I am building some cabinets to be hung from as yet unbuilt wall.

I want to build the wall from 25 or 26 gauge steel studs (whatever they
sell at Home Depot/Menards) instead of woood studs.

Will screwing the cabinets into the metal studs be enough support?

Brian Elfert

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
I am building some cabinets to be hung from as yet unbuilt wall.

I want to build the wall from 25 or 26 gauge steel studs (whatever they
sell at Home Depot/Menards) instead of woood studs.

Will screwing the cabinets into the metal studs be enough support?

No, typically plywood is added between the studs & drywall for these
applications

Brian Elfert wrote:
I am building some cabinets to be hung from as yet unbuilt wall.

I want to build the wall from 25 or 26 gauge steel studs (whatever they
sell at Home Depot/Menards) instead of woood studs.

Will screwing the cabinets into the metal studs be enough support?

Brian Elfert

Is the wall in the basement? If so then no - too much rust potential. I
would _guess_ at the same issue in a kitchen. Others may have different
opinions.

....Otherwise someone else can answer as I don't know. But if I were
making the wall I would install cross bracing where I was going to place
the wall and "make it work". Probably by making sure those studs had
"hangers".


--
Will
Occasional Techno-geek

www.mcfeeys.com sells cabinet hanging screws for use with steel studs

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
I am building some cabinets to be hung from as yet unbuilt wall.

I want to build the wall from 25 or 26 gauge steel studs (whatever they
sell at Home Depot/Menards) instead of woood studs.

Will screwing the cabinets into the metal studs be enough support?

Brian Elfert

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
I am building some cabinets to be hung from as yet unbuilt wall.

I want to build the wall from 25 or 26 gauge steel studs (whatever they
sell at Home Depot/Menards) instead of woood studs.

Will screwing the cabinets into the metal studs be enough support?

Brian Elfert

As others have said, no unless plywood is added where the cabinets are to
hang.
Why would you want steel studs? Do you live in Hawaii where termites are a
significant problem?

Dave



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
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"Teamcasa" writes:

As others have said, no unless plywood is added where the cabinets are to
hang.
Why would you want steel studs? Do you live in Hawaii where termites are a
significant problem?

Weight. Wood studs are much heavier than steel.

I'm converting a semi trailer to an RV. I plan to use 2x3 metal studs
to frame walls inside of the regular trailer walls. I can then add wiring
and insulation easily. the cabinets will hang on these walls.

Brian Elfert

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 09:50:02 -0500, "longshot"
wrote:



"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
I am building some cabinets to be hung from as yet unbuilt wall.

I want to build the wall from 25 or 26 gauge steel studs (whatever they
sell at Home Depot/Menards) instead of woood studs.

Will screwing the cabinets into the metal studs be enough support?

No, typically plywood is added between the studs & drywall for these
applications

Why? If the cabinets have backs, and are screwed to the studs, why is
this less reliable than screwing a piece of plywood to the same studs?

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
"Teamcasa" writes:

As others have said, no unless plywood is added where the cabinets are to
hang.
Why would you want steel studs? Do you live in Hawaii where termites are
a
significant problem?

Weight. Wood studs are much heavier than steel.

I'm converting a semi trailer to an RV. I plan to use 2x3 metal studs
to frame walls inside of the regular trailer walls. I can then add wiring
and insulation easily. the cabinets will hang on these walls.

Considering the weight of a semi trailer, do you think that wood studs would
make a noticeable difference considering every thing else that will go into
the trailer. Is 14,600 pounds going to be much worse than 14,000 pounds?

"Wes Stewart" wrote in message
news

Why? If the cabinets have backs, and are screwed to the studs, why is
this less reliable than screwing a piece of plywood to the same studs?

Because the studs are only about 1/16" thick. The screw could easily be
pulled back out compared to being screwed in to 2 or 3" of wood.

Leon wrote:

"Wes Stewart" wrote in message
news

Why? If the cabinets have backs, and are screwed to the studs, why is
this less reliable than screwing a piece of plywood to the same studs?

Because the studs are only about 1/16" thick. The screw could easily be
pulled back out compared to being screwed in to 2 or 3" of wood.

What's the plywood attached to?

In article ,
says...


Considering the weight of a semi trailer, do you think that wood studs would
make a noticeable difference considering every thing else that will go into
the trailer. Is 14,600 pounds going to be much worse than 14,000 pounds?

