Computer Desk

At the end of the 2011 camping season, I asked the same cabinet maker who created Jan’s sewing desk to make a computer desk for me. I didn’t want anything massive that I’ve seen in some RVs, like a full-size house desk.

I needed a desk that had space for my Mac tower computer, a 24-inch monitor, a laser printer with a 14″ x 14″ footprint, and room to store DVDs, CDs, etc. However, our existing and very comfortable  J-couch would have to be sacrificed for the new computer desk.

To me, the key seemed to be some sort of flexible mount for my monitor so that I could move the monitor completely out of the way when it wasn’t being used. Someone on the Escapees RV Club online forum suggested this radial arm monitor mount which I later purchased. It works great because by adjusting the radial arm, the monitor becomes “weightless” so it moves very easily. There were other flexible mounts, like the Mantis 30, but at a considerably greater price.

I went over a desk design that I had created with the cabinet maker and after a few questions, he left to build the desk. Working with him was great. For example, I wanted the computer desk top to match the nearby Corian countertops. However, he came up with a much less expensive substitute material that looked exactly like Corian (just without the brand name).

In October 2011, the new computer desk was installed . . .

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However, following summer on a trial run with my Mac system installed in the new desk, it became clear that I would have to provide some sort of ventilation in the cabinet that housed my Mac tower. The heat buildup from my enclosed Mac was intense and affecting its operation.

So I installed a fan to vent air from the cabinet to the outside. This meant drilling over a 4″ hole in the side of our RV . . .

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