simple tack welds on the back side where I placed the cut out angle iron triangles.

The exterior grade half inch plywood got two coats of spar varnish and then I undercoated the bottom side and the angle iron brackets, of course.

Time will tell how this weathers our intended multiyear retirement road trip!

John
Athens, GA
__________________
JDHoge is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
adding storage, levelers

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Thor Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.




All times are GMT. The time now is 01:27 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2