series stainless steel door panels

[zebrarover]

I'm trying to get an order up for stainless steel door panels for the inside of my series 88 doors to replace the old cardboard/vinyl covered ones. A member of the D-90 (Len Bruffett) forum is making them for defenders and can modify the pattern for series trucks. The price ranges from 300-325 per pair of 18 gauge stainless steel panels based on the finish. The can be finished in gun metal gray(300), satin (320), or repeated swirl(325). He needs 4 more orders to run a batch.

Please see picture for an example of the product.

email me at sethpatt at juno dot com if you are interested

thanks,
seth

[Leslie]

Why stainless instead of aluminum?

FWIW, the "swirl" finish is usually referred to as "machine turned".

Good luck....

[zebrarover]

stainless vs aluminum

I'm not sure exactly why he is using stainless, but they attach directly to the steel portions of the door and shouldn't come in contact with any aluminum so you shouldn't get any metal on metal problems.

[KingSlug]

Well how do you think...

Well how do you think the door skins attach to the door frame??? Door skin= Al, door frame= steel. To prevent corrosion put on a coat of protectant on the steel door frame, I think in some circles they call it paint.

[landi41]

Man what next..........???

[Leslie]

I wasn't thinking about the corrosion.... I just thinking that aluminum would be lighter and less expensive, if you were going to go with a metal inner panel. I'd mulled putting a sheet of aluminum onto the inside myself, actually. Instead of that route, I decided to go w/ the LaSalle instead, for the extra insulation for sound dampening, at a more reasonable cost.

However, there's merit to having a panel there; good luck, hopefully you'll find enough folks for a run....

[TeriAnn]

Instead of that route, I decided to go w/ the LaSalle instead, for the extra insulation for sound dampening, at a more reasonable cost.

Makes good sense to me. Being inside a series rig with an all uncovered metal interior is like being inside a sound chaimber. The steel door panels you are looking at will do a good job of reflecting sound and is a good thermal conductor helping to keep the interior of your LR close to the outside temperature.

May I suggest seeking a door panel that is more sound absorbant and has better thermal insulating properties than bare steel?

Your choice of course.

[J!m]

Cheap, thin ply wood (AKA interior paneling) works great. Wrap it with indoor/outdoor carpeting in your color choice and secure it with trim screws. The space inside the door is filled with foil-faced rigid styrofoam insulation for additional sound and thermal insulation.

I agree, the metal option seems to be the most rugged, but the I/O carpet really makes it nice, and is easily cleaned, even if submerged.

I used fiberglass sheeting, as used for industrial kitchens and bathrooms. It's a bit pricy, but very durable, easy to clean and since it's white, makes the interior extremely bright, which I like in my 110 regular which has no side windows... I still used the insulation under it, and the truck is very comfortable year 'round.

[AlohaRover]

As my 'stock' cardboard type vinyl wrapped panels have started to deteriorate I have been thinking about using thin hardboard panels. They are more moisture resistant then plywood. Spray them with clear poly after they have been shaped. Some 3M spray adhesive, new 1/4 or 1/2 foam and try and reuse the current vinyl.

[bfishel60]

expanded metal

I used expanded metal covered with vinyl cloth. The expanded metal was easy to form to the top part of the door. I had to use wahers under the screw heads to hold it to the door frame. It does help with the noise and cold.
Bill