oldgrape Report post Posted July 6, 2016 Howdy All. I started replacing my old Sharp Microwave yesterday. It came out with out much difficulty. The replacement microwave is almost exact in size. The snag I hit is that the door is a full side to side door. The Sharp door stopped a couple inches from the left side. So the front of the microwave has to stick out about 2 inches so the door can open. That makes the top mounting bolts where you attach the mounting plate about 2.5 inches too far forward of where the mounting plate it attaches to is secured to the roof. I have checked every diagram I can find and don't see any special plate that the ceiling bracket is screwed into. Does anyone know if I can move that ceiling plate and have the same fastening strength or if that will weaken the mounting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted July 6, 2016 Do not know for sure, but the framing in the ceiling in My Zanzibar is 2 X 4 on 16 inch centers. The ceiling outer and lower skins are 1/4 inch thick and would not support the weight of the Micro. The support panel you refer to is probably attached to the framing. You will have to be a sleuth and figurer this out as few will have been there. Please let us know what you find or determine. Bill Edwards Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldgrape Report post Posted July 6, 2016 Update: Called Winnebago. They informed me there is a 3' wide piece of aluminum plate in the ceiling that the mounting angle bracket in the ceiling is attached to. So probably the best solution is to make a new metal angle bracket that will extend back to where the original is mounted to the ceiling and also extends out the extra 2 or so inches I need due to the mounting difference in the two units. I'll post some pictures later. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oldgrape Report post Posted July 11, 2016 Howdy All. Just finished the replacement of our Sharp microwave. It had intermittent difficulties working and all the metal trim fell off. Replaced it with a Whirlpool microwave. The one thing I found out during this evolution was that the Sharp's door actually did not go from side to side. It actually had a fixed section on the left side of about 2 inches. That enabled the door to open with out hitting the left side cabinet panel. All the new ones I looked at in Lowes and HD and online all had full width doors. So I had to extend the bracing outward about 2 or 3 inches. Also the standard rear mounting panel is extremely flimsy. I still need to install the vent from the back to the RV skin. I can do that from the outside. Have to extend that about the same as the bracing. I added a stiffener angle behind it. I'm pretty comfortable with it staying in place as we go down the road the way I have it braced but definitely a lesson learned about trying to look a little harder to find a better match for what is being replaced. I'll post a couple pics tomorrow Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted July 11, 2016 Looking forward to the photos, I replaced the microwave (regular microwave not a convection oven/microwave) on our last coach twice. Original one failed the dealer told me a standard table top version is all I need to install, so I did and it lasted a year and failed (no air circulation). So I replaced it with a RV specific one with a new mounting face plate kit. Sounds like you have the air circulation issue figured out, ours vented forward. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites