Building a pull-out kitchen?

[Snerk]

Hey y'all.

So I have my recently acquired 2018 Subaru Outback. I measured the back after seeing some clever pull-out kitchen designs and I'd really like to make one. I'm drawing/thinking currently, and will probably be doing cardboard cutouts to figure out drawer configs and whatnot.

Mainly I was curious about the materials and construction though. I'm pretty handy, I have a table saw, circular saw, jigsaw, impact driver, drill, etc. so I can build stuff myself, but I'm curious about the actual design considerations for making what is essentially a longass drawer.

I would love some recommendations for materials. Wood or metal is okay, but I'll probably go wood due to it's lower cost and it's easier to build with.

I would also love some recommendations on design. The Subaru has a 60/40 split rear seat, the "60" side is going to be the wider/deeper drawer that we're planning on building our stove and most of the cooking storage in to, and then the "40" side is likely going to be two or three drawers stacked up for holding more miscellaneous supplies.

 

[RickR]

There are several videos on Youtube on how to do this, If you are very ambitious and have the tools, I would love to see your progress.

 

[OLgadgets]

I've only seen a couple of buildouts for the Subarus, but when I built my Jeep Kitchen, I used 3/4" birchwood, as that wood is used when building pretty sturdy cabinets. I even made the drawer out of it. You can buy a 4' x 8' piece of 3/4" birchwood at Home Depot for $50-$60 bucks. For me build, I ended up using 1.5 pieces. Hopefully, you have your own table saw at home. That will make the process go much quicker. In my build, I created a space for a fridge slide, a deep drawer 11" deep by 24" long by 22" wide. So my drawer now stores everything I need for cooking/dining(including those 1lb propane tanks). Beneath the drawer, I have a slide out table top with a cutting board on top. I use that for my food prep or just a top to put stuff on. Lastly, under the tabletop, I have a slide out griddle (my cooktop). I even installed a switch panel to power my fridge, the lights above, and the water pump for the faucet. Like I said, a Jeep Kitchen. I'll post up some photos soon.

 

[Snerk]

There are several videos on Youtube on how to do this, If you are very ambitious and have the tools, I would love to see your progress.

I already started a project thread for my Subie and will definitely put any such stuff in there :)

I've only seen a couple of buildouts for the Subarus, but when I built my Jeep Kitchen, I used 3/4" birchwood, as that wood is used when building pretty sturdy cabinets. I even made the drawer out of it. You can buy a 4' x 8' piece of 3/4" birchwood at Home Depot for $50-$60 bucks. For me build, I ended up using 1.5 pieces. Hopefully, you have your own table saw at home. That will make the process go much quicker. In my build, I created a space for a fridge slide, a deep drawer 11" deep by 24" long by 22" wide. So my drawer now stores everything I need for cooking/dining(including those 1lb propane tanks). Beneath the drawer, I have a slide out table top with a cutting board on top. I use that for my food prep or just a top to put stuff on. Lastly, under the tabletop, I have a slide out griddle (my cooktop). I even installed a switch panel to power my fridge, the lights above, and the water pump for the faucet. Like I said, a Jeep Kitchen. I'll post up some photos soon.

I would love to see pictures!

My build isn't going to be as ambitious since we don't have a fridge, but yeah same general idea. We do have a table saw at home, part of why I don't mind doing it out of wood. I'm actually more familiar/comfortable with metal fab, but I figure between having the tools already and the materials being cheaper, may as well go with wood. And if I mess up, it won't kill my bank account too :p

You say you used 3/4 birch, to join the panels did you just screw them directly into each other like a butt joint or did you do something else?

 

[OLgadgets]

Yes, because of the thickness and durability of the wood, you can butt join the panel edges together without error. I recommend using the Star Drive trim screws as those are perfect for any cabinet work. It has a good bite and sticks without putting any extra pressure inside the wood(which would lead to bulging or cracking). And these screws are like a professional chef's knife....drives right in easily. However, if you are more comfortable with metal fab, you can make the frame out of metal, and lay wood panel on top and build the drawers. I've always thought metal was way more expensive. But whatever extra materials you have, use those to save on the budget. I was lucky as my buddy, who is a contractor, gave me 2 brand new 4'x8' sheets of birchwood. Let me know if you have any more questions. Happy to help.

 

[Snerk]

Yeah metal is more expensive, hence why I'm considering using pretty much all wood. Though I may see if I can score some stock... we'll see.

