jimtoo
Moderator
Hi Happyrvcouple,
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and hopefully to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.
Enjoy the forum.
Jim M
Big Country 4010RD office space mod
- Thread starter TravelTiger
- Start date
Hi Happyrvcouple,
Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and hopefully to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.
Enjoy the forum.
Jim M
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Look also at this one done in a similar Bighorn plan:
desk mod to BH 3970RD
//heartlandowners.org/showthread.php?t=59018
8amps
Well-known member
Hi Erika,
Our time in Quannah was such a blur! Did you have this here? I can't believe I don't remember! How are you liking this setup? We are wanting to do something very much like this. We are headed over to Ikea right now to take a look but thought I'd see if there was anything you'd change or if you still love it as is. Only thing we need is file storage so we were thinking of doing 2 file cabinets as the base.
Hope you and Tony are doing great!
Mary
Our time in Quannah was such a blur! Did you have this here? I can't believe I don't remember! How are you liking this setup? We are wanting to do something very much like this. We are headed over to Ikea right now to take a look but thought I'd see if there was anything you'd change or if you still love it as is. Only thing we need is file storage so we were thinking of doing 2 file cabinets as the base.
Hope you and Tony are doing great!
Mary
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Yes Mary, we had it in Quanah. We were the first trailer on the tour.
Only thing I noticed is that with weight on the desktop, it is starting to deflect a little in the middle.
Maybe more support legs or a stronger tabletop. I also wish the tabletop went all the way from one side of the slide to the other. Maybe consider a longer top that could be cut to fit.
Be sure to look at Dave and Nancy's 3970RD office conversion, they used a real countertop.
We're doing great! Hope you are too!!
carl.swoyer
Well-known member
Nice work look real nice
Carl & Christine, 2012 Landmark Rushmore, 2005 Silverado crew cab lt 8 foot bed 6.6 lly /Allison -custom dual exhaust-198000 miles !
Carl & Christine, 2012 Landmark Rushmore, 2005 Silverado crew cab lt 8 foot bed 6.6 lly /Allison -custom dual exhaust-198000 miles !
8amps
Well-known member
It's funny Erika, I remember seeing your trailer and oohing and aahing but I wasn't thinking to do a desk like this. (One track mind) But I'm tired of having my computer on a lap desk and no where to put whatever papers I might be working on. I went to Ikea (never been before!) and looked at the desk offerings. Thanks for listing what you had, I would have never sussed it out otherwise. That is one big store! Your countertop also came in 78 3/4" but our slide is 77.5". You said you like the idea of the countertop going all the way across your slide, would you (or did you) edge it with felt or something for protecting the walls in travel? Or not worry about it? I also like nanders mod. I really need file storage so kitchen cabinets won't work but could use my original plan with file cabinets as my base. I really like the look of the laminate counter top but it was very heavy and I'm a little concerned about weight since that is on our fridge side and that side is already heavy, much less adding file cabinets, files, etc.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Mary, my desk is not the complete width of the slide. I think it's 57" and the slide was 63" we did not add anything to ends. I found a better office chair that fits under the desk for travel. We push in the office chair and secure into the space with an adjustable strap (the way HL does). That way the desk can't move, either.
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Our IKEA desktop seems to be made like a hollow core door... And it's deflecting in the middle, which is why I suggested something sturdier. IKEA has a large selection of desktops, I researched them all and picked what I thought was best for my application. But since using it, like I mentioned, I'd go with a sturdier and complete width tabletop.
8amps
Well-known member
I did notice that the Ikea tabletop/countertop/whatever they call it was hollow and light. Like a hollow core door 
Do you think that an extra support would keep it from flexing? Or still be an issue?
