DIY Upper Galley Cabinet
I wanted an overhead galley cabinet for storage and to serve as a mount for some of the electrical controls and galley lighting. In prototyping with various boxes and cardboard cutouts, it became clear that a square box would be a head banger so I angled the ends to make the front of cabinet narrower than the rear. I decided to skip the doors for now and see how things worked out leaving them off. (I always felt the overhead cabinet doors in my old van were a hassle.) I also designed this to fit into a cutout in the headliner to maximize space and allow it to be mounted to the van framework.
I constructed the cabinet using 1/2″ maple-veneer plywood. I used a single plywood panel for the front and cut out the openings instead of using framed construction for the front. I felt that this would provide a stronger and lighter construction by retaining the integrity of the plywood. I braced the inside corners of the front piece with 2×2″ lumber and used a 2″ angle braces on the inside of the bottom front. All edges were glued and nailed. I had already planned on mounting this over a horizontal uni-strut that ran the length of the van above the windows, so it didn’t need any additional reinforcing across the bottom panel. I mounted a top panel of 1/4″ veneered plywood to cover the open ceiling that would result from cutting out the headliner.
I wanted to maximize the space inside the cabinet by removing that section of the center headliner panel. This cutout was a bit challenging as I had to match the angle of the cabinet ends and the curvature of the headliner. Ultimately I was able to get it trimmed to a very close fit. The headliner material is a compressed felt with a fabric covering so it was very easy to cut with a utility knife or fine tooth saw. In the photo, the cabinet is fitted to the headliner to check the size and fit (everything is upside down). You can also see the cutout for the ceiling vent in the headliner as well as my LED lights and the factory light locations.
Hint: When cutting or drilling the headliner, cut the fabric side with a sharp knife first to avoid pulling tearing the fabric. It is easy to accidentally catch the fabric in a saw blade or drill bit.
Here is the cabinet mounted as viewed from the rear of the van. The heater thermostat and light switches for the load area and galley are mounted on the side of the cabinet so they are accessible from the bed.
I have yet to put the doors on the cabinet and I haven’t found a need to. I use a couple of shallow plastic bins to organize any loose items and there’s enough of lip on the opening to keep those inside the cabinet even on rough roads. Obviously, for a cleaner look, doors could be easily installed, but I like the convenience without doors.
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