Notice: Click on the Disclaimer button prior to taking any action shown on this website.
SPECIAL NOTICE TO EUROPEAN UNION (EU) VIEWERS

This site may use cookies for delivering advertisements, and is not intended for use by subjects of the EU. Continued use of this site is acknowledgement of your compliance with all EU laws, and accepting full responsibility for any and all actions related to accessing this website, including (but not limited to) agreement to the use of cookies.

 

Building a mini-pantry for your RV.

 

 

One of the things my wife regretted when we selected our RV is to ensure it had a pantry. Me; not so much. So I kind of helped her out by building her a mini-pantry. While not a true full sized pantry, it does the job as there is no sense in overloading all of your cabinets anyway.

The cabinet next to the stove in our RV is almost useless. It is narrow, and almost 2ft deep. Anything put in that cabinet found it's way to the back, and I ended up having to reach in and retrieve it.

I originally purchased a commercially available slide-out storage unit, but at nearly 18lbs, it was way too heavy. Light weight is the operational theme in a RV, so I decided not to use it.

I ended up building a shelf using a lightweight 1/4" piece of "model aircraft" plywood, with Aspen blocks for the front and back. I picked these items up at my local home center. This fit the bill as it was both lightweight and fairly strong.

I found lightweight baskets that simply sit on the shelves. I did not need them to be attached as a slider because it would have meant more weight, especially given the need for a support frame for the slides.

 

 

I cut a notch in the Aspen shelf front and back pieces with a table saw (kerf), but you will have to decide where your skill level is when building your shelf. And obviously, your shelf may not be the same size. I could say this shelf will fit a Grand Design Reflection 29RS, but the way the product changes at the typical RV plant, I cannot assume each RV will have the same dimensions in the cabinet.

I also installed a motion detector puck light in the cabinet so whenever you open the door, the light comes on. All in all, it is a fairly simple project, and one that could be a first project you could do (not to mention pleasing the wife).

 

 

              

 


Last reviewed and/or updated Jun 28, 2025