I just assembled mine yesterday and I'm in love! How could you not be? So easy to work with, tweak, redo, etc. And beautiful! This is the first of three major components I plan to frame with 80/20 - this collaboration between Ken and Heitek not only gives a stunning galley but even better, the experience of working with the material and its fasteners. It makes it so much easier to envision and plan the rest of the van build. Thank you so much for offering this kit. And hats off to Heitek for this perfect product. Note: It will take you as long to unwrap the carefully packaged pieces as to put them together. Bravi!
Ha, I think of the number of hours I had into my original galley. I love playing with 80/20 but I wouldn’t mind having that time back! Thanks for the comment Jeff!
Just put this together in about 1.5 hours. (At least 1/2 that time was replaying this video) Super strong. The quality of the product is excellent. I didn’t get the sliding nuts for the countertop angles though. (Adding this the next day - I discovered the missing hardware on my desk…yes, it was my error, not theirs…yes, I am red-faced. However, look at the company’s reply below. This speaks to great customer service).
@KenLeonard Thank your for the review, much appreciated! I can't message you through RU-vid...please use my contact form here and I will make sure these get sent to you ASAP. ourkaravan.com/contact/. Thank you ! -Ken
@@ourkaravan - no need to send it. I found the hardware. I had put it in a “safe place” - where I promptly forgot about it! Thanks for offering to fix something that wasn’t your error.
Ken, I ordered this kitchen galley system and have been patiently waiting for it to arrive. It came today. Yippie. Thank you for your detailed assembly videos. My diagram was literally a pile of shredded paper. It was a little frustrating but alas, you saved the day.
Sounds great, let me know if any dimensional changes are needed; happy to help with that. Best way to reach me is through the contact form at ourkaravan.com. -Ken
One thing to note...this galley is 58-1/2" wide. You can cut about 4-1/2" out of the water compartment before our water system won't fit. You can make the fridge compartment whatever you need it to be to fit your refrigerator, but keep in mind the smaller the water compartment gets, the sink gets smaller too. -Ken
Wow! This is fantastic news. What a superb sequel to your excellent build series. As in your previous videos, the explanations and instructions are beyond simple and clear. I love your teaching style. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Great job, Ken! Wonderful that you did this for so many that are confused about where to start with 8020. Where were you when we bought ours, ha ha?! Actually, watching your videos convinced us to use 8020, and we are in the middle of building now. thanks for the inspiration!
I wish I could have bolted my own galley in an hour versus the amount of time I spent on mine! Thank you for the comment and good luck, if you need anything you know where to find me.
Excellent! I've been admiring your work/build for a while now. I am working on my build now and your posting is very timely. I may want to make some minor changes and hopefully some variations may be coming soon. Great stuff, love your work as well as your travels. Kudos again. Thanks
I know right? I briefly considered replacing mine with the updated one. 😀. That thought lasted about 0.001 seconds before I realized that was ridiculous.
Hi Ken, At what point, when building the exoskeleton, do you add the plywood side panels without having to tear everything up. Thanks. Such a helpful public service you are providing!
Ordered my van today. Hopefully these will still be available in a few months. Any possibility of doing a kit for the upper cabinets or bed? Thank you for responding so quickly
That price is shockingly good. Most people coming out with any cool Van life product charge a premium! So props on that. Any way to swap the sink area and refrigerator area locations with this kit?
Hi, The galley is not vehicle or side specific, however it does need a floor to sit on and ideally at least a couple of the rear legs should be bolted to the sidewall of the van. You might consider "mapping it" in your van using blue painter's tape. The galley is 58-1/2" long in total, the sink compartment is 16" wide, drawer compartment (inside dimensions) is 15" and the fridge compartment is 21-3/4". Using these dimensions you can locate where the back four legs would be and where you would be able to fasten them to the van sidewall. The obstacles on the passenger side would probably include the sliding door entry step and the wheel well. For what it's worth, the galley can easily be reversed so the fridge and sink area are switched. I did it on my prototype galley in just 10 minutes.
Ken, this is a great kit at a great price! Couple questions -- 1) is it possible to add a 3.5" toe kick base to the bottom of this cabinet?; and 2) how do you like the isotherm 130, does it stay cold with energy efficient draw, and how do you vent it? Thx in advance for your time to answer my questions. You're a pioneer!
