Grain direction for doors on skinny horizontal doors?

[Brian Elfert]

I am building some really long skinny cabinets for an RV. (One is like 12 feet long) They will be horizontal kinda like overhead bins on airplanes. The doors will be 12" high and as wide as 48". The doors will open up.

The doors will likely be slab doors due to the dusty areas the RV is used in. What direction should the grain run on the doors? I'm tending to think the grain should run the long direction of the door, but most doors the grain runs vertically. After I typed this up I realized it would be really difficult to build a door like this with vertical grain anyhow.

On a related note, is a slab door 12"x48" going to be prone to warping more than a raised panel or flat panel door of the same size?

[Jim Matthews]

If you're willing to use a veneer, you could orient grain as you like.

Traditional orientation of the grain allows for seasonal changes, which may not be so pronounced in and airconditioned RV.

[mickey cassiba]

If you're willing to use a veneer, you could orient grain as you like.

Traditional orientation of the grain allows for seasonal changes, which may not be so pronounced in and airconditioned RV.

Most RV's are seasonal vehicles. We have a storage lot here at the park, and the carnage is something to see, even in the more expensive units. Most of the units I see here have MDF, or chip board with vinyl veneer. The solid wood units have a lot of warpage and popped joints.

[Brian Elfert]

Most RVs sit for long periods neither heated nor cooled unless the owner(s) live in the unit. My RV sits outside and is never heated or cooled unless I need to do something in it, or I am on a trip. Some RVs use plywood or other composites for the whole cabinet even the face frames. I've seen a few RVs with cabinets so cheap they were falling off the walls at the RV dealer when they were new.

I took a look at interior photos from a dozen RVs and all of them with horizontal doors had the grain running the long direction. I plan on buying doors and most slab doors are made of plywood with veneer. My woodworking tools right now consist of a Kreg jig, a Sears contractor table saw, some Bessey clamps, a miter saw, and some assorted hand and cordless tools. I don't even have a router. There is no way I could make my own doors.

[Lee Schierer]

Our RV has long upper cabinets and their grain runs horizontal. They are a wood composite with a veener, not solid wood. The horizontal grain looks great.

[Jeff Duncan]

Best bet for large panels in that situation is veneer on mdf....preferably lightweight mdf. Doesn't take much for tools to make either.....a saw to cut it, an iron for banding the edges, and a drill to bore for hinges!

good luck,
JeffD