For my wall panels, I purchased a Promaster kit from Titan Vans. I am going to preface this by saying that if I was going to do something like this again, I'm not sure that I would do it the same way.
This isn't a knock to Titan but I'm guessing that I was one of the first people to order these panels. From looking at their website it seems like there are improvements that have been made since then. But I didn't get any instruction about installing these things; the parts were labeled, but didn't match the template provided at the time, so it was a little confusing.
The panels are 1/4" inch which is good and bad - they're not as heavy as 1/2", which frankly would've been difficult for me to install, but the 1/4" is also not thick enough to mount a lot of stuff to.
(THIS PAGE IS A WORK IN PROGRESS.)
Here is an incomplete list of the components:
Paneling tools & parts
Panel kit from Titan Vans - $1795
Makita Impact Driver drill and battery - discussed previously
10-32 cross nuts (your size may vary depending on your van)
10-32 round-head Phillips machine screws, 3/4" or 1" (if your cross nuts are a different size, you will want round-head screws in the same size)
10-32 flat-head Phillips machine screws, 1 1/4"
Bright red lipstick
Q-tips
Paint
Paneling total cost = $1,795 and counting
Upholstery parts & tools needed:
Upholstery foam - 2lbs, charcoal, 60" x 72", 1/4" thickness - $75 including shipping
Arrow T50 staple gun - $20
Arrow T50 ¼” 1000 staples – $26 for two boxes
Sunbrella fabric - I ended up spending $375 for 15 yards but had quite a bit left over, probably because I ended up painting the wall panels instead of upholstering them
3M 90 adhesive spray - already covered in the Flooring section
3M 77 adhesive spray - $40 for two bottles
Paint Pen - already covered in the Insulation section
Utility Knife - already covered in the Insulation section
Hammer
Screw cap covers - $7
Gorilla glue - $8
Upholstery total cost = $551+ sweat equity
To install the wall panels, I used the cross nut tutorial by Far Out Ride to avoid drilling into the frame of the vehicle. I have mixed feelings about this. Did it work? Mostly. Was it a pain in the ass? Yes.
Here are the basic steps:
Insert 10-32 cross nuts using a rivet nut tool in the new holes – make sure to tighten them ALL the way (twice)
Insert size 10-32 round-head Phillips machine screws. I used Hillman brand from Lowes. Length doesn’t matter, 3/4" will work
Dot the round head of each screw with lipstick
Press the wood panel against the lipstick-covered screws to mark the place you want to drill - this is very tricky getting multiple holes to line up exactly!
Using the lipstick marks as a guide, drill through the wood using a 5/32 drill bit (this should ideally be done prior to upholstery. On the panels which weren’t already upholstered, I took the additional step of drilling with a ½” countersink so the screw head would be flush against the panel)
Finally, remove the lipstick-covered round screws and attach the panel to the frame using 10-32 flathead Phillips machine screws. I used Hillman brand from Lowes, generally 1 ½” or so. These cross nuts can be tricky. You definitely have to be careful screwing them in because if they get stuck, or if the cross nut is not attached property and starts spinning, it’s really hard to get the screw back out.
With the wall panels in, I could finally start working on one of the most important parts of any camper van: the Bed!