The New Travel Machine – Report #5
Partition: I finally have a frame for my partition. Lewis Metal Works fabricated it for me using 1×1 and 1×2 (3/16″ wall) square aluminum tubing and provided two 2×2 aluminum angles for securing the frame just below the header panel. They did a great job and got it done in a very timely manner.
Aluminum Partition Frame
I was thrilled to see that it dropped right into place along the floor and was the perfect width at the junction of the wooden panels and the factory headliner. They utilized a drawing I provided and it was built exactly as I had envisioned. I must have measured everything a dozen times just to make sure it was on the mark.
Aluminum Partition Frame
The surface of the frame was not uniform as they had ground it here and there so it was scuffed up a bit. I experimented with buffing, sanding, steel wool, as well as both orbital and dual-action sanders. In the end, I liked the matte-type texture of the orbital sander with 80-120 grit the best. If you polish the aluminum it will show every fingerprint and maintenance will be ongoing.
Header Panel Installed
My custom header panel is made out of the cabinet-grade 3/4″ maple plywood and will be finish sanded and coated with some clear semi-gloss Minwax polyurethane. The header panel is secured to the frame with 1″ Stainless Steel allen-head 1/4-20 screws and large fender washers. It was no easy task to create the template for that panel as it had to follow the curvy profile of the headliner and the roof-mounted AC unit.
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The main panel is just some standard 3/4″ sanded pine plywood. It will cover about 2/3 of the partition frame and will be secured using the same Stainless Steel allen-head 1/4-20 screws and fender washers. Getting that one side to perfectly match the interior curve of the Sprinter was fairly easy with the cardboard templates I made 4-5 weeks ago.
Main Panel
Realizing that the main panels will take some abuse, I’ve decided to not apply stain or poly. We got some Olympic deck coating paint in a Phoenix Gray color that will dry with a slightly abrasive texture. I used the same stuff on the 4×8 sheet I have on the floor in the cargo area where I attached my wheel chocks. It has held up really well and cleans up nicely.
Now working on cutting the door panel and getting it to match up to all the curves along that side. Not yet sure if I’m going to secure it the same way or utilize some sort of long hinge and have it swing forward into the passenger area. Initially, I’ll probably just have it sitting in place with 3-4 screws fastening it to the frame. It will be coated with the Olympic deck coating as well.
It is going to take some time to get this little project finished up as the weather is turning colder here in Kentucky and the conditions aren’t ideal for applying poly or paint. According to the instructions, the Olympic coating needs to be applied at temperatures above 50°. My garage is insulated and has a single heater vent but I suspect that it dips below that temperature on the coldest evenings. Stay tuned for another update in the next couple weeks.
See you on the trail!
