Kitchen Remodel - 2007 Great West Legend

marklg

Well-known member
We have a 2007 Great West Legend. The countertops were covered with thin Melamine. Here in the AZ heat, the Melamine was peeling and cracking. The fridge was a Dometic absorption model that did not work well in the heat. Temperatures in the refrigerator section got up to 50F on a hot day, risking spoilage. The sink was plastic. The stove did not have an igniter.

Here is the original setup, before the countertop started peeling.

Original.jpg

I decided to first remove everything and see how they were attached. The countertops were attached to brackets with screws from the bottom. With the countertops off, you can see the fridge and plumbing.

Counter_Off.jpg

I used the original countertop as a template.

Template.jpg

You can see the peeling and cracking.

I removed the old fridge and some of the wood sealing it up in the back so the new one would fit.

No_Fridge.jpg

I added Polyiso insulation where it would fit on the sides. I put more Polyiso on the top and back of the new fridge and slid it into the space, securing it at the back with some screws into the wood. I had to make a couple of 3/4 in high wooden slats to go below the feet at the front of the fridge. The feet at the back sit on an existing piece of wood. The new fridge is not as tall so I made trim pieces for the top and bottom and stained them to match the original woodwork .

New_Fridge.jpg

Continues in the next post.
 

marklg

Well-known member
The original countertop is 3/4" thick and the new one needs to be the same thickness to fit under the trim at the window in the back and to allow the distances to the plumbing fixtures to be the same as before. Everything is shoehorned in. There literally was 1/2 an inch to spare between things like the sink and the cabinet walls.

I cut the new countertop out of one piece of 1/4" Baltic Birch and one piece of 1/2" Baltic Birch. That is so I could sandwich elevator bolts between them for a more secure mounting.

Cut_Wood.jpg

Notice that I cut things several times. My crappy jigsaw just would not cut straight. I finally cut approximately by hand and finished with a Router and trim bit, using the old countertop as template.

I then drilled holes in the brackets to fit the 1/4"-20 elevator bolts.

Bolt_Holes.jpg

Elevator_Bolt.jpg

Elevator bolts are basically have a wide, flat head with square shoulders so they don't rotate.

I cut holes in the 1/4" plywood, and using a Forstner bit, made space for the bolts to fit flush.

Bolt_Hole.jpg

continues in the next post
 

marklg

Well-known member
Here are views of the bolts pushed through the 1/4" plywood.

Bolt_Top.jpg

Bolt_Bottom.jpg

The head is flush with one side and the bolt sticks out the bottom.

I then attached the 1/2" piece of plywood on top, sandwiching in the elevator bolts. I smoothed things out, routed the edges for a nice look, stained and finished it.

A new stainless steel sink was mounted underneath with custom bent clips. I could not find one of the right shape.

Ready_to_Install.jpg

You can see the sink, the clip and one elevator bolt ready to be attached to the bracket.

I used flange bolts with serrations and Loctite 243 to attach the bolts.

Flange_Bolt.jpg

After everything is installed, this is what it looks like.

Installed.jpg

For the igniter I added to the cooktop, see this thread.

https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80208

Mark
 

MsNomer

Active member
That is a really good looking replacement.

I’m doing almost exactly the same thing right now, except I’m replacing my varnished Baltic birch counter after 3.5 years because of water damage—and changing its shape a bit. That thin top layer is very vulnerable. My first intent was to formica the new one, but I can’t make myself do that because I so love the look of the wood. My compromise will be a formica inlay in the most-used area. Also, I figure I can redo in another 3.5 years if I need to. In my case, replacement involves nearly 100 screws.
 

marklg

Well-known member
That is a really good looking replacement.

I’m doing almost exactly the same thing right now, except I’m replacing my varnished Baltic birch counter after 3.5 years because of water damage—and changing its shape a bit. That thin top layer is very vulnerable. My first intent was to formica the new one, but I can’t make myself do that because I so love the look of the wood. My compromise will be a formica inlay in the most-used area. Also, I figure I can redo in another 3.5 years if I need to. In my case, replacement involves nearly 100 screws.
That's good to know. If this lasts 3.5 years, I will be OK with that. I had started to look around for someone to make a solid surface countertop. Many were just not interested in such a small job. Others were booked for several months. One quote I did get was for almost $900. I can make this countertop a dozen times for that amount.

They wanted to make it 1/2" thick in the middle, and 1 1/2" thick on the edges, built up to sit on top of the counter.

