Cheap Journey dash cover

smlranger · 12-12-2010, 10:37 AM

I gave up with the idea of removing the forward dash panel to re-cover it with some marine grade vinyl I had left over from another project. I decided to use some outdoor carpet runner I had left over from yet another project. For about $20 worth of material and some time to make a pattern from some construction paper, I am pleased with the results. More importantly, the DW likes it.

DriVer · 12-12-2010, 11:10 AM

For folks that are not so inclined to make their own, there's a company called Dash Board Designs by Josie in the back of the FMCA Magazine. We had one back when our "cat" tore up the vinyl on our 2001 motorhome.

Nice job Gary!

traveler of california · 12-12-2010, 02:19 PM

Really looks great.

Nick

Sammie · 12-12-2010, 05:45 PM

I like it, and I think my little Schnauzer dog would also enjoy it.

Sammie

flashnyellow · 12-13-2010, 06:30 PM

That looks great! Nice job.

Ronnie

powerboatr · 12-13-2010, 08:00 PM

I like it

looks very good
we have a similar task going on here, dw is making a thick runner cover for the upper dash
it will actually be a SLOBER catcher from the pups staring out the window when we are parked

NLOVNIT · 12-13-2010, 10:15 PM

That looks really nice, Gary. Very professionally done.

Just a little tidbit of advice from experience: Use a sweeper attachment to get any insects out of that carpet. Do not (repeat DO NOT) try to pick them out of there with your fingers. Insects, of course, are attracted to windows, you'll inevitably get some in the coach, they'll get stuck in the carpet fibers & they'll be hard to get out without leaving pieces of them behind. I had a car where the ledge behind the rear seats had some sort of indoor/outdoor carpet on it. I never did get the bug pieces out that were wedged way down where the rear window met the ledge. The harder I tried to get at them, the more they went to pieces & got further into the carpet. Flies were the worst.

Lori-

skigramp · 12-14-2010, 02:40 PM

What did you use to "bind" the edge that is rear facing?

smlranger · 12-14-2010, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skigramp

What did you use to "bind" the edge that is rear facing?

It is not bound, just appears that way in the photo. This particular material does not ravel when cut. I made a very clean cut with a straight edge and sharp blade.

fun time · 12-14-2010, 05:43 PM

Smlranger: Great looking dash cover. Really like it. You mentioned in your last post it is not bound. Can you tell us where you got this carpet, what is the backing made of, does it slide easily and do you know any other colors it might come in? I am sold on this and would like to do the same.
Thanks ever so much for sharing.

smlranger · 12-14-2010, 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fun time

Smlranger: Great looking dash cover. Really like it. You mentioned in your last post it is not bound. Can you tell us where you got this carpet, what is the backing made of, does it slide easily and do you know any other colors it might come in? I am sold on this and would like to do the same.
Thanks ever so much for sharing.

Got this carpet at Lowes. It is an outdoor runner. I believe it came in three colors....charcoal, kind of a cadet blue, and a sort of light tan/brown. I used the tan color. It is about $2 a foot so it is not expensive. I've used this stuff around the boat, boat dock, and as a runner on a long ramp I have leading up to a deck at the stick house. It holds up very well. It does not have a deep pile...the pile is very shallow. It looks more like a mat than a carpet.

The backing is a sort of rubberized material. It will slip around on slick surfaces. It is not going to slip on my dash since I removed the defroster vent trim, cut holes in the carpet, then re-installed the vents. It does not move.

adventurous2 · 06-10-2011, 05:43 PM

I was inspired by the clean look of the new dash cover. Went to Lowes and they had the beige runner color out of the back room!. When I bought it I thought it would be much to dark but since I replaced the "bloody window shades" with linen drapes (home made) the color works very well.
The one thing I added was double sided tape in front of the windows and at the other edge facing the inside of the coach. I made a pretty long fold over on that side and the tape holds it down very nicely.
The "carpet" is thin enough that the drapes barely touch it. I made a pattern with newspapers and the carpets is easy to cut with scissors. I cut the cut outs for the defroster fans after I laid it down , used a sharp knife to start the openings and scissors to cut the rest. The vents fit very snug, I did not put the screws back in (for now) It was a very easy project.

Thanks everyone for the inspiration
Ellen