There are many opinions about the best ways to tow or build out an Airstream. These are hot topics on the internet for Airstream folks. Andrew and I do a lot of Ikea hacking. In our last build, we used a combination of our own custom built parts and Ikea hacking. There are several reasons we have gone this route. The predominate reason? I do not have a garage or covered workshop where we can build custom cabinets. Another reason is that I am unable to produce the level of finish work that comes built into the hacked Ikea products. Lastly, my basic tools, hefty time commitments and overall cost for function make it possible for us to work on these projects as time allows.
The two biggest negatives to using particle board cabinets are weight and a risk of swelling up in the event of water exposure. The use of the cabinet boxes and parts as building materials and customizing them to work in an Airstream is not without challenges but it is what works best for us.
Airstream_Wheeler 