If they did that, the sink would be mounted an inch higher and the plumbing would not fit. If you look at the drain, it is made up of Canadian plumbing fittings not available here in the US. Everything just fits as it is. If the sink moved up, I would probably have to cut the pipe at the floor and completely rebuild the stack, which I really did not want to do.

Plumbing.jpg

Also, the back corners would not fit if the countertop moved up, requiring me to cut multiple trim pieces.

Back_Corner.jpg

That would not be good either. I could not find matching gray fabric, so I really don't want to mess with it.

So, costing me $900 and making a lot or work for me was not the way to go. I started out to make a fit template, but it turned out way better than expected, and my wife agrees we can just keep it for now and see how it lasts.

Regards,

Mark
 

Midwestdrifter

Engineer In Residence
I have had good luck with spar urethane, 3-5 coats (sprayed is best). Very tough stuff. You could get some thin hardwood laminate, and glue to the top of the plywood. You would have a couple of seams in the top, but would be more durable than the birch plywood if a high density hardwood was used.
 

marklg

Well-known member
I have had good luck with spar urethane, 3-5 coats (sprayed is best). Very tough stuff. You could get some thin hardwood laminate, and glue to the top of the plywood. You would have a couple of seams in the top, but would be more durable than the birch plywood if a high density hardwood was used.
I used 5 coats of sprayed Spar Urethane.

I've used Ellis Pinnacle two part Polyurethane for my stairs and trim at home, but that stuff needs to be sprayed with a HVLP sprayer, a real respirator and a bunny suit in a spray booth. Too much work for this "temporary" countertop. It also is over $100 a gallon.

Regards,

Mark
 

CadZukes

New member
Our GWVan countertop started coming off as well. We stripped it down and painted it with Giani White Diamond kit from Amazon. Looks and works great. Its a multi step paint process where you clean and sand the surface, 1-roll on the black base primer, 2- sponge-dab on the white mineral colors, 3-roll on protective clear coat. Very simple and you can dab until you get the look you like best. Instructions can be seen on their website gianigranite.com
 
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marklg

Well-known member
Our GWVan countertop started coming off as well. We stripped it down and painted it with Giani White Diamond kit from Amazon. Looks and works great. Its a multi step paint process where you clean and sand the surface, 1-roll on the black base primer, 2- sponge-dab on the white mineral colors, 3-roll on protective clear coat. Very simple and you can dab until you get the look you like best. Instructions can be seen on their website gianigranite.com
Looks nice. What year is yours? The countertop is different from mine. Unfortunately, my countertop particle board was fairly water damaged, and I enjoy woodworking, so I chose to replace it.

Let me know how it does over time. I'll do the same if I am able in a year or two.

Mark
 

Sidecar

Member
Mark,

Great write up and good work with the countertop replacement. Thanks.

Question, how did you reach the nuts / screws that were above the fridge ? Did you first have to take the fridge out to access them ?



We have a 2007 Great West Legend. The countertops were covered with thin Melamine. Here in the AZ heat, the Melamine was peeling and cracking. The fridge was a Dometic absorption model that did not work well in the heat. Temperatures in the refrigerator section got up to 50F on a hot day, risking spoilage. The sink was plastic. The stove did not have an igniter.

Here is the original setup, before the countertop started peeling.

View attachment 121002

I decided to first remove everything and see how they were attached. The countertops were attached to brackets with screws from the bottom. With the countertops off, you can see the fridge and plumbing.

View attachment 121003

I used the original countertop as a template.

View attachment 121004

You can see the peeling and cracking.

I removed the old fridge and some of the wood sealing it up in the back so the new one would fit.

View attachment 121005

I added Polyiso insulation where it would fit on the sides. I put more Polyiso on the top and back of the new fridge and slid it into the space, securing it at the back with some screws into the wood. I had to make a couple of 3/4 in high wooden slats to go below the feet at the front of the fridge. The feet at the back sit on an existing piece of wood. The new fridge is not as tall so I made trim pieces for the top and bottom and stained them to match the original woodwork .

View attachment 121006

Continues in the next post.
 

marklg

Well-known member
Mark,

Great write up and good work with the countertop replacement. Thanks.

Question, how did you reach the nuts / screws that were above the fridge ? Did you first have to take the fridge out to access them ?
No, you have to remove the cooktop. Then you can reach in and get all the countertop screws. You also can then disconnect the fridge wiring, which is on top behind the front panel. As far as I can tell, you have to remove the cooktop first, then get to the fridge wiring and then remove the fridge.

