[rmd1]

Has anyone made their own table to swing down from the rear door?
If so how did they make it and what materials will I need it will be going in a 96 v6 lwb
Just looking for some ideas and inspiration

[frak]

Well mine was done by prvious owner (90s vitara lwb)

It was made using that thin manufactured wood covered in thin textured aluminium.

Two pieces with a hinge. One piece screwed into the standard mounts for the factory plastic cover. Nylon string to hold the shelf at 90 degrees when in the open position.

Looked good when i bought the car but must say i have never actually used it.

[fordem]

1/2" ply, hinges, chain/nylon/cable to act as stays, screws & nuts (or nutserts), some sort of latch to hold it in the up position - if you're going to cook on it, I'd get some thin sheet metal to go over the shelf and behind it to protect the door.

[30ONA]

Google, there are heaps.

[Gwagensteve]

I would use Alucobond. lighter than comparable thickness alloy, slightly more acoustically damped, easier to work. Thinner than ply of comparable rigidity and more weather resistant.

Not as flame retardant as pure alloy, but better than ply.

I reckon Alucobond is a highly under-used material for vehicles. It's so nice to work with. I used to get hold of it from a mate who did high-rise windows. Things like interior panels and with

[fordem]

We're now starting to see Alucobond here, it's been used on two buildings that have been put up in the last two years, so not widely available just yet, and no way for me to get large enough off cuts.

[Gwagensteve]

Personally, I think it's a terrible building material - doesn't last, has limited possibilities for curves etc an theres the question over fire retardancy.

It's been used extensively locally, and the oldest buildings clad in it are starting to look tatty. It's something of a godsend for cynical developers tarting up old buildings with (typically) concrete facias - glue some alucobond on - BAM - instant shiny new building.

Thats doesn't meant it's going away or that it's not a useful material for our vehicles though.

[rmd1]

I was thinking about designs for the table and decided to postpone in favour of a full length roof basket (not really a basket, more a platform) to bolt to my roof racks.
Got it all planned out just need the materials

[fordem]

Gwagensteve wrote:

Personally, I think it's a terrible building material - doesn't last, has limited possibilities for curves etc an theres the question over fire retardancy.

The building I saw it used on here was brand new and had the alucobond fitted to a frame mounted two or three inches from the concrete, and to my mind, the fire issue is not one of retardancy or lack thereof - the gap between the building and the alucobond has the potential to act as a chimney and create a draft that gets the fire going.

[Gwagensteve]

This is normal practice.