Anywho, thanks for the recommendations on hardware. I'm not afraid to spend a little bit of money for quality stuff if it means the build goes smooth. Concerns about bulging/splitting are why I was kind of wondering about plywood and butt joints. I was thinking if I went that route I could also just do the screws on the corners to "locate" the board, then drill pilot holes to help.

Thinking about it, my uncle is a pretty avid woodworker, I wonder what kind of advice or materials he'd be willing to share.

 

[OLgadgets]

Yeah metal is more expensive, hence why I'm considering using pretty much all wood. Though I may see if I can score some stock... we'll see.

Anywho, thanks for the recommendations on hardware. I'm not afraid to spend a little bit of money for quality stuff if it means the build goes smooth. Concerns about bulging/splitting are why I was kind of wondering about plywood and butt joints. I was thinking if I went that route I could also just do the screws on the corners to "locate" the board, then drill pilot holes to help.

Thinking about it, my uncle is a pretty avid woodworker, I wonder what kind of advice or materials he'd be willing to share.

These screws I recommended are GREAT! I don't believe I predrilled a majority of the build. There were some tight spots that I did predrill, but overall the wood and screws were both super easy to work with. I'll shoot you some photos soon.

 

[freak4life]

Hey y'all.

So I have my recently acquired 2018 Subaru Outback. I measured the back after seeing some clever pull-out kitchen designs and I'd really like to make one. I'm drawing/thinking currently, and will probably be doing cardboard cutouts to figure out drawer configs and whatnot.

Mainly I was curious about the materials and construction though. I'm pretty handy, I have a table saw, circular saw, jigsaw, impact driver, drill, etc. so I can build stuff myself, but I'm curious about the actual design considerations for making what is essentially a longass drawer.

I would love some recommendations for materials. Wood or metal is okay, but I'll probably go wood due to it's lower cost and it's easier to build with.

I would also love some recommendations on design. The Subaru has a 60/40 split rear seat, the "60" side is going to be the wider/deeper drawer that we're planning on building our stove and most of the cooking storage in to, and then the "40" side is likely going to be two or three drawers stacked up for holding more miscellaneous supplies.

Make a list of what you need vs want, what can you live without on the trail, simplicity and weight weight weight.

 

[rpagan1970]

Hey y'all.

So I have my recently acquired 2018 Subaru Outback. I measured the back after seeing some clever pull-out kitchen designs and I'd really like to make one. I'm drawing/thinking currently, and will probably be doing cardboard cutouts to figure out drawer configs and whatnot.

Mainly I was curious about the materials and construction though. I'm pretty handy, I have a table saw, circular saw, jigsaw, impact driver, drill, etc. so I can build stuff myself, but I'm curious about the actual design considerations for making what is essentially a longass drawer.

I would love some recommendations for materials. Wood or metal is okay, but I'll probably go wood due to it's lower cost and it's easier to build with.

I would also love some recommendations on design. The Subaru has a 60/40 split rear seat, the "60" side is going to be the wider/deeper drawer that we're planning on building our stove and most of the cooking storage in to, and then the "40" side is likely going to be two or three drawers stacked up for holding more miscellaneous supplies.

I'm using Birch Plywood with Kreg Pocket Screws with Premium wood glue. I have 2 heavy duty drawer slides. The lock in lock out slides are pricey but great to have instead of drawer latches. I bout a pair of heavy duty drawer glides without locks and used ball bearing door catches to hold the drawer in and out... I also used push to open drawer slides for my lightweight drawers.

So far I'm pretty happy with the results!

 

[freak4life]

I'm using Birch Plywood with Kreg Pocket Screws with Premium wood glue. I have 2 heavy duty drawer slides. The lock in lock out slides are pricey but great to have instead of drawer latches. I bout a pair of heavy duty drawer glides without locks and used ball bearing door catches to hold the drawer in and out... I also used push to open drawer slides for my lightweight drawers.

So far I'm pretty happy with the results!

I love working with the Kreg products.

 

[Snerk]

Make a list of what you need vs want, what can you live without on the trail, simplicity and weight weight weight.

Oh, absolutely. I'm sure it'll be easy to get carried away, but as of right now I'm giving myself a maximum height of 13" (based on measurements of the car) for the "kitchen" side, and I'm not intending to include any kind of sink, running water, etc. The primary thoughts right now are storage for the stove, propane, dishes and cookware, as well as surfaces to place the stove, a prep surface, and a place for a cutting board. I can't make this side too tall as on top of the kitchen is where our tent, bedding, clothes and other soft items will go.

