Dinette Drawers

The new Rexhalls have these neat drawers underneath the dinette seats. We use the space under our seats a great deal, but it is a bit of a hassle to get things in and out.

So when Linda saw the drawers on the new Rexhalls at the dealership, she thought it would be a good idea for me to install them in our old 2000 Aerbus.

Now these are not those dinky drawers you see in some rigs, these are 16 by 9 by a full 32 inches deep. Giant economy size. And of course the old dinette seats are almost too small for these large drawers, but after careful measurements, I thought I could make them fit.

I ordered the stock drawers from the Lancaster Service center, along with the slide rails ($140 for everything). I bought the ¾ inch by 1½ inch wood strapping at our local store. Four, straight 6 foot pieces will be fine. And a few screws.

The first step was to cut a hole, 17 by 9 inches in the face of the dinette. We left enough fabric to wrap the edges of the opening. An extra notch at the bottom of each side is needed for the rails to fit.

Next, the wood straps were cut to fit. The piece laying flat on the floor ran the full length of the box, and the vertical one, to which the rail attaches, only went the length of the drawer. This rail strap did need some notching to allow it to fit into the existing box frame, so as to give enough width for the drawer to fit.

After screwing the two together, they were screwed into the floor with 2 inch screws.

On the forward facing dinette, some notches were needed for the seat belts to fit under the floor straps (perhaps not necessary). The seat belt bolts needed to be "shortened".

I found it easier to attach the rails first to the drawers ( 3/8 inch screws), then place the drawers with attached rails into the box, and then screw ( 5/8 inch)the rails to the wooden rail strap. The Service Center has a "bulldog friction catch" which will keep the drawers closed.

This project might be a bit easier with a drawer that was not quite so wide (say 14-15 inches), but it sounded as though a "special order" drawer size would be quite expensive. We felt the full 32 inch depth was important. Just removing the seat belts would also simplify a little. Looking at a new model with the factory installed drawers is very helpful before you start. There is a 5 inch space behind the end of the drawers for small, infrequently used items. I actually made a "wall" to keep items from getting caught in the drawer. Although this project requires a fair amount of "customizing", the joy of accomplishment and the end results are well worth the effort.

These drawers, with their 10 by 20 inch oak faces, are very attractive. The drawers are gigantic, and provide lots of easily accessible storage space. I guess that is probably why they are an option in the new coaches. But, you too can have them if you wish.

Doug

doug@rexhalltips.com