Anybody just use the factory wall panels? - Sprinter-Source.com

With the arrival of our new van we have to now think about the interior build!!

We know sound deadener and insulation is a must, but we were thinking about just reusing the factory panels that came with our van. Either just leaving them as-is, or possibly wrapping them in fabric.

We don't mine seeing the painted metal inside and we wouldn't have to source or make new panels.

I searched the forum but didn't see anything about using the factory panels.

Has anyone done this? Any thoughts about it?

Thanks!

I am so glad you asked that. Just today I told my wife I didn't see any reason why I couldn't just add 1/8 foam padding and a nice cloth over that and glue the edges down on the back. I will need to cut out a couple of missing pieces. And who cares if it has buttons showing.

Gene

Good!! Yes, we were sitting drinking coffees and wondering "why not?"

The foam and fabric material and install labor represent the bulk of the time and cost. The added expense and time to trace and cut a sturdier luan panel is minimal.

Having used luan plywood before, there is absolutely no way that stuff is sturdier than the OEM plastic/composite panels.

The OEM panels have some give to them if pressed or leaned on, but they will not break or puncture like 1/4" luan plywood will.

Maybe flooring underlayment grade 1/4" plywood is more of an equal to the OEM composite panels, but at a significant upcharge over the 1/4" luan.

Having used luan plywood before, there is absolutely no way that stuff is sturdier than the OEM plastic/composite panels.



The OEM panels have some give to them if pressed or leaned on, but they will not break or puncture like 1/4" luan plywood will.



Maybe flooring underlayment grade 1/4" plywood is more of an equal to the OEM composite panels, but at a significant upcharge over the 1/4" luan.

Different vans may come with different quality panels The OEM panels on my crew van vary in composition and durability. The rear panels on the crew are made of corrugated plastic and are good quality rigid panels. The slider door panel and the one opposite it on my crew are both made of 1/8” hardboard wrapped with an embossed plastic sheet. A bit flimsy in my opinion.

Many on this forum have successfully used 1/8” ply (0.105 actual). I chose to use the 0.196” tri-ply underlayment at $14 for a 4x8 sheet at Home Depot for added stiffness.

If the OP is going to the trouble of wrapping the panels with 1/8” foam and a good quality fabric then I believe the added cost and time of the panel is negligible. Cutting your own panels also can provide a better/custom fit compared to the OEM panels. I used the lower panels in my crew van build and am fine with their look and performance. I did add weather stripping around the surface / contact points to avoid any panel rattle. I think that helped. I also put thinsulate behind them. During my build and during modifications of my build, those factory lower panels and retaining the headliner paid off in terms of ease of upgrades / fixes. Not sure if that is important or not to most, but it was nice to be able to quickly access a portion of the walls without removing my bedrails which go through the upper panels I built out of 1/4" wood covered with fabric.

Different vans may come with different quality panels The OEM panels on my crew van vary in composition and durability. The rear panels on the crew are made of corrugated plastic and are good quality rigid panels. The slider door panel and the one opposite it on my crew are both made of 1/8” hardboard wrapped with an embossed plastic sheet. A bit flimsy in my opinion.

Many on this forum have successfully used 1/8” ply (0.105 actual). I chose to use the 0.196” tri-ply underlayment at $14 for a 4x8 sheet at Home Depot for added stiffness.

If the OP is going to the trouble of wrapping the panels with 1/8” foam and a good quality fabric then I believe the added cost and time of the panel is negligible. Cutting your own panels also can provide a better/custom fit compared to the OEM panels.

The hardest part about building custom panels is making the pattern for the plywood and by using the OEM panels as the pattern, you avoid that ordeal. I wish I had had OEM panels to trace in making my panels! I used 5mm plywood from Lowe's that was sturdier than the typical lauan plywood and applied 1/8" foam and automotive upholstery fabric to it. The other thing about using the OEM panels as a pattern and making replacement panels from them is that you may not get things exactly right the first time and may want to relocate lights, power outlets and other utility functions after living with them for a while.

The hardest part about building custom panels is making the pattern for the plywood and by using the OEM panels as the pattern, you avoid that ordeal. I wish I had had OEM panels to trace in making my panels! I used 5mm plywood from Lowe's that was sturdier than the typical lauan plywood and applied 1/8" foam and automotive upholstery fabric to it. The other thing about using the OEM panels as a pattern and making replacement panels from them is that you may not get things exactly right the first time and may want to relocate lights, power outlets and other utility functions after living with them for a while.

We have the lower panels and since I work for Mercedes I was just going to look up in EPC and see what the upper panels would run us and order them. OR....keep my eyes out for some on Craigslist or the "For Sale" section here!

We have the lower panels and since I work for Mercedes I was just going to look up in EPC and see what the upper panels would run us and order them. OR....keep my eyes out for some on Craigslist or the "For Sale" section here!

I was going to order the upper panels to match but I think the cost (~$100 per) made me look at 1/4” ply. So that’s what I used for the upper portions.