Hi Chris, Toe kick introduces a lot of issues. You lose a lot of space--possibly 5+" of drawer space since the drawers will have to sit above it, and if you have a portable water system it might not lift out between the kick and the bottom of the sink. Nothing is impossible but it would require a complete redesign of this galley. I wouldn't go without a toe kick at home, but IMHO it's too much lost space in a van. The fridge is great--Danfoss compressor fridges are the most efficient I am aware of. At some point in the video you can see the large vented grate I added to the right side of the fridge--that's directly adjacent to the compressor and acts as part of the venting. There's also space behind the fridge and about a 1/2" air gap between the floor and the fridge. If this is Sacto Chris you can always call me. -Ken
I am very impressed by this kit and want to purchase it, however, I am hesitant because I would be installing it on the passenger side, not the driver side. I am not sure if that would still work or what problems that would present with the step down at the door and half of the cabinet not anchored? I would love to know if anyone has done this on the passenger side!
Hi, The galley is not vehicle or side specific, however it does need a floor to sit on and ideally at least a couple of the rear legs should be bolted to the sidewall of the van. You might consider "mapping it" in your van using blue painter's tape. The galley is 58-1/2" long in total, the sink compartment is 16" wide, drawer compartment (inside dimensions) is 15" and the fridge compartment is 21-1/2”. Using these dimensions you can locate where the back four legs would be and where you would be able to fasten them to the van sidewall. The obstacles on the passenger side would probably include the sliding door entry step and the wheel well. Some builders build up the floor in the step well area so it's flat as well, google "van sliding door step extension" for examples. I hope that helps.
Hi great demo on how assemble did not see the link for link to get the plans on how to build it or at least a list of parts I believe home Depot sell the hardware don’t know if they stock the aluminum
Thanks for the new vblog. I was wondering if you used red or blue Loctite. I now see you have this in the notes. As an analytical/compulsive personality (for which I take no medication), I have enjoyed all of your videos with all the detail you provide.
Great work! My only question is whether you considered using the lighter weight 10 series for this unit, as this seems like it is incredibly strong but is that extra mass and weight really necessary for the purpose? 10 series would also make more volume available everywhere. Thoughts?
Thanks! I built my first cabinet with 10 series and have not used it since. I explain why in this article: ourkaravan.com/8020-extruded-aluminum-van-cabinets/ There are really only two places where you loose volume--one is the divider between drawers and the other would be the space one side of the fridge between it and the framing. Otherwise the interior volume of the cabinet is basically the same, especially for overhead cabinets or when you use the sliding doors as I did in the rear of my van.
Ken thanks for this detailed, step by step video! Can you please explain in more detail how you used the 5/16" carriage bolts to anchor the galley to your van walls? Thanks again,I'm looking forward to starting this project after watching your video. -Ryan
Hi Ryan, I slid some 5/16” carriage bolts down the back slots of the 80/20. I drilled holes in the sidewall of the van, backed the galley up to the wall so the bolts would pass through, then used large washers and nylock nuts to secure them from the backside. You could also use angle brackets and plusnuts or many other ways to do it. Let me know if you have any questions, and good luck. I’d love to see the build when it’s done.
@@ourkaravan thanks for the reply. I watched a bunch of your other videos and learning a lot. I am ordering the 8020 today and should be getting started very soon. Thanks so much!
Placed the order with Heitek yesterday. Their system does not ask for payment, which was odd. I got an email saying that "Our Inside Sales team has received your inquiry and will contact you to confirm and process your order." I have not heard from them yet.
This is not van specific, “if it fits, it ships.” Just measure and make sure a wheel arch or something is not in the way of it contacting the floor and a wall.
@@ourkaravan OK. Swapping the fridge and sink is a good option. I will take measurements and compare to your kit measurements. I am glad that you created this kit. Hope you sell a lot of them so that you could create more kit options.
It’s pretty easy to lengthen or shorten either the fridge bay or the sink area, but some other dimensions can’t be reasonably changed. Let me know what you’re thinking and we will see what can be done.
Thanks for this. Any advice on how to apply locktite to threads in a tight channel without creating a mess? I would usually apply it first but you’re recommending to keep everything loose, and tighten later. Thanks again.
