Building a computer desk- Ideas?

I live in my RV full time and travel. It's been a real challenge with a 23" monitor, a 19" monitor, printer and 2 towers but it works as long as I don't breath in to deeply.

Britton30 said:

scr said:

I live in my RV full time and travel. It's been a real challenge with a 23" monitor, a 19" monitor, printer and 2 towers but it works as long as I don't breath in to deeply.

Well if you use RV campgrounds, you can take out the bath. Stop at Mickey D's, you don't need any kitchen stuff. Just some of my idle thoughts.

I'm in GA right now and last night it was 29 degrees, If my wife had to walk to the bath house in the middle of the night She would not be happy, therefore neither would I.

I want to live a little longer so Mickey D's is out, I'm not really sure what the stuff is after reading about pink slime. My wife is an excellent cook and baker, the computers would go before the kitchen stuff.

Lady Fitzgerald said:

scr said:

I live in my RV full time and travel. It's been a real challenge with a 23" monitor, a 19" monitor, printer and 2 towers but it works as long as I don't breath in to deeply.

I plan on doing the same someday if I don't die first. Cramming all my gear in it will be...ah...challenging.

I tell everyone that is thinking about living in an RV full time that you have two choices...You love it ..or.. You hate it! ..There is no "kind of like it".. If there's two of you both better feel the same as there is no place to run and no place to hide.

We've been at it 16 years and obviously fall in to the love it category.

If you really want to be able to work and have room for speakers, monitor, papers, other optional accessories, etc., in my opinion the desktop in front of you should be about 30" from front to rear. And the top surface should be standard 29" height off the floor.

Most important is that the front edge of the desktop absolutely must be rounded ("bull nose moulding??) or at least beveled so that it is curved or rounded, so that you forearms (which WILL rest on the front edge of the tabletop) do not get cut into by a square front edge of the desktop. Even more ideal would be a slight down-slant of the nearest 2-3" (something like an add-on front edge that is milled to angle down) or so, along with a rounded front edge, to support your forearms as you rest them on the front while typing at the keyboard. The importance of ergonomic comfort at the front edge of the tabletop cannot be overstated.

An L-shaped 3-piece table with a "wedge" piece to "turn the corner" and all 3 pieces at the same height provides ideal flexibility in positioning a second monitor, a printer, etc. That's what mine is like, with the wedge and side piece ON MY LEFT. I'm right-handed and feel comfortable with the L-arrangement to my left. I use the desktop space of the wedge for a second monitor (positioned to face me at an angle while I'm sitting in the chair facing my primary monitor straight ahead) and also to hold my flatbed scanner.

Don't forget your space also needs to have storage either in drawers, open shelves, or cabinets-with-doors underneath the desktop or on the left or right side. In my opinion you don't want them on or over the desk unless they're high enough or far enough away not to get in the way of things that are ON your desktop.

Personally, I do not like "lowered keyboard cutouts" in the table, so that the keyboard is down lower than the 29" tabletop. I know this is how they used to teach typing posture and position, but I find for myself that having the keyboard also on the 29" tabletop is how a computer keyboard is most comfortable, with mouse/mousepad just to its right... also on the 29" tabletop surface.

I should really take a photo of my L-shaped desk (bought about 20 years ago and which I've now used in three homes).