Securing cabinets to subfloor

mrsa111

Observer
I'm starting on my interior cabinets, and before I get too far I want to be really sure that I have the right method down to attach them. I know it's been covered ALOT, but reading through threads it's hard to find much of an agreed upon method.

I don't have my final top layer of flooring down yet(will probably be 1/2 bamboo tongue and groove) Just my subfloor. All along I've been thinking I'd secure the cabinets down once the finished floor was in, but now looking at it, it seems like it could be better to secure all the cabinets to subfloor, using 1/2 plywood as a base and something to bolt/screw through to secure it. Then adding my final bamboo flooring once the cabinets are all installed.

I think it'd be better because 1) my finished flooring will be floating or very loosely secured. 2) if I need to change or modify a piece of the interior, it'll be much easier to adjust the floor to fit. 3. I would think that the cabinets sitting "in" the final flooring will help secure it some. I'd maybe use some kind of rubber or foam to take up any gap and still allow for expansion and some movement.

And while I'm at it, for a van that sees a bit of off-road use, what are people's thoughts on securing to the sides of the van? I've heard it can cause stress and squeeks as the body flexes. Maybe attaching with some rubber washers between the wood and metal? Scrap carpet from the rest of the build?
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
Make your cabinets somewhat flexible, and attach them at three points minimum. I suggest using rivnuts in the body (and floor if you want). You can also use T-nuts on the back side of the subfloor/plywoood. This makes removing the cabinets easy. Wood or sheetmetal screws (in correct numbers/sizes) can be used. But be aware they only have a few good pull-downs until the threads wear out in the wood/metal.

The rivnuts have great pull out strength, are fairly easy to install, and allow removal/installation without worrying about damaging screw threads.

On my last van build, I used 1/4-20 rivnuts set in the sheetmetal, and aluminum angle for brackets. In the last 30k miles all over Australia it has been rock solid (and I drive crap roads when needed).

Here is the rivnuts.
http://amzn.to/2uO8sLc

Here is the tool.
http://amzn.to/2fRB9Qw

If the cabinet will be holding heavy items, you may consider using riv-nuts or through bolts into the floor. Metal corner brackets on the cabinets will help keep them together in an accident.

Really heavy items need to be secured directly to the van sheetmetal. Things such as 40lb inverters/chargers, heavy recovery gear, etc. Sometimes just a steel cable lanyard is enough for safety.
 

mrsa111

Observer
Make your cabinets somewhat flexible, and attach them at three points minimum. I suggest using rivnuts in the body (and floor if you want). You can also use T-nuts on the back side of the subfloor/plywoood. This makes removing the cabinets easy. Wood or sheetmetal screws (in correct numbers/sizes) can be used. But be aware they only have a few good pull-downs until the threads wear out in the wood/metal.

The rivnuts have great pull out strength, are fairly easy to install, and allow removal/installation without worrying about damaging screw threads.

On my last van build, I used 1/4-20 rivnuts set in the sheetmetal, and aluminum angle for brackets. In the last 30k miles all over Australia it has been rock solid (and I drive crap roads when needed).

Here is the rivnuts.
http://amzn.to/2uO8sLc

Here is the tool.
http://amzn.to/2fRB9Qw

If the cabinet will be holding heavy items, you may consider using riv-nuts or through bolts into the floor. Metal corner brackets on the cabinets will help keep them together in an accident.

Really heavy items need to be secured directly to the van sheetmetal. Things such as 40lb inverters/chargers, heavy recovery gear, etc. Sometimes just a steel cable lanyard is enough for safety.

Yeah I bought a bag of RivNuts, Planning on using those to attach to the walls. for the floor, IF i'm mounting directly to the subfloor, I bought some threaded inserts that screw in with an allen key, I test fit one and it seems super solid, so that that would be my plan if I go the "cabinet directly to the subfloor" direction.

