Pro Tips: Building Van Upper Cabinets Using 8020 (Extruded Aluminum)

We share our top tips for building van upper cabinets using extruded aluminum (8020).
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Where we buy our extruded aluminum bars and hardware:
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➳ FREEZE DRIED FOOD FOR EMERGENCIES OR DAILY USE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR EACH MONTH:
*Choose "Delivery" at checkout to save an extra 15% and get free shipping on orders over $99.
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➳ CONNECT WITH US:
Instagram: @thrivans
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➳ WHO WE ARE
We're Lisa & Jeff Warnick and we've been repping Thrive freeze-dried foods for over 10 years. It's been a dream of ours to have a van to travel the country, supporting our team and sharing the Thrive love. After we built our first van, we realized how much we love the creative process of designing and building vans...so now we're building and selling our own custom vans. We also do conversions on client-owned vans. In this video
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ABOUT
We share all our tips and tricks for building upper cabinets using extruded aluminum (8020).

#vanlife #vanconversion #vanbuild #freezedried

⏰ TIMECODES
0:00 Intro
0:30 Extrusions we use
2:15 Fasteners we use
7:55 Attaching cabinet to van
10:07 Lining the cabinets
12:58 Utrusta Hinges
17:42 Where we buy extruded aluminum

Disclosures: All opinions are my own. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

[Jet-Levi]

Jeff, The guidance that you provide in your videos is some of the best on YouTube (and I watch a lot of YT). Thank you.

[octane_ape]

Love your videos! Keep up the good work you guys are awesome

[bgzwlz]

Wow, I can’t thank you enough. I saw a video of someone using 8020 extruded aluminum to make some van cabinets and I was intrigued. Knowing absolutely nothing about any of this including what it was called I just started searching Google and YouTube with terms like “metal cabinet frames” & “8020”. Then I came across your video which was absolutely BRILLIANT! I have never learned as much about something I had NO clue about than from this video! I now plan to watch every one of your videos, and thanks for all of the details about actually creating this type of cabinet! Do the IKEA hinges work if you build the cabinets with the drawer panels flush to the aluminum frame so that the aluminum outlines the cabinet and gives it a more modern feel rather than having the drawer panels covering up the aluminum frame?

[CopyCatGarage]

Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks. I am starting my planning and design for a overland truck with a built on camper... your information is helping me with how I can go lighter on the inside after I have built out the box on the truck frame. Oh yea and yes the Thrive Life Food is unbelievably tasty and easy to make. absolutely love it.

[TeutonicNordwind]

This is just excellent, Jeff! The couple videos on the Ikea "Utrusta" hinges that you've done have convinced me to use them on our pending first van build.

[Jarin]

Hey Jeff,
Awesome videos, they have been helping a lot. My wife and I are currently building our first van. How do you attach the utrusta hinge to the 80/20? Do you use the hardware included with the hinge or do you put a tnut in the 80/20 and attach it that way?
Thanks for all the help

[FBall-imui]

Oh yeah, best explanations on any Van site in my opinion, I understand when you explain something, well done sir. I am a photographer and will be building up my Sprinter, no experience but I poses Logic and reason ha, and I have learnt several things in just the last few days listening to you, Brilliant!Merci!

[Ballynoes]

Just found your channel 🙂... excellent site... I would call it another Humble Road... full of detail and useful info. Thanks.

[rogerkamp]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge. How do you mount the microwave to the 8020 framing? If the microwave is installed, how do you get access to screw the 8020 framing to the van?

[KarlSabourin-je]

very informative and well explained video thank you!!

[stevehori]

That’s funny Jeff I use the same graph paper memo pad and draw out my plans like you do. Helps me with the cut list but also to make sure I have enough screws, t-nuts and brackets. TNUTZ are the best for basic stuff but I have to use 8020 for specialty pieces. Great video! If I didn’t build my own van I would come to you for a custom.

[lkazanov]

Wonderful content...thank you. Is the ABS lines for the upper cabinets 1/4" or is it thinner? US plastics provides different ones. As long as you like white or black :). Apologies, you use 0.060" (1/16"). Thank you for sharing your wisdom!

[G.G-ww]

GREAT video Jeff. Could you share the dimensions of your microwave cabinet? . and a parts list? what kind of 1/4" ply do you use for the bottom? Love your content. thanks.

[sammyjfleisch]

Can you please make a video explaining how you mount the hinges to the aluminum. That section is missing a lot of detail. I bought the utrusta hinges for my build because you made it seem so simple but now that I have them in I’m realizing there’s a lot more to it.

[tommyc]

Thank you, Jeff I’ve been a follow of your channel for quite some time, and I love your van builds… this video, as well as the one you posted most recently on extruded Aluminum was so helpful.
I am absolutely ordering a bunch of it for my build… I have one question about how you mounted the UTRUSTA… were you able to use the supplied IKEA hardware? Or did you use different screws to mount it into a t-nut in the 8020? Thanks

[bigvil]

Great information in your videos Jeff and you are very kind to share your knowledge.
With your overhead cabinets, is there a chance the rear will work loose with vibration, as it is only clamped on to the top of the rib, or do you have a trick to secure it
Thanks

[lebniis]

Grateful for you posting these videos. I’m building upper cabinets with Utrusta hinges, like yours. What do you screw the hinges into? Do you set a 1” wood block on top of the 90 degree t slot then screw into? What’s providing backing to the hinge besides the thin plywood? The two utrusta mounting screw holes cause it to be mounted at an angle if mounting directly to 80/20. Could describe how you attached the utrusta to the cabinet?

[jasonwilly]

ANOTHER great video! Thanks Jeff. Do you have a linke for the ABS panels?

[DavidAbbott]

Awsome Jeff, just starting to plan the build these cabnets are great, can we buy the plans to build our own??. Keep up the great content!

[shannagachen]

Fantastic video Jeff! I'm learning so much. What material / thickness do you use for the bottom of the upper cabinets and do you slide it into the grooves of the extruded aluminum to secure it? Thanks!