How about wood studs only where the cabinets need to screw in?

When in doubt,
Build it stout!

--
Homo sapiens is a goal, not a description

Why would you want steel studs? Do you live in Hawaii where termites are
a
significant problem?

Weight. Wood studs are much heavier than steel.

I'm converting a semi trailer to an RV. I plan to use 2x3 metal studs
to frame walls inside of the regular trailer walls. I can then add wiring
and insulation easily. the cabinets will hang on these walls.

Brian Elfert

Brian, Very interesting project. For RV use, I would consider using smaller
studs, say 2" x 2". And where loads exist for cabinets and fixtures, I
would inlay some plywood or 1" x 4"s for securing the cabinets.
All screws eventually work loose in RVs. I would also consider not using
drywall behind the cabinets and use 1/4" plywood instead. This way you will
save a considerable amount of weight and be able to secure the cabinets
using a French cleat system. (French cleat - a board ripped in half at 45
deg. One half of the cleat attached to the wall and the other mating half
attached to the cabinet.)

Dave



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
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I think metal studs are only designed to carry a vertical load, by attaching
the plywood , you are spreading that load out over a 4' by 8' span

--
Be cool,
Longshot

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 17:39:36 GMT, "Leon"
wrote:


"Wes Stewart" wrote in message
news

Why? If the cabinets have backs, and are screwed to the studs, why is
this less reliable than screwing a piece of plywood to the same studs?

Because the studs are only about 1/16" thick. The screw could easily be
pulled back out compared to being screwed in to 2 or 3" of wood.

Where did this "2 or 3" of wood" suddenly come from?

I was commenting on the comment that said that "plywood" would be an
improvement. But this very same plywood screws into the very same
studs, so I fail to see an advantage.

Now if you're suggesting a 2 x 3 stud inside the metal studs for a
backup "nailer" then we are on the same page. That's what I would do.
Pretty much like is sometimes done for door and window openings.

In article , "longshot" wrote:
I think metal studs are only designed to carry a vertical load, by attaching
the plywood , you are spreading that load out over a 4' by 8' span

And using more screws to attach it. While the weight of a cabinet might be
enough to pull four screws out of the metal studs, it will not pull four
properly-sized screws out of plywood, nor will it be enough to pull out, say,
two dozen screws holding the plywood to the studs. (Numbers picked out of the
air to illustrate the point. Direct relationship to reality should not be
assumed.)

--
Regards,
Doug Miller (alphageek at milmac dot com)

Nobody ever left footprints in the sands of time by sitting on his butt.
And who wants to leave buttprints in the sands of time?

"Teamcasa" writes:

Brian, Very interesting project. For RV use, I would consider using smaller
studs, say 2" x 2". And where loads exist for cabinets and fixtures, I

2x2s would probably work as that is what wood framed RVs are generally
built from. The only reason for thicker studs would be for insulation.
They make special electrical boxes for RVs that fit in a 2x2 wall.

would inlay some plywood or 1" x 4"s for securing the cabinets.
All screws eventually work loose in RVs. I would also consider not using
drywall behind the cabinets and use 1/4" plywood instead. This way you will

Someone else mentioned drywall. I didn't mention drywall and have plans
to use it. 1/4" plywood covered with something is what I am planning to
use. I'm not sure if 1/4" plywood will really hold up cabinets.

Brian Elfert

"Leon" writes:

Considering the weight of a semi trailer, do you think that wood studs would
make a noticeable difference considering every thing else that will go into
the trailer. Is 14,600 pounds going to be much worse than 14,000 pounds?

I'm not sure I want to go with metal studs yet. I figured I needed to be
sure I could attach my cabinets before choosing metal or wood studs.

Wood studs would be less expensive but heavier.

Brian Elfert

Brian,

I am a carpenter and was doing the exact same thing at Montreal's City Hall.
We were building a new kitchen for the blue collar works and commercial code
states that metal studs are to be used because of fire code. So here is what
I did. Metal studs are in a shape of a U and always face the same direction.
Where you plan to put your cabinets, you need to add a piece of stud about
12" long in the opposite direction. So that the 12" stud will face the 8'
stud(the U's will face eachother). Since the studs are 16" on center...you
can cut a piece of 3/4" plywood 12"x15-1/2". Use 3/4" drywll screws. Do not
use the self-tapping kind(silver). They will just burn the wood and will
spin. But since you are turning a semi to an RV...if it will be on the road,
I would use 2"x6" pine instead of plywood between the studs. It's cheap and
it will hold your cabinets without a glitch.