I would recommend applying a couple drops of the threadlocker at the time of assembly. The blue threadlock does not fuse the fastener in place, it just adds resistance. If you loosen and retighten the resistance is still there, albeit not as high as when it was originally assembled. While the anchor fasteners can be easily removed, the t nuts on the vertical profiles are going to want to slide down the slot. That’s why I would do it upfront. EDIT--if the thread lock on the drawer slides is compromised, those are all very easily accessible by removing the drawers (which you saw me do in about 5 seconds.). -Ken
Thank you AJ. To answer your question, I think you can do it. Most of the battle is simply to find a solution that is compatible and reasonable for whatever you are doing, and I have already done that part for you. The drawer kits only require cutting a bottom and screwing it together. Installing the slam latches requires a little precision drilling, but there are other ways of securing drawers if it seems too difficult. The drawer faces and cabinet door are just squares and rectangles. :) The reason I don't make kits is the wood is too large and expensive to ship and everyone wants their own flair. I walk you through all of that here: ourkaravan.com. I hope that helps.
This is awesome! Can you confirm the ability to mirror the setup for installation on the passenger side? I'd like to keep the fridge installed in the forward section still, but on the other side of the van.
It sure is reversible, I have physically done it. If you'd like any photos just let me know. You can download the schematic on the distributor's website, but when you order tell them you want anchor fasteners on the top and bottom of the "B" profile. When you switch orientation of the bars this particular anchor fastener was the only one that ended up in an undesirable place--pointing down, so having them mill both sides of that profile will move it up top.
This is so exciting Ken, congratulations to all of us! I see that some special modifications can be made if we order this, I'm just wondering if we were to remove the fridge section altogether, if we would even need a modification... Or if we should just cut the ends of those pieces off? We're putting our galley on the door side, aiming for about 20 deep and 36 long... And maybe a few inches shorter than yours (we're short with a medium roof transit). Thanks in advance for the info and great idea to make this happen! So awesome!
Thank you Tamara! It can be done. Follow the link to the distributor's website and download the engineered drawing at the bottom of the page. To delete the refrigerator bay you will go through the checkout process online (after creating an account) and click on the request for consultation button. They will reply by email and you ask for OurKaravan galley kit minus the fridge section with the following modifications: 1) cut the A and G profiles down from 58-1/2" to 35-1/4". 2) delete the C profile 3) delete 1 of the 4 H profiles 4) delete 1 of the 11 J profiles 5) if you want 20" deep (it's 22" now), request that I and J profiles be cut down from 19" to 17". And there you have it! -Ken
@@ourkaravan you rock Ken!! I'll check in with my guy and see if we're ready to commit to a size. Eager to get my hands on one of these before we can't!
@@ourkaravan Thanks for the offer, Ken. Part of our motivation to buy this beauty is the AMAzing 'customer service' we've already received, and know will be part of the process in the future. =) So, my follow up question is this. I notice in the video that you've had the corners machined so that those fancy parts will fit instead of the brackets like you originally used. This has me wondering...if I order your kit with fewer modifications, choose to just leave the fridge section out cutting down A & G) but wait on trimming anything else back (like I and J) until we're more confident about depth and height...could we just cut those two sections like you advised on our own? IF we did that, I assume we'd need to plan on using our own l brackets since they wouldn't be machined on the ends anymore...? Am I understanding this correctly? Thanks in advance, Ken! If email is better, let me know. =)
@@TamaraStaton Hi Tamara, you have it right. You certainly can cut any profile as you wish, however cutting profiles in certain areas may remove the area that was milled for a fastener. However those top two laterals can be shortened anywhere you like because the fasteners are in the legs not the laterals...you can literally make the galley as short or long as you like with no impact on fasteners. The only thing you would loose is the tapped-ends of the profiles, which you could easily do at home with a 5/16" tap. Before you order email me and I can help illustrate this point.
Yes and no. I built one cabinet using 1" and stopped using it afterwards. I explain why in this article: ourkaravan.com/8020-extruded-aluminum-van-cabinets/
This is absolutely incredible. Will you build and sell these complete? I just don't have the time or patience necessary to have something even half this beautiful when I am done. If not you, do you know someone that would be willing to build a whole galley just as you have here?
