Melamine faced ply

[Melinda_dd]

Hi all

Looking for lightweight ply melamine faced with wood grains boards
Anyone know the cheapest place.... inc delivery To essex

Ive found magnum motorhomes but delivery is a bit price

 

[Melinda_dd]

I'll try a different approach

I'm going to construct the interior on my campervan myself and want to use something that looks like wood but needs to be light, available in larger boards,and be melamine faced wood grain look like. ... and not overly pricey. ........
Any ideas anyone as to
what to use?
Where to get it from?
How to join... biscuits, those platic blocks, metal angle brackets?

 

[nev]

Thinking outside the box :wink:
Recycle a crashed caravan! just google caravan salvage somewhere near you.
My neighbour builds landrover campers (usually defenders but i found pics of his disco) and find that its a good source for cabinets etc. cheaper than building your own

 

[No skills]

We use a caravan type board in our conversions but the boss hides the invoices so I cant see where he gets them from :evil:

Megaply is a name that used to be on the pallets. If you find a supplier would you (please) post up the details for me.

Could you use 3mm birch ply and stain/varnish it for non-water contact areas and maybe laminate on some 2mm pvc on for 'wet' areas.
For board joints (edge to edge) we use a H section plastic strip.

Don't know how the average camper van is built inside but have seen the insides of some old caravans and they have had very light weight stud frames for walls.

HTH

 

[No skills]

Oh btw last caravan I stayed in, all the furniture was pocket screwed or furniture blocks.

 

[Melinda_dd]

Not had much luck no skills.
Found a post somewhere saying melamine contiboard has improved from back in the day and is ok to use.
Can find that but not melamine light weight ply.

 

[Graham Orm]

Do your own??? The uPVC industry uses 8 x 4 sheets of wood-grain finished board for use as door panels in varying thicknesses. It comes in various combinations of ply & polystyrene laminations varying from all polystyrene to all ply (28mm thick). Find a manufacturer of door panels near you, there will be plenty. You could buy the made up sheets or just the wood grain skins and glue your own up. You could always try caravan manufacturers.

If you do make your own don't forget the 'do both sides' rule to avoid warping.

 

[DTTech]

Vohringer ply.

Its expensive but its strength to weigh tis superb. It looks great. Depnds on your budget. Lots of campers have Ikea units cut down to fit and they look good too.
What camper are you building?

 

[Melinda_dd]

I have a type 2 bay window vw.
Shes a californian import she was a transporter... just had seats but the po put a very temp set up in the back

Im aiming for something like this but with a few draws as well.
The facia I want to be all in 1... no joins hence I want boards.
The ikea route would be easier but.... just wouldn't be right

I don't think I want the big cupboard at the end either

 

[DTTech]

I have a type 2 bay window vw.
Shes a californian import she was a transporter... just had seats but the po put a very temp set up in the back

Im aiming for something like this but with a few draws as well.
The facia I want to be all in 1... no joins hence I want boards.
The ikea route would be easier but.... just wouldn't be right

I don't think I want the big cupboard at the end either

Nice bus - is worth spending a bit of money and getting it right. I'd love a bay or splitty as a project. Plenty of shows coming up to go shopping at and there are so many websites dedicated to dubs to draw inspiration and ideas from. I like your thoughts about not having the wardrobe, it'll look so much bigger in there but you will have to be tidy. I went the othr way, i built a low level cupboard with cushioned seats on top - when the rnr bed comes out we have a giant bed + loads of storage below. It does mean we dont have the sink or hob in side but i dont mind cooking alfresco

 

[Melinda_dd]

I like the idea of a sink and a cooker however the electric side of it scares me so many go for a hand pump sink. Im looking forward to getting started on her when we move .... had no garage here to build in... just a 6x4 shed.

This is my gal... she has a rare factory fitted full sliding sunroof too

 

[longinthetooth]

Are you dead set on the melamine facings? I'm fond of birch ply with a coat of osmo polyx or w-h-y. It used to be available in 1500mm x 3000mm I seem to remember. As well as 1500 x 1500 and the common 1200 x 2400. You can use 4mm material laminated both sides onto a simple core frame of pine to save weight. The core frame's like a grid. Pretty stiff and the pine takes fixings well (screws, hinges). I reckon you'll need to bracket the carcasses to the metal van structure or it might be an illegal loose load?

The birch has a light honey glow to it as the morning light filters through the window blinds. The hob unit in the photo is made as described above. The folding bed / seat is solid ply. The demountable table is solid maple.

Water often goes in the tall cupboard you don't want. Mine's under the hob with a Whale hand pump to the sink. You can see the water level in the aperture I cut in the ply. (The van is a T25).

 

[Melinda_dd]

I am dead set. I want to be able to get the matching t trims etc for the edges of doors and draws
I've found light oak contiboard locally in 8ftx3ft sheets For £30... I may have to go with that as free delivery too

How do you find the hand pump. .. any good?

 

[longinthetooth]

Hand pump's great, I've used it for years. I hate whirring things. You just waggle the handle!

I can park up somewhere off-grid for a week without a leisure battery, just the normal van one, and the only power needed is for a long led interior ceiling light, and to charge phone & camera as necessary.

 

[Melinda_dd]

I just think the more wiring and electrical things.... the more that can go wrong!

I do like the removable tables though might go for one myself

 

[Sailormantom]

Hi Melinda
I know you are dead set on melamine but can I put in another bid for birch ply. My daughter got married at the weekend and they had a (hired) camper as the wedding car which was furnished in ply with the edges left uncapped and just sealed with something hardwearing. It looked really classy, like expensive modern furniture, rather than something from Ikea or mfi.
Good luck with the project.

Cheers, Tom.

 

[No skills]

Not had much luck no skills.
Found a post somewhere saying melamine contiboard has improved from back in the day and is ok to use.
Can find that but not melamine light weight ply.

Hi Melinda, that's a shame. If you are going for melamine chipboard (MFC) make sure it isn't regularly splashed/soaked or is at least protected/sealed at all edges. The older toilet blocks we use that were brought in from Alsim use MFC for the walls and after a few years they start to blow in the areas that see a lot of water :roll: Ironicly the new ones delivered last week are now using the ply wallboards.

Quite why we buy them in when we build better ones ourselves I don't know #-o #-o #-o

Anyways, I assume you looked at ebay for the wallboards as well (?), if not there are a couple of suppliers on there with a limited selection - try not too pay more that 10-12 per sheet.

FWIW

 

[shipbadger]

Melinda,

Have you looked at www.sbmcc.co.uk the self build motor caravan club, the equivalent for self builders as this site is for woodworkers.

Tony Comber

 

[Lons]

Hi Melinda

Just going back to the caravan subject.
Most of the large dealers have workshop repair facilities or can point you towards one. They need often to replace panels and buy them in from the manufacturers so might be prepared to give you a price.

Bob