Good luck,

Patrick

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
"Teamcasa" writes:

Brian, Very interesting project. For RV use, I would consider using
smaller
studs, say 2" x 2". And where loads exist for cabinets and fixtures, I

2x2s would probably work as that is what wood framed RVs are generally
built from. The only reason for thicker studs would be for insulation.
They make special electrical boxes for RVs that fit in a 2x2 wall.

would inlay some plywood or 1" x 4"s for securing the cabinets.
All screws eventually work loose in RVs. I would also consider not using
drywall behind the cabinets and use 1/4" plywood instead. This way you
will

Someone else mentioned drywall. I didn't mention drywall and have plans
to use it. 1/4" plywood covered with something is what I am planning to
use. I'm not sure if 1/4" plywood will really hold up cabinets.

Brian Elfert

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
"Teamcasa" writes:

Brian, Very interesting project. For RV use, I would consider using
smaller
studs, say 2" x 2". And where loads exist for cabinets and fixtures, I

2x2s would probably work as that is what wood framed RVs are generally
built from. The only reason for thicker studs would be for insulation.
They make special electrical boxes for RVs that fit in a 2x2 wall.

would inlay some plywood or 1" x 4"s for securing the cabinets.
All screws eventually work loose in RVs. I would also consider not using
drywall behind the cabinets and use 1/4" plywood instead. This way you
will

Someone else mentioned drywall. I didn't mention drywall and have plans
to use it. 1/4" plywood covered with something is what I am planning to
use. I'm not sure if 1/4" plywood will really hold up cabinets.


You're thinking of drywall, and you won't use wooden studs because of the
weight?

This does not compute.

"George" george@least writes:

Someone else mentioned drywall. I didn't mention drywall and have plans
to use it. 1/4" plywood covered with something is what I am planning to
use. I'm not sure if 1/4" plywood will really hold up cabinets.


You're thinking of drywall, and you won't use wooden studs because of the
weight?

This does not compute.


Opps. Should say I have NO plans to use drywall.

Brian Elfert

What we do for commercial jobs is have the GC provide 6"
wide heavy gage (gauge David) coil stock wherever we need in
wall blocking. This is screwed directly to the face of the
stud.. You could also use horizontal steel studs bay making
screw tabs on the ends.

Personally I like 2 X 6's. If your studs are 16" on center
cut the 2X material to 15 7/8"(ish) and notch (dado) the
face of one end to clear the break (wrap) in the steel
studs. Working from the notched end face screw the 2X in
place through the stud and into the face of the 2X. Screw
the other end through the stud and into the end of the 2X.

It's as easy as eating pie.

UA100

The short answer is No, you can't just screw to the metal studs.
They're just too thin to provide much pull-out resistance.
However, with some wood blocking, this is standard construction for
office and schools. Both of these environments put much greater loads
and abuse on wall hung cabinets than you ever will. As one of the
previous replys stated, use a reversed piece of stud and wood blocking,
typically either plywood or 2X6. Cut a groove at each end on the face
to fit the little lip on the studs (the part that makes it a 'C' instead
of a 'U' shape) so the blocking fits up tight to the stud and doesn't
distort it. Screw through the metal stud into the blocking to secure
it. With plywood, screw on the face, with 2X6 you can screw through the
ends. If you have a lot to do, your local lumber can mill these up by
the pallet load for you. Put blocking continuously at the top and
bottom of the cabinets; you and your SWMBO could both hang on them and
they'll never come loose.

Brian Elfert wrote:
I am building some cabinets to be hung from as yet unbuilt wall.

I want to build the wall from 25 or 26 gauge steel studs (whatever they
sell at Home Depot/Menards) instead of woood studs.

Will screwing the cabinets into the metal studs be enough support?

Brian Elfert

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
I am building some cabinets to be hung from as yet unbuilt wall.

I want to build the wall from 25 or 26 gauge steel studs (whatever they
sell at Home Depot/Menards) instead of woood studs.

Will screwing the cabinets into the metal studs be enough support?