The non-kitchen side is going to be more "general" storage but I'll still be height-limited by however tall my cooler is since that's the side I want to set the cooler on.

I'm also pretty well aware of the (comparatively) lower cargo capacity of the Outback vs. something like a truck, and don't want to have too much of a saggy ass out on the trails if I can help it. Gonna consider weight distribution as well, try to put the heavier stuff deeper in the drawers and lighter stuff more to the rear. :)

 

[OLgadgets]

Oh, absolutely. I'm sure it'll be easy to get carried away, but as of right now I'm giving myself a maximum height of 13" (based on measurements of the car) for the "kitchen" side, and I'm not intending to include any kind of sink, running water, etc. The primary thoughts right now are storage for the stove, propane, dishes and cookware, as well as surfaces to place the stove, a prep surface, and a place for a cutting board. I can't make this side too tall as on top of the kitchen is where our tent, bedding, clothes and other soft items will go.

The non-kitchen side is going to be more "general" storage but I'll still be height-limited by however tall my cooler is since that's the side I want to set the cooler on.

I'm also pretty well aware of the (comparatively) lower cargo capacity of the Outback vs. something like a truck, and don't want to have too much of a saggy ass out on the trails if I can help it. Gonna consider weight distribution as well, try to put the heavier stuff deeper in the drawers and lighter stuff more to the rear. :)

Don't recall which video I watched for a Subaru build, but the key takeaway I got from it was that because of your limited space, you may want to consider double slide-out utilization. that's what I did in my trunk..... 1) slide out table top, and underneath that, slide out cooktop. For me, it was about maximizing what little space I had and keeping things I would need to use centralized to one location.

 

[Snerk]

Don't recall which video I watched for a Subaru build, but the key takeaway I got from it was that because of your limited space, you may want to consider double slide-out utilization. that's what I did in my trunk..... 1) slide out table top, and underneath that, slide out cooktop. For me, it was about maximizing what little space I had and keeping things I would need to use centralized to one location.

softroadingthewest on YouTube was a source of inspiration for me and his setup has a flip-out extension that seemed pretty simple.

On the right hand side with my rear seat folded down, I have 66" depth and 25" width. I was hoping to get some long drawer slides to maximize the amount of "pull out" space I have to start with, but I still need to price those out and basically figure out how long I can go. I've seen slides up to 50" that were pretty reasonably priced and I wouldn't mind having some "storage space" up near the front of the box...

Many things to consider!

 

[OLgadgets]

softroadingthewest on YouTube was a source of inspiration for me and his setup has a flip-out extension that seemed pretty simple.

On the right hand side with my rear seat folded down, I have 66" depth and 25" width. I was hoping to get some long drawer slides to maximize the amount of "pull out" space I have to start with, but I still need to price those out and basically figure out how long I can go. I've seen slides up to 50" that were pretty reasonably priced and I wouldn't mind having some "storage space" up near the front of the box...

Many things to consider!

That's a good idea. Wow 66" length is decent. I don't even have that in my cargo. 25" width is plenty to work with as well. Just be sure to get the extra heavy duty rail slides. They make the 400-500lb grade which I would definitely go with since you will be sliding out a lot of length. Mine are currently rated at 250lbs but I'm only sliding out like 2 feet with only 30lbs of gear in the drawer. I'm sure 250lbs will work for your application as well, because you can only store so much anyway, and even if your structural materials are weighing in at 80-100lbs, you should be fine.

 

[Snerk]

That's a good idea. Wow 66" length is decent. I don't even have that in my cargo. 25" width is plenty to work with as well. Just be sure to get the extra heavy duty rail slides. They make the 400-500lb grade which I would definitely go with since you will be sliding out a lot of length. Mine are currently rated at 250lbs but I'm only sliding out like 2 feet with only 30lbs of gear in the drawer. I'm sure 250lbs will work for your application as well, because you can only store so much anyway, and even if your structural materials are weighing in at 80-100lbs, you should be fine.

Yeah, it's a long car -- I actually prefer having a bit longer but less "stocky" looking, hence why I opted for an Outback instead of a Forester.

I probably won't have a *ton* of stuff in it, we have a tote with all of our general camping gear right now that's maybe 50-60lbs, I suspect we'll expand our cookware a bit when we get the extra / guaranteed room, though.