My concern is that the file cabinets I wanted (sturdy HONs that would hold up to use and travel) are 60 pounds a piece and I wanted one for each side (in lieu of cabinets). My preference is the laminate countertop similiar to what Nanders used. I couldn't find anything on line or in store about the weight but suffice it to say that thing is heavy. (Particle board always seems to be heavy). I like that it hopefully won't flex but I would think that thing alone weighed 40-50 pounds or maybe more (or less, I really don't know! Definitely waaaaay more than the Ikea one though) Then add files in four drawers, office chair, printer, etc. What is too heavy for the slide?
Do you think that an extra support would keep it from flexing? Or still be an issue?My concern is that the file cabinets I wanted (sturdy HONs that would hold up to use and travel) are 60 pounds a piece and I wanted one for each side (in lieu of cabinets). My preference is the laminate countertop similiar to what Nanders used. I couldn't find anything on line or in store about the weight but suffice it to say that thing is heavy. (Particle board always seems to be heavy). I like that it hopefully won't flex but I would think that thing alone weighed 40-50 pounds or maybe more (or less, I really don't know! Definitely waaaaay more than the Ikea one though) Then add files in four drawers, office chair, printer, etc. What is too heavy for the slide?
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
I did notice that the Ikea tabletop/countertop/whatever they call it was hollow and light. Like a hollow core door
My concern is that the file cabinets I wanted (sturdy HONs that would hold up to use and travel) are 60 pounds a piece and I wanted one for each side (in lieu of cabinets). My preference is the laminate countertop similiar to what Nanders used. I couldn't find anything on line or in store about the weight but suffice it to say that thing is heavy. (Particle board always seems to be heavy). I like that it hopefully won't flex but I would think that thing alone weighed 40-50 pounds or maybe more (or less, I really don't know! Definitely waaaaay more than the Ikea one though) Then add files in four drawers, office chair, printer, etc. What is too heavy for the slide?
I say do what you think will work best for you.
Hi Erika,
I love this; it's exactly why we're going after the 4010RD (so we can put a desk in). We don't have the RV yet, so I'm wondering what the dementions are of the slide out. I saw you mentioned the width is 63" correct? Do you know the depth of the slide out? And by any chance do you know how much the couch that was there weighs? We already have a desk that may fit, but it's solid wood so I'm thinking it might be too much for the slide out.
-Jeff
I love this; it's exactly why we're going after the 4010RD (so we can put a desk in). We don't have the RV yet, so I'm wondering what the dementions are of the slide out. I saw you mentioned the width is 63" correct? Do you know the depth of the slide out? And by any chance do you know how much the couch that was there weighs? We already have a desk that may fit, but it's solid wood so I'm thinking it might be too much for the slide out.
-Jeff
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
The width from sidewall to sidewall is actually 72", and from back wall to edge of slideout is 32".
Our original desktop was smaller, but found it bowing in the middle after a while. We have since replaced the desktop with one that is 67" wide x 32" deep. I don't know how heave the couch was, but it was pretty heavy!! It came out in about 4 pieces.
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Our original desktop was smaller, but found it bowing in the middle after a while. We have since replaced the desktop with one that is 67" wide x 32" deep. I don't know how heave the couch was, but it was pretty heavy!! It came out in about 4 pieces.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks! The desk will fit, and sounds like weight shouldn't be a problem. I appreciate the quick reply!
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
You bet!
Something to consider, the desk chair you use will need to roll under the desk and be secured some way. There is not a good place to have a large desk chair when the slides come in. In our case, even with the chair under the desk, one caster of the chair does hang slightly past the carpet edge of the slide. But since the chair is "held in" by a strap we added, (just like the dining chairs), it rolls ok with the slide movement.
Another thing we discovered is that the desk did move when the rear of the coach bounced in transit. We opted to secure the desk to the floor with L brackets.
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TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
TravelTiger
Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Here is the drawer unit from Ikea we have on one side. You could easily have two.
It's called Alex, and they have various configurations. Mine has hanging files in the bottom drawer.
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It's called Alex, and they have various configurations. Mine has hanging files in the bottom drawer.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