Brian Elfert

I would add some 2x4 backing to the inside of the metal stud where the
cabinets will hang. Then when you hang the cabinets the screws will go
through the stud, into the 2x4's.
Greg

Awesome!
Show us some pictures when finished.
Putting some wood in the studs where cabinets will be makes sense.
Wilson

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
"Teamcasa" writes:

As others have said, no unless plywood is added where the cabinets are to
hang.
Why would you want steel studs? Do you live in Hawaii where termites are
a
significant problem?

Weight. Wood studs are much heavier than steel.

I'm converting a semi trailer to an RV. I plan to use 2x3 metal studs
to frame walls inside of the regular trailer walls. I can then add wiring
and insulation easily. the cabinets will hang on these walls.

Brian Elfert

"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
Leon wrote:

"Wes Stewart" wrote in message
news

Why? If the cabinets have backs, and are screwed to the studs, why is
this less reliable than screwing a piece of plywood to the same studs?

Because the studs are only about 1/16" thick. The screw could easily be
pulled back out compared to being screwed in to 2 or 3" of wood.

What's the plywood attached to?

The plywood is on the back side of the front face of the stud. The screws
that hold the plywood go through the steel first and then into the plywood.

"Wes Stewart" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 17:39:36 GMT, "Leon"

I was commenting on the comment that said that "plywood" would be an
improvement. But this very same plywood screws into the very same
studs, so I fail to see an advantage.

OK, steel studs are 3 sided. Think of the letter C. The Plywood is attached
behind the front face of the steel stud. The screw goes through the front
face of the steel stud and then into the plywood. The screw has the
thickness of the plywood to get its holding power. If the screw simply went
through the steel stud it would strip and pull out of the stud. Then the
cavbinet screws are screwed into the plywood.

Yep. Done about a zillion linear feet of blocking that way (at least
it seems that much. Blocking is _boring_ work). Not only can you
drive a screw anywhere you want, but you know the screw won't pull out.
And, the load is distributed along the whole wall. Also, scrap 2x or
3/4 ply is abundant in pieces 15 7/8" long.

Regarding an earlier post, I think maybe the french cleat idea is maybe
not so good, seeing as how the RV will be going over bumps and whatnot.

Hope it helps.

-Phil Crow

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 02:06:49 GMT, "Leon"
wrote:


"Wes Stewart" wrote in message
.. .
On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 17:39:36 GMT, "Leon"

I was commenting on the comment that said that "plywood" would be an
improvement. But this very same plywood screws into the very same
studs, so I fail to see an advantage.

OK, steel studs are 3 sided. Think of the letter C. The Plywood is attached
behind the front face of the steel stud. The screw goes through the front
face of the steel stud and then into the plywood. The screw has the
thickness of the plywood to get its holding power. If the screw simply went
through the steel stud it would strip and pull out of the stud. Then the
cavbinet screws are screwed into the plywood.

Gotcha

lgb wrote:

In article ,
says...


Considering the weight of a semi trailer, do you think that wood studs
would make a noticeable difference considering every thing else that will
go into
the trailer. Is 14,600 pounds going to be much worse than 14,000 pounds?

How about wood studs only where the cabinets need to screw in?

When in doubt,
Build it stout!


I think steel is stronger, isn't it? when I worked Demo for a summer, the
steel walls where a lot harder to tear down. just one steel stud will flex
and bend etc. be get two or more secured and there very secure, could be
wrong, just what I remebered

Richard Clements writes:

I think steel is stronger, isn't it? when I worked Demo for a summer, the
steel walls where a lot harder to tear down. just one steel stud will flex
and bend etc. be get two or more secured and there very secure, could be
wrong, just what I remebered

I can't imagine steel studs are stronger than wood unless you get into 20
gauge or heavier. Do they even make load bearing walls from steel studs
like they do with wood studs?

The fact that steel studs flex so bad is probably a sign that the studs
are not very strong.

I don't need strong walls for my RV. I just need walls that can hold
wiring and insulation along with holding up cabinets.

Brian Elfert

Brian Elfert wrote:
Richard Clements writes:


I think steel is stronger, isn't it? when I worked Demo for a summer, the
steel walls where a lot harder to tear down. just one steel stud will flex
and bend etc. be get two or more secured and there very secure, could be
wrong, just what I remebered


I can't imagine steel studs are stronger than wood unless you get into 20
gauge or heavier. Do they even make load bearing walls from steel studs
like they do with wood studs?

The fact that steel studs flex so bad is probably a sign that the studs
are not very strong.

I don't need strong walls for my RV. I just need walls that can hold
wiring and insulation along with holding up cabinets.

