Alrighty Mark and anyone else considering this mod, Don't let us down...You have the hatch...Now you will have all the dimensions you need to make the gaping hole in the side of your camper.
Lets start with the door itself. It should be about 12 1/4 high and 36 1/4 wide edge to edge. Obviously you can make it whatever size you want but the stocker size for mine is that.
For location, here is the measurements both from the right edge of the slide.
18 1/8 inches from right edge of slide to right edge of door.
54 3/4 inches form right edge of slide to left edge of door.
7 7/8 inches from bottom edge of slide to bottom edge of door.
Obviously you will subract out the lip of the door for the hole size. Let me know if you need any more measurements Outside.
Here is the inside of the compartment looking up and right to see the only wires in the compartment.
Here is the inside of the compartment looking to the left. Behind this panel is the carpeted area behind the sofa.
Now we go inside under the sink. This false wall is the back wall of the compartment. It starts right where the faucet supply comes down from the sink. The floor of this cabinet is the same floor for the storage hatch and the counter top is the roof of the storage hatch.
Here is the plumbing under the sink and the vent and water supplies for the sink going out behind the range. Looks like from Chuck_S photos, you will have to move the drain configuration a little bit.
False wall is on the right.
Here are a couple of pics to the left of the range showing the false wall and the wires from the compartment coming through.
Again, let me know if you need more measurements. I am eager to hear about how it feels to make "the cut"...Good Luck!
* This post was
edited 04/27/08 04:35pm by mike_mn *
Quote: Looks like from Chuck_S photos, you will have to move the drain configuration a little bit.
I'd say more than a little bit.
In the earlier models without the outside hatch the plumbing vent is right up against the outside wall, the gray wall in the lower two photos. The plumbing will have to be moved inboard the width of the new cabinet.
Late -- with hatch:
Early -- no hatch:
The amount of inaccessible storage back there is significant on my trailer but moving the plumbing may be too much of a job. A small hatch in the aft section might be possible without moving any pipes.
-- Chuck
'06 Roo 23SS behind '07 Expedition out of Cleveland Our Photo pages
Chuck, Can you see how the drain is routed after it leaves the cabinet? I think from your pics, that it routes back to the front of the cabinet under the oven, correct? If this is done with a flexable hose, you would not even have to remove the pipes, only loosen 2 fittings and move the vent section 90 degrees.
See if you can get your camera back behind the stove for a pic to see what the drain does after it passes through the sink side of the cabinet. It might be a far easier movement of the drain than you think. And with the faucet lines, I would just leave them in place since they are on the roof of the storage area anyways, you could probably push them back a little without disconnecting anything.
You are right, there is a little bit of work there, but if all you did was put the door in the side of the slide, you would have access to the room behind the oven and the back of the sink area even if you didn't touch any of the pipes. I think once the door was there, shaping the space to be usable would be relatively easy...heck, as long as you are careful, you wouldn't even need to add any panels other than one behind the oven to keep things from rolling onto the electrical that is back there.
I wanna see some people make this mod, it would solve a lot of the outside storage issues many folks face.
Excellent information and pictures! Thanks! Just have to buy the compartment door and I will GIT-R-DONE ! ! !
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Mark.
My only question would be: Are there any aluminum "studs" that will be in my way when cutting this gaping hole in the side of my slide out? Did FR manufacture the framing differently for the later models?
Mark
'08 Chevy Avalanche LT3 6.0L (366hp) 4.10's
'06 Rockwood Roo 23SS. Equal-i-zer/P-3 '06 Honda EU3000iS TomTom ONE 130-S GPS.
Me ('71), DW ('70), DD ('01), DD ('04).
A wiseman once said "GIT-R-DONE"
'09 nights camped- 30 CAMPING PICS & MODS
Chuck_S wrote: Studs? No studs in these walls, they're a laminate with nothing between the layers.
-- Chuck
Guess they don't need any "structure" in the slide!
Chuck, are you 100% positive on this? If that's the case then, as soon as I get the compartment door- I'm gonna be "sawz-all-ing" a hole in the side of my camper! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I called a local RV dealer today, they said they didn't stock that size door. He was supposed to call me back with a price and to let me know how long it would take to order! I am pumped now! I want this in a BIG way ! ! ! I just used a stud finder on the weekend on the inside of the camper to try to hang an LCD t.v. mounting bracket and it didn't seem to work! I'll try it from the outside for this. But as Chuck said - he doesn't seem to think there are any on the slide!
Chuck_S wrote: Studs? No studs in these walls, they're a laminate with nothing between the layers.
-- Chuck
Guess they don't need any "structure" in the slide!
Chuck, are you 100% positive on this? If that's the case then, as soon as I get the compartment door- I'm gonna be "sawz-all-ing" a hole in the side of my camper! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! I called a local RV dealer today, they said they didn't stock that size door. He was supposed to call me back with a price and to let me know how long it would take to order! I am pumped now! I want this in a BIG way ! ! ! I just used a stud finder on the weekend on the inside of the camper to try to hang an LCD t.v. mounting bracket and it didn't seem to work! I'll try it from the outside for this. But as Chuck said - he doesn't seem to think there are any on the slide!
Mark
mark, i got the door when i bought my 23SS. the dealer asked FR to include it, in case i wanted it installed. if you want, i can look at it and see if there are any part numbers or get you the dimensions.
Dan- Firefighter, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
mike_mn wrote: Dan,
Have you installed it yet? If so, show us some pics! If not, GIT-R-DONE!
no, i was waiting for some kind of kit/instructions from Forest River to retro-fit my 23SS for the new slide storage.
i need some templates/diagrams and instructions to take a task like this on. also, parts to re-route the pipes/lines under the sink.
Offline
('71), DW 
('70), DD 
('01), DD 
('04). 
, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur
, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever
, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
