We are about to start our build of a Sprinter. Specific to the wall panelling we are planning on gluing ⅛" closed cell foam to the plywood panel followed by gluing a Marathon Tweed fabric to the foam. After the panels are completed we plan to rivet the panel to the van wall ribs using large head aluminum rivets. There is no real load on the wall panels and while we were originally planning on using a ¼" plywood but am wondering if ⅛" plywood would be better considering the weight savings. Has anyone used ⅛" plywood for their wall panels and if so, how did they work out?
IMO I would use 1/8, lighter and easier to bend and work with.
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Greetings!
I would do double layer of panel with foam sandwiched in between.
Cheers!
"Be the reason someone smiles today!" ~ Van_Dweller
Do they even make 1/8" ply? I would stick with the half inch. It’s not that much extra weight when it’s all said and done. It will provide peace of mind that someone won’t accidentally punch a hole through it. 1/2" will give you the ability to hang things if you need too and retain use of the space as opposed to simply a blank wall.
⅛" is readily available in 4’x8’ sheets and can be selected to either bend longitudinal or laterally. ½" would be 4 times the weight of ⅛". After visiting a local specialty plywood vendor I learned that the product the RV manufactures use is actually 5.5mm thick and sells for approx $30/sht (CAN$) … so likely what I’ll go with.
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Hi all, I am doing my E350 Ford van up now, after I installed the ribs I installed ridged foam then I used 1/4 inch wall paneling with a gray wood finish, this paneling is about the same weight as the plywood, but has a finished face, I screwed it to the ribs, using a screw that has a washer built-in to it, so if ever I wanted to open the wall in the future I could, I also had a high top installed so I could stand up in the van. the 1/4 inch bent fine, oh I am a wood worker/cabinet maker by trade
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We used white Expanded PVC 1/4".
-Very light.
-Impervious to moisture or water
-Super flexible for ceiling and bends.
-Maintenance free/ easy clean up
-Long life material.
We covered the rear doors with it and there is no worries with sudden rain.
My 2 cents
Did you used PVC on all your walls or only the rear doors? How did you attached to the van? Wood or more PVC? How about cabinets? How do you attached these, if any? Thank you in advance