Thank you for the kind words! Where are you located? The issue is shipping-once it’s built out, it would be cost prohibitive to ship, not to mention the challenge of adequately packaging it to avoid damage in shipping. The other reason I don’t do premade versions is because everyone wants a different kind of wood, different countertop materials, etc.
I am in Miami Beach. If you don't know a decent resource, I may just have to take a shot at building one myself. It will just be tough because I live in a small apartment at the beach.
@@seanyounk1 Putting together the framing is straight-forward. You will need a saw of some sort to 1) cut the plywood for the drawer bottoms to create the drawer box and 2) cut the plywood for the galley sides and the drawer and cabinet fronts. Finally you'll need a drill with a 35mm bit for countersinking the European cabinet hinges. I don't own a decent saw so I did some of this work at a friend's house. -Ken
Ken, GREAT kit, thanks for doing this. Anchor Fastener question. I've seen many of your videos and I would like your opinion if you would now were building a project from scratch, would invest in a bore gig and choose "anchor fasteners" over using 90 degree "L" brackets for a good portion of the build?
There are pros and cons to each. The angle bracket solution is one that can be repeated by any diy’er, while the anchor fasteners either have to be pre milled or done very carefully at home with a special bit and a hand built jig. I have made my own at home so it’s doable but you have to be very precise. The anchor fasteners are a stronger and more elegant solution as they aren’t as noticeable as the brackets. I will continue to use both methods depending on the project at hand. Thanks for the question.
On the right side of the galley, yes. There is a slot (rabbet) routed into the back of the trim piece that faces forward so the side panel recesses into it. Not necessary, just a nice detail.
Thanks for the video. Do you think profiles with size 20 mm x 20 mm would have been enough? Your frame seems to be stable enough to put a car on the top.
I used 1” profiles on part of my build and wouldn’t use them again. The material is strong enough for some applications but the tiny hardware used on the fasteners is not sufficient in my opinion. Maybe for a very lightweight cabinet with nothing heavy inside but certainly not for a significant cabinet structure or a box holding batteries and electronics.
nice informative video...just a quick question...the "C" distance on the door ( distance from edge of door to start of hinge pate) looks quite a long way across is that because you have 180 deg hinges?
It’s more due to the large overlay of the door. The framing is 1-1/2” wide and I wanted most of it covered by wood, so about 1-1/4” of the distance you see is to create that overlay
I think that I don't need any special adjustments to the kit. I will be ready to place my order next week. I want to make sure that I have the correct inches for th width. I know the depth is 22" and the height is 34". Is the sink side 16"? Is the refrigerator side is 21.5"?
Can you provide the exact Isotherm part number for your fridge? There appear to be different options for flange/no flange, door color, door swing, etc... I'm going to order your kit. The price is worth the time savings. Thank you.
C130RSAAS11111AA. This is the DC only silver model with the internal mounting system and 3 side flange. The stainless steel models have a 4 side SS flange and it appears to be larger in dimension, so be cautious if you order the SS model. The extra width may be as a result of the flush flange that would require extra space for the door to swing.
Great kit, Ken. I'm considering the 80/20 10series to maximize interior cabinet space. Was there a reason you opted for the 15series over the 10series?
Lots of reasons, but the biggest is a galley with a loaded refrigerator, drawers and our water system with 10 gallons of water strapped to the frame would equal a lot of force in a collision. The much stronger fasteners here vs 10 series was important.
@@ourkaravan Yes, definitely saw that as an added benefit to the 15 series. Thanks for the reply, and all your documentation! You're an awesome teacher!
This is 15 series. While I have not worked with 30 series I’m guessing it would probably be fine. I have worked with 10 series and I stopped using it-the strength of the tiny 1/4-20 bolts that fit in the slot of the 10 series is not sufficient, in my opinion. The 15 series uses 5/16 fasteners with 66% higher strength. It’s also available in more profile types and with a wider range of fasteners, you can inset 1/4” panels and it just has a look of solidity. I wouldn’t trust 10 series in a galley with a refrigerator, sink and water system and loaded drawers attached to it.