Regards,

Mark
 

Sidecar

Member
No, you have to remove the cooktop. Then you can reach in and get all the countertop screws. You also can then disconnect the fridge wiring, which is on top behind the front panel. As far as I can tell, you have to remove the cooktop first, then get to the fridge wiring and then remove the fridge.

Regards,

Mark
Thanks Mark. Why didn’t I see / think of that ?

Have fun and stay healthy,

Ron
 

CadZukes

New member
Looks nice. What year is yours? The countertop is different from mine. Unfortunately, my countertop particle board was fairly water damaged, and I enjoy woodworking, so I chose to replace it.

Let me know how it does over time. I'll do the same if I am able in a year or two.

Mark
My GWV Legend is a 2006 and also constructed with particle board. It didn't have any water damage but looks like it just delaminated from the heat. I tried heating it up to stick it back down but only ended up making it worse. The paint is still holding up great and I may do the tables as well so they match. Although the 2020 Coachmen Galleria FL LI3 sure looks pretty :hmmm:
 

marklg

Well-known member
My GWV Legend is a 2006 and also constructed with particle board. It didn't have any water damage but looks like it just delaminated from the heat. I tried heating it up to stick it back down but only ended up making it worse. The paint is still holding up great and I may do the tables as well so they match. Although the 2020 Coachmen Galleria FL LI3 sure looks pretty :hmmm:
That will be $150k please. Sorry, not in the cards for us.

I already replaced the tables with wooden ones. The delamination happened there too.

Mark
 

Sidecar

Member
Both of you guys do great work ! We have an 2006 GW and I plan to replace the countertop with Corian and replace the plastic sink with a under-counter mount. What size sinks did you use and could you post a link to the site where you purchased them ? Thanks for your help and your great posts.
 

marklg

Well-known member
I got this sink, which is exactly the same size as the plastic one that was there. Otherwise, the pipes would probably have to be cut off at the floor and completely redone. There was just no wiggle room. Everything below the counter, waste and water pipes, drawers and supports fit just so.


I actually started out making the Baltic Birch countertop only for practice to later make it out of Corian. I didn't want to mess up $500 worth of Corian. It turned out so well, we just decided to keep it. If it wears out in a few years, I will do the same with Corian. You probably have to special order Corian with the right thickness, but it is available. Any different thickness and lots of fit issues come into play. Corian pretty much works the same way with the right blades and router bits, the plastic chips are messier and stick to things.

I updated my website with the kitchen install info.


Regards,

Mark
 

Sidecar

Member
Mark, thanks for the information and links. Regarding the sink, it looks like you converted Self-Rimming sink to a Under Counter Mount sink, good work ! Looks like I will have to go that route also. Going to try the Corian. Got a 1/2” thick piece and will make up the difference with plywood, OSB, MDF or something else. This is my winter time project, I hope. Will post results with pics.
 

marklg

Well-known member
Mark, thanks for the information and links. Regarding the sink, it looks like you converted Self-Rimming sink to a Under Counter Mount sink, good work ! Looks like I will have to go that route also. Going to try the Corian. Got a 1/2” thick piece and will make up the difference with plywood, OSB, MDF or something else. This is my winter time project, I hope. Will post results with pics.
You have to fit the trim against the window in addition to matching the sink height so the pipes attach. That is why I used exactly the same thickness.

The original plastic sink was self rimming, used as an undermount. I did the same on the replacement. I did have to bend up new brackets to fit.

This guy has a pretty good description of how to work Corian:


Regards,

Mark
 

coastcamper

New member
Thanks for the nice write up on your kitchen console, there are a lot of options to choose from if you want a solid countertop. You bring up an important thing to consider, it's really hot here in the summer as well. I liked your clear description and solution for your rebuild. I am sure that there has to be something available that you could DIY that would hold up to the heat better. Thanks
 

marklg

Well-known member
Thanks for the nice write up on your kitchen console, there are a lot of options to choose from if you want a solid countertop. You bring up an important thing to consider, it's really hot here in the summer as well. I liked your clear description and solution for your rebuild. I am sure that there has to be something available that you could DIY that would hold up to the heat better. Thanks
I'm confident I could do the same thing with Corian. This came out "good enough" and we saved some money, but if it wears out Corian will be next.

Regards,

Mark
 

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