As far as heavy stuff, yeah thats not something i've been thinking about as much as I should have. I'm in the middle of making my electrical cabinet. its 1/2" birch ply, and its a "box" so it has a 1/2" birch bottom too, that bottom can be bolted down through the inserts in the subfloor furring strips. So im thinking it should be a damn secure box. as far as securing my 40lb inverter/charger (good guess!) and 30lb battery (LiFePO4) thats something I havent decided on how to do. at the moment I'm leaning towards using some 1" wood strips to snugly fit around the base, and attach some straps to those that hold them down.
Its all going under my bench/bed combo so as I build that I can probably secure it even more.
 

panhandlejensen

New member
My 77 Econoline 4x4 is a real pile. When I bought it, It had the drivers sidecut out and had two Knapheide boxes stacked and mounted on top of each other. they are welded to the body floor and roof. It was super ghetto with a cover of undercoating which was all peeled up. I ground around the entirety of the box and was searching around for a sealant that would expand and contract excessively as well as be flexible. A guy at Home Depot had me go to a roofing supply store and I think the product was called flex seal. Anyway, it was sort of expensive for a tube but 5 years later, it is still holding up and waterproof. For what it is worth. E
 

Bikersmurf

Expedition Leader
Yeah I bought a bag of RivNuts, Planning on using those to attach to the walls. for the floor, IF i'm mounting directly to the subfloor, I bought some threaded inserts that screw in with an allen key, I test fit one and it seems super solid, so that that would be my plan if I go the "cabinet directly to the subfloor" direction.

As far as heavy stuff, yeah thats not something i've been thinking about as much as I should have. I'm in the middle of making my electrical cabinet. its 1/2" birch ply, and its a "box" so it has a 1/2" birch bottom too, that bottom can be bolted down through the inserts in the subfloor furring strips. So im thinking it should be a damn secure box. as far as securing my 40lb inverter/charger (good guess!) and 30lb battery (LiFePO4) thats something I havent decided on how to do. at the moment I'm leaning towards using some 1" wood strips to snugly fit around the base, and attach some straps to those that hold them down.
Its all going under my bench/bed combo so as I build that I can probably secure it even more.

Threaded inserts are ok, but I'd not rely on them alone for strength. I've seen them pull out of plywood. T-nuts are far superior IMO.

I'd only use threaded inserts if I'd missed installing a T-nut somewhere. I'd also put some glue around the outside to reduce the chance of them coming loose.
 

mrsa111

Observer
im already too far along to do much of these recommendations. But i've been thinking/researching a lot about this and think i've got a solid plan.

I'm gonna go for mounting everything to the subfloor then installing the finish floor around the cabinets, decided against bamboo as i hear it cracks in dry environments, looking for something 1/2" at most, ideally closer to 1/4 and NOT soft vinyl flooring, i need something a little more solid to go on top of my subfloor.

rather than try to make everything super rigid and secure to the van body, I'm kind of going in the other direction. Still making as solid of cabinets and woodwork as I can, but mounting things in a way that allows for some flex. rather than bolting the floor down, im using L brackets bolted to the sheet metal wall, so that it "pinches" the floor down, but no screw from the L bracket to wood, just contacting it. I'll also probably take the floor out before the cabinets get their final install and throw in a layer or thin sound deadener between the van floor and the subfloor, then thinking underlayment under cabinets and finish floor, so the sandwich will look like this: van floor, 1/2" Volara closed cell foam in the "valleys", sound deadening, subfloor, underlayment, then cabinets and finish floor. might not do the sound deadening or underlayment, havent decided yet.

for all my threaded insert holes i drill, im filling them with construction adhesive, then screwing the insert in (found some inserts that seem to hold much better than the others ive seen. plus the fact that its being drilled into a harder than plywood furring strip should help. then using a thin rubber washer between every insert and cabinet bottom. might use some L brackets from cabinet to floor just to be safe, and take some stress off the inserts. for the walls i'm using riv nuts, not too many, and i'll probably space the cabinets a tad from the wall, with slightly thicker or multiple rubber washers or similar.

Might install one side this way, go for a drive somewhere rough and see how it does.
 

45Kevin

Adventurer
I'm partially through building the inside of my van (I'll be updating my thread soon) and put a lot of thought into this as well.
My floor is very securely fasted to the van's metal floor, and I have two t-nuts installed to bolt my battery holder in place.
My bed platform and a cabinet will be held to the floor by L-brackets and 1/2" screws.
I'll probably have a couple of the shelves screwed into he van wall frame members as well.

I'm sure all the fasteners will stand up to normal road and off road driving, but in the event of a violent accident, I'm not so sure.
 

Johny5

Adventurer
Im just using small angle brakets in a few spots with 3/4 inch screws into the floor and walls. No issue so far after a couple years and a bunch of off road miles.
 

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