In the past, we had used a hanging canvas shelf from BedBathBeyond. It was functional but couldn't hold much weight. Our road trips are often long and we pack a lot of stuff, much of which stays in the Casita from one trip to the next. We wanted shelving that was sturdy and permanent and could carry some weight without bending, tearing, or collapsing.
We opted for wire shelves available at any of the big box stores. By turning each section upside down from how it's meant to be installed we gained little barriers in front to keep things from sliding off during travel.
Yes, those are hiking boots on the shelf. Size 14s!
We bought two shelf racks. One became the upright, the other was cut into suitably wide sections. The horizontal shelf sections are held to the upright with zip ties. They are supported on the right by angle brackets screwed to a piece of lumber so thoughtfully provided by Casita as a structural component of the closet.
This shows the wooden support and one of the angle brackets attached to it.
Angle bracket holding a shelf section.
Here is where Rich's
creative talent shines.
He used a conduit clamp, screwed to the closet rod, to hold the upright in place. Me, I would have reached for yet another zip tie, or duct tape. Or a strip of Velcro.
This construct makes the entire shelf very sturdy and stable.
He used a conduit clamp, screwed to the closet rod, to hold the upright in place. Me, I would have reached for yet another zip tie, or duct tape. Or a strip of Velcro.
This construct makes the entire shelf very sturdy and stable.
The finished shelf, waiting to be loaded down. Because it's made of metal and because each shelf rests on an angle bracket the unit has a good weight bearing capacity. We store shoes and boots, spare batteries, lanterns, propane cylinders for the grill and other such 'stuff' on it.
The racks on the door are two of a set of three we found at Wal-Mart. The third one is attached to the kitchen wall behind the sink.
We have a great shelf in the closet and still enough space left to hang four coats on the rod!