VAN BUILD - DIY Folding Table

When first designing our van conversion, we tossed around the idea of installing a table or desk, but at the time we couldn’t agree on a design, location or if we even needed one in the first place.

Well, after almost 13-months of full-time van living without a table, we decided that since we would be spending more time in front of the laptop (writing this blog as it is) that it was high time to revisit the idea of putting one in.

DESIGN

We knew we didn’t want a table that was always set up, as one of our most prized features in the van is it’s floor space, and a permanent set up would mean eating into that space. Enter brainstorming.

We had a few ideas:

A long desk that slid out on heavy-duty sliders from under our benchtop. While we really liked the idea of having a desk with plenty of room for us both to work at the same time, it seemed like way too much work to install given that after our cabinets, benchtop and walls were already finished.
We also considered just using our folding camp table and chairs inside the van when we wanted to work, but we figured that given how lazy we are, we’d probably never actually be bothered to set everything up to do that.

So we wound up deciding on a table/desk that could fold up from the wall to use, then fold down flat again against the wall. Our favourite folding ikea hooks could stay, and the clothes we hung there would disguise the table when not needed.

Sounds like a plan Batman.

SOURCING MATERIALS

We spent a bit of time on Google and YouTube looking at different styles of hinges and folding leg setups, then we came across a type of hinge that locked open with little tabs to release the hinges.

We figured it would be some kind of impossible-to-get expensive product that we wouldn’t be able to find in Australia, but were pleasantly surprised to find the exact we needed at Bunnings Warehouse (an Australian hardware store).

Being a hardware store we figured we’d be able to get some timber for the tabletop at the same time, so off to Bunnings we went.

Once we’d picked up the locking hinges we started the hunt for the perfect size piece of timber for our table and you wouldn’t believe where we found it -

In the flatpack kitchen section. Our perfect sized, thin-but-strong, gloss white table is actually a kitchen cupboard door.

Hell, if it works, it works.

We also picked up some self-tapping pan head screws.

INSTALLATION

Installation was easy enough;

Just measure up your space, screw the hinges to the wall (ideally finding the vans metal wall frame to screw into) then sit the tabletop (or in our case, cupboard door) on top of the hinges, line it up to where you want it, a few more screws and you’re done.

Get out some folding camp stools (ours are from BCF and they live in the hang closet when not in use) and you’re all set.