Your solution has already been posted, Brian. Take your choice:
Transition to wood studs where the cabinets will be hung or, and this I
think is the winner, use the 2"x6" notched to backup the steel studs.

As for the strength, the metal studs which I've seen installed used
construction adhesive AND screws to fasten the wallboard. Think torsion
box when that job's done. The weak point is sticking those screws
through that thin piece of metal and then subjecting it to the weight of
the cabinet trying to pull it out. If it was merely the shear force of
the cabinet trying to reach the floor you'd probably be okay but load
that cabinet up and have a door that swings wide, etc. and you introduce
other forces on that fastener which the steel stud may not hold all that
well.

Just out of curiosity, how big is this semi-trailer RV going to be?
contain? You just going to haul it some place (hunting area) and park it
or actually travel around pulling it with a tractor?

As others have said, it's an interesting project. Hopefully you'll post
some pictures as it progresses

On Fri, 25 Mar 2005 05:18:59 GMT, Unquestionably Confused
scribbled:

Brian Elfert wrote:
snip
I don't need strong walls for my RV. I just need walls that can hold
wiring and insulation along with holding up cabinets.

Your solution has already been posted, Brian. Take your choice:
Transition to wood studs where the cabinets will be hung or, and this I
think is the winner, use the 2"x6" notched to backup the steel studs.

As for the strength, the metal studs which I've seen installed used
construction adhesive AND screws to fasten the wallboard. Think torsion
box when that job's done.

Brian, the mention of torsion boxes gave me an idea that you might
consider. When I was rebuilding the front of my camper I ended up
creating a torsion box for the floor. (see:
http://groups.google.ca/groups?hl=en...jacq%404ax.com

Essentially milled 1"X1" (real dimension, not 3/4") cedar on 1-foot
squares grid with 1/8" plywood glued on each side. It is more than
sufficient to hold up my weight (250lb) on a 4'X7' floor.

I don't know what the shear strength would be of this kind of
construction, but note that the cupboards on my camper (late 70's) are
screwed into a wall made with 3/4" lumber and they haven't moved
despite having been used mostly on very rough Yukon backroads. I'll
let you do the weight calculations to compare it with steel studs. You
might have to make the wall thicker for the lecktrical stuff.

Just an idea, but it brings the whole thing back to wooddorking.

Luigi
Replace "nonet" with "yukonomics" for real email address
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/humour.html
www.yukonomics.ca/wooddorking/antifaq.html

"Brian Elfert" wrote in message
...
Richard Clements writes:

Snip

I can't imagine steel studs are stronger than wood unless you get into 20
gauge or heavier. Do they even make load bearing walls from steel studs
like they do with wood studs?

Absolutely, Builders in Houston use them to build houses.


The fact that steel studs flex so bad is probably a sign that the studs
are not very strong.

Like 2x4 studs, they need a covering like dry wall to become rigid.

On 24 Mar 2005 18:10:22 -0800, the inscrutable
spake:

Yep. Done about a zillion linear feet of blocking that way (at least
it seems that much. Blocking is _boring_ work). Not only can you
drive a screw anywhere you want, but you know the screw won't pull out.
And, the load is distributed along the whole wall. Also, scrap 2x or
3/4 ply is abundant in pieces 15 7/8" long.

Regarding an earlier post, I think maybe the french cleat idea is maybe
not so good, seeing as how the RV will be going over bumps and whatnot.

Simple fix: Use upper and lower sets of cleats and affix with screws
through the backs (into the bottom cleats) to hold them in place.


================================================== ======
TANSTAAFL: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
http://diversify.com Gourmet Web Applications
==========================

Larry Jaques wrote:
On 24 Mar 2005 18:10:22 -0800, the inscrutable
spake:
not so good, seeing as how the RV will be going over bumps and
whatnot.

Simple fix: Use upper and lower sets of cleats and affix with screws
through the backs (into the bottom cleats) to hold them in place.


================================================== ======
TANSTAAFL: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
http://diversify.com Gourmet Web Applications
==========================

ah HAH! So _that's_ why we keep you around! g

-Phil Crow

On Thu, 24 Mar 2005 16:59:00 -0000, Brian Elfert
wrote:

"Teamcasa" writes:

As others have said, no unless plywood is added where the cabinets are to
hang.
Why would you want steel studs? Do you live in Hawaii where termites are a
significant problem?

