Replacing the stove top

We had been carrying a replacement stove top with us since we were last at the farm about a year ago. 

The rig had a regular glass-top electric stove top, which we rarely used because it made the rig pretty warm, and required us to move part of the countertop to use it (leaving us with less counter space). Instead, we have a single-burner induction cooktop that is sufficient to meet our needs most of the time. The one we had been carrying with us is a two-burner induction cooktop which will have the same disadvantage that part of the counter space needs to be moved to use it, but wouldn't create as much heat inside the rig.

The difficulty was that the size of the new stove top was a little different from the old one -- so we'd need to cut part of the top of the cabinet out. Also, the old stove top was hard-wired into the coach, and the new one had a plug -- so we needed to change out the hard-wire connection box to a plug.

Old stove top in the opening (the top part of the counter is moved to the side -- this is what we need to open up to be able to use the stove top. You can see the wire hanging out under the stove top coming out where a drawer usually is located (we removed the drawer to figure out what needed to get accomplished).

Carl loosened the old stove top from the counter and removed it.

We then checked and the new stove top was a little deeper in the space, but not quite as wide. We marked how much of the counter top needed to be cut off...

... and Carl borrowed Jimmy's sabre saw (or jig saw)...

... and cut the additional piece out. You may be able to see that there are no drawers under the opening at this point (so we didn't put any Corian dust into the drawers as we were working).

The new induction stove top in place -- you may not be able to see it, but the new one is not quite as wide as the original -- and we'll need to get that filled in before we use the stove top as any spills would end up going into the drawer underneath. Carl has cutting board material in Mesa that he thinks he can use to make the pieces to fill in the gaps.

Carl also changed the box that had been used to contain the hard-wired connection into an outlet box. This is located in the back of the sink cabinet, of course up high and very inaccessible. But, he was able to get it completed with minimal cramps and pain incurred!

A not-yet-quite-complete project, but well on its way!