We have a row of storage cupboards along the ceiling line of our class C. We had them filled with books and magazines until midway in one of our trips my wife became worried about whether they were strong enough to hold all that weight. We finished the trip with the books located nearer the floor.
Has anyone had any problems with this? Is there an idea how much weight they will carry?
Call the manufacturer of your rig and ask them, they're the only ones that will know, they designed and built them.
Deen - Vancouver, WA
'02 Dutch Star 4090 (41+', triple slide)
435/1200 ISC Cummins/Banks PowerPak
'08 Honda Civic/dolly
'05 Honda Odyssey/dolly
NRA Benefactor and Recruiter
FMCA f47302s, Life Member: Good Sam, Newmar DP Owners Group
52nd yr of RV'ing
Just my 2 cents, but I'd try to keep the weight under 10 pounds per running foot. The problem you might have is that books are heavy, in and of themselves.
Lee
2004.5 Dodge 3500 DRW QC, 4x4 LB, CTD 600 ,auto,4.10 , Prodigy, 05 Cedar Creek 36 RLTS w/ lots of bells & whistles .Honda 3000 genset. Mrs Greentow & Missy, Shih Tzu with an attitude. USA(R). 30+ years in the Fire/EMS service. CCRVC #29, GS Life member
The only items I store in my overhead cabinets is paper plates, paper towels, styrofoam cups, plastic tupperware type containers,etc. All drinks and canned foods go under the bed or under the dinette seats.
'01 Dutchman Express 28A, Master Tow, '06 Tuscon, '05 Honda VTX 1300
Good Sam Life Member
I would guess it depends somewhat on the manufacturer and how they attach them. We have one O/H cabinet that has a bunch of books and has been fine, but your results may vary.
Problems with the cabinets, or problems with the wife worrying about something?
I don't load massive things high, for CG reasons. I don't load massive things into cabinets with doors held closed by springs or spring latches, unless I've reinforced the hinges and installed positive catches. It is not just about bouncing, it is about what will or will not be restrained during a panic stop or the much higher G's of even a minor collision.
I learned this the hard way. I've had cabinet doors pushed open by stuff inside, I've had doors pushed open start swinging and break off before I could stopped to close them, when we've loaded something too heavy for the cabinet to contain. I've not had ceiling cabinets fall, but I know people who have had this happen.
When the wife worries about something, I try to accommodate here concerns, because I am going to keep hearing about it until I take care of it. But in my case, about overloading cabinets, I'm the one who has to keep an eye on what she is doing.
When I led the factory tours at Rexhall, I would demonstrate the strength of our overhead cabinets by opening the doors and doing pull-ups. I weigh 260 pounds and Rexhall cabinets are screwed, not stapled together.
Your results may be different.
"Nobody knows how we got to the top of the hill, but since we're on our way down, we might as well enjoy the ride". ("The Secret Of Life", James Taylor).
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