Weight. Wood studs are much heavier than steel.

I'm converting a semi trailer to an RV. I plan to use 2x3 metal studs
to frame walls inside of the regular trailer walls. I can then add wiring
and insulation easily. the cabinets will hang on these walls.

Brian Elfert


consider using plywood instead of drywall for the sheet goods over the
studs. you'll save weight and add both strength and stiffness to the
structure. then you can get an attachment you can count on for the
cabinetry.

build the cabinets as light as you can. lauan ply is light for it's
strength, comes with a surface that is smooth enough for laminate but
will likely need some prep before paint.

On 25 Mar 2005 08:14:06 -0800, the inscrutable
spake:


Larry Jaques wrote:
On 24 Mar 2005 18:10:22 -0800, the inscrutable
spake:
not so good, seeing as how the RV will be going over bumps and
whatnot.

Simple fix: Use upper and lower sets of cleats and affix with screws
through the backs (into the bottom cleats) to hold them in place.

ah HAH! So _that's_ why we keep you around! g

2nd alternative: Use french cleats upside down on the bottom row
so they make dovetails, then slide on the cabinets!

Send money, not praise.


================================================== ======
TANSTAAFL: There ain't no such thing as a free lunch.
http://diversify.com Gourmet Web Applications
==========================

Ba r r y writes:

Steel studs are common in commercial construction. I haven't seen a
wood stud in a phone building for at least 15-20 years, regardless if
the wall carries a load. Lots of these walls have counters, cabinets,
etc... mounted to them. A lot of this stuff is installed as an
afterthought, so the wall was not specially designed to carry the
load.

I'm guessing commercial construction uses 20 gauge metal studs for load
bearing walls, not the 25 gauge metal studs they sell at all the home
improvement centers.

I was thinking about the 25 gauge studs when I was questioning if any used
them for load bearing walls.

Brian Elfert

Ba r r y writes:

Steel studs are common in commercial construction. I haven't seen a
wood stud in a phone building for at least 15-20 years, regardless if
the wall carries a load. Lots of these walls have counters, cabinets,
etc... mounted to them. A lot of this stuff is installed as an
afterthought, so the wall was not specially designed to carry the
load.

I did some web searching on this a while back, and found a number
of people who claimed to be hanging cabinets from steelstuds with
no problems (I don't know what guage of steel they were using).

I assume the success rate would vary with the amount of weight
and the number of screws (and whether you're using screws
designed for steel studs). It seems to me there should be some
kind of rule of thumb for weight-per-screw. The screws seem to
grip pretty well.

Another possible strategy is to arrange things so that something
else takes the weight, and the studs just hold it upright.

The OP said his walls weren't up yet, so I'd certainly add wood
blocking wherever it might come in handy. For an RV, you also
have to consider dynamic loads. I like the idea of a french
cleat, with a peg that has to be removed before you can lift the
cabinet off the cleat.

"Ron Bean" wrote in message
...

Ba r r y writes:

Steel studs are common in commercial construction. I haven't seen a
wood stud in a phone building for at least 15-20 years, regardless if
the wall carries a load. Lots of these walls have counters, cabinets,
etc... mounted to them. A lot of this stuff is installed as an
afterthought, so the wall was not specially designed to carry the
load.

I did some web searching on this a while back, and found a number
of people who claimed to be hanging cabinets from steelstuds with
no problems (I don't know what guage of steel they were using).

I assume the success rate would vary with the amount of weight
and the number of screws (and whether you're using screws
designed for steel studs). It seems to me there should be some
kind of rule of thumb for weight-per-screw. The screws seem to
grip pretty well.

Another possible strategy is to arrange things so that something
else takes the weight, and the studs just hold it upright.

The OP said his walls weren't up yet, so I'd certainly add wood
blocking wherever it might come in handy. For an RV, you also
have to consider dynamic loads. I like the idea of a french
cleat, with a peg that has to be removed before you can lift the
cabinet off the cleat.

2x blocking is installed between the studs at the proper heights to act as
*nailers* for the wall cabinets to be screwed to.
Believe it or not the drywall adds a lot to the stability of the steel stud
wall. Without the drywall you can grab ahold of the studs and twist them
every which way, but once the drywall has been screwed on it acts like a
drum head, tightens right up. My next house will be built with steel studs
because I like the consistency of the sizing and continuity of the quality.
Those two things are not possible with wood studs.