Hi, The galley is not vehicle or side specific, however it does need a floor to sit on and ideally at least a couple of the rear legs should be bolted to the sidewall of the van. You might consider "mapping it" in your van using blue painter's tape. The galley is 58-1/2" long in total, the sink compartment is 16" wide, drawer compartment (inside dimensions) is 15" and the fridge compartment is 21-3/4". Using these dimensions you can locate where the back four legs would be and where you would be able to fasten them to the van sidewall. The obstacles on the passenger side would probably include the sliding door entry step and the wheel well. For what it's worth, the galley can easily be reversed so the fridge and sink area are switched. I did it on my prototype galley in just 10 minutes.
Hi Laurie, you can click on the link in the description below this video or go to ourkaravan.com and in the van build section there’s a page dedicated to the kits available. If you have trouble locating either just let me know.
Can you mill the T nut receivers in the aluminum bars with simple tools? Are those t nuts more expensive than the 90deg connector? If so why not just use 90 deg connectors?
Hi, if you are referring to the anchor fasteners they require a pretty precise bore. I’ve done it at home but I made a jig to do it. I built my own galley with angle brackets and it’s fine but the anchor fasteners are more aesthetically pleasing, make it easy to put together in kit form and are even stronger, not that the latter is necessary.
Love it! Thanks, Dan! My Sprinter 170 Extended is on order, and so trying to get a jump on some things while waiting. Since I don’t have anything to measure, do you think 58.5 inches is too long for a passenger side galley? Will there be enough room to enter through the door?
Wow a 170 extended. I have the much smaller 144. That said I’m not sure what the distance is between the wheel well hump and the sliding door entry. Maybe someone can chime in for you.
I believe they will. If you do the add to cart/request quote you provide them shipping details and they will give you a shipping estimate. All this happens before any payment info is entered.
In a previous video (2-3yrs ago?)on cabinet facings, you used 3/4" plywood. Would you still recommend 3/4 for the faces? Our friends house kitchen has 1/2", we have 3/4" and we want to go as light as possible but still be strong. I know that the fronts get a lot of 'action' in pulling on the handles, etc., but do you feel 1/2 solid wood (or bamboo ply) would suffice? thanks for all you do for us...
1/2” would be fine. The reason I used 3/4” was because the bores in the back of the cabinet door to accept the hinge cups require a 1/2” deep hole. You could glue some 1/4” wood in those locations to effectively deepen it to accept the hinge. A 1/2” 4x8 sheet of bamboo weighs 65 lbs and a 3/4” sheet weighs 90 lbs, for a difference of 25 lbs. I used somewhere around 2/3 of a sheet for my upper and lower cabinets, so for me the 3/4 added 16-18 lbs over 1/2”. I felt it was worth it as it’s that much more material to resist warping etc
@@ourkaravan Thank you! We will have a fair amount of drawers in our 170 - full time living - and so it would add up, and in doing 'flush' drawer faces, that would mean all the galley facing and drawer stacks would have to meet that 3/4, so we'll stick with 1/2"!
Technically yes but once a refrigerator, drawers and a countertop with the associated sink basin and plumbing are intact it won’t be a quick affair to remove. It might make more sense for each section of the cabinet to be a separate module in that case, but it would still have its limitations.
would it be possible to order the kit in 1" 10 series instead...still to accommodate the cruise 130 and Blum drawers etc....is there a complete kit breakdown available so i can do the math?
I do have a diy version with plans available on ourkaravan.com. The supplier and I decided not to offer it in 10 series due to the amount of weight a fully loaded galley will contain. A loaded fridge, drawers and potentially a 10 gallon sink and water system needs some heft for safety.
It really depends on what you use for materials. The added costs include choice of wood material for the faces and countertop, the drawer boxes I linked, the fridge, sink and faucet, and the drawer latches. You can add all but the wood to your Amazon shopping cart for current pricing.
@@ourkaravan thanks, l will check it out. I saw 80/20 on Amazon 1000mm if l am correct which is very affordable. I will build my van with that. But l need longer one for some part of the van. Maybe l can find some local.
The sink in my van is 15x13, but my galley is only 20” deep to accommodate my sliding second row seat. This galley is 2” deeper and will accept a wider range of sink basins.
I do. There's also the "Truckfridge" TF130, which has the same Danfoss compressor and fridge box, only a less insulated door and a nicely reduced price.
I do have a sketch up version available on ourkaravan.com. It’s the version that uses angle brackets as opposed to the fancy anchor fasteners the kit uses.