I found making the drawers really boring – but I liked the effect they had when finished.

You can simply buy a kitchen unit with draws and cupboards and it works really well however the advantage of self-build is you can really build things around your kit and be very efficient with space.

MAKING DRAWERS

Method 1 – vertical blocks

The photo below shows the basic drawer structure. Back, sides and a base. These are glued and screwed to four blocks in the corners. The front is screwed on and is made from wooden flooring.

Lastly the handle is an IKEA-bought handle I simply screwed on.

I got 45cm drawer runners and attached them to the bottom edges.

The drawer-side runner sits about 5mm from the front of the on the draw.

Inside the kitchen unit I added another upright to allow me to attach the drawer runners and just spent some time attaching and adjusting them so they ran nicely.

To stop them sliding around when driving I use a bungee from the bottom to the top drawer. This does not work perfectly but well enough.

Method 2 – Glued Blocks Under-frame

I think this is a better and easier method of making a drawer – even if it is less space efficient. It looks nicer too. I am a convert!

Tip: They key is to make sure that the draw sides are properly square as you glue it. A big wood-working square is a good investment for your van conversion project.

Sides: 9mm Hardwood Ply
Base: 5.5mm Hardwood Ply
Front: two bits of wood screwed together edge to edge and sanded down

For these draws I just put in simple runners (blocks of wood) which the draw slides along. Nothing fancy but it works.