Recessed Stove on LXi's

[rrueckwald]

Blue Bird recessed the stove/cooktop on LXi's to clean up the counter appearance. The stoves were gas until the galley was located in the slide. Not wanting to have a flexible gas line, BB went to electric cooktops, but left the deep well designed to be deep enough to cover the gas stove grates. It is too deep for a cooktop, so here is something you can do to remedy this oversight by BB.

For expediency, aluminum tape was used for the new platform surface. Eventually stainless will replace that.

If you do this project, plan it and check it to have enough clearance for the knobs.

[Arcticdude]

Looks pretty slick. That's obviously a spot for a knob less cooktop. Am I correct in thinking nobody makes a 2 burner version?

[mhughes01]

Looks like it has two burners?

[rrueckwald]

Yes, two burners, but not knobless. They are still available. Princess cooktop for marine applications. The glass surface makes it easy to clean. When on, you can see the coiled wire elements underneath. It is 2,000watts, 120vac. It is also available in 240vac, but that seems unnecessary. It works fine. Whether this was standard or not, I don't know. I think in '99 they used regular calrod elements.

[JD33]

Ron this is an upgrade that I will now do on my LX, thanks. Unfortunately for me it is not clear from the photos how you raised the cooktop up? Any additional info would be appreciated

[rrueckwald]

Jim,

I measured how much I could raise it, leaving 1/8" clearance for the knobs. It turned out to be 1 1/4". So I cut some 1"x2" to lay on the old platform and glued the ends together. Eight little spots of adhesive held it in place. Then I cut a piece of 1/2" plywood for the next layer. I had to do that in two pieces because of a lip around the counter edge. I set that on top of the 1"x2" pieces and used a little wood glue. Then I used aluminum tape for the upper surface, but you really need smooth wood for that, so birch plywood works. However today I ordered a piece of stainless to drop on the new platform to finish it right.

Needless to say, it took several fits and refits before I was ready to apply glue, and I used very little so I could remove it if I ever wanted to. The hardest part was figuring out how the old stove was attached underneath. I cut a hole in the rear by the electrical box with my Fein saw to get access and found the bracket shown in one of the pictures. In retrospect, I could have avoided cutting the hole if I had known there were two screws under the front easily removable panel at the knobs. One on each side going sideways. Then lift the front of the cooktop and pull forward. For other types of stoves, John Martin said there were usually ways to get to the screws after removing the elements, etc.

The cooktop was plugged in behind the top drawer to the right of the stove, and could be accessed by removing the drawer. As it turned out, I found some interference problems BB had left, so had to fix those, too, but am happy I did.

Raising the cooktop 1 1/4" has made a world of difference in using the cooktop.

[JD33]

Thanks Ron, that is what I needed to know. I will let you know how it works out.

[rrueckwald]

(12-03-2013 00:19)JD33 Wrote:  Thanks Ron, that is what I needed to know. I will let you know how it works out.

Jim,

I grew up in London.
Now living in St. Joseph, MI in the summer, St. Petersburg, FL in the winter.

[Bob Johannesen]

That looks great Ron. I was looking at a boat today that had one of those in it! Very smooth and neat install.

.