Dash Kit?

[Easyrider]

Anyone know where I can get a dash kit to spruce up the looks of our dash. We have an Itasca Sunrise motorhome and anyone who has looked inside one knows the dash is pretty plain looking. I wonder if there is some kind of stick on kit that would simulate wood or even colored plastic that would look better than the plain bland vinyl plastic look that I have now.

[Easyrider]

Anyone know where I can get a dash kit to spruce up the looks of our dash. We have an Itasca Sunrise motorhome and anyone who has looked inside one knows the dash is pretty plain looking. I wonder if there is some kind of stick on kit that would simulate wood or even colored plastic that would look better than the plain bland vinyl plastic look that I have now.

[Bob&Pat]

I was looking for a 3"� x ½"� x 6' length of oak and could not find it. A few days ago I found, at a local smaller lumber yard, a chair rail 3"� wide x 5/8"� thick at its thickest point and 8' long. The passenger side is 5'-5½"� long and the wood will cover up the Sunrise logo, on the drivers side I need to work around the switch plate for the battery boost and slide out switch. This chair rail is somewhat simple in profile, the center is 1½"� wide and flat with a very small radius on the edges. The oak grain will look good on the plain dash. The molding is made by Weyerhaeuser "ChoiceWood"� the bar code number is 073291083472. I am working on the stain and finish right now and plan on using something like liquid nails "general purpose"� adhesive to glue the wood to the metal part of the dash on my 2003 Sunrise.

[Bob&Pat]

Cut the pieces of oak molding on Thursday and prepared them for the stain on Friday. Today I used Zar #129 "Aged Varnish"� stain, it matched the tone of the stain on the Portsmouth Oak in our Sunrise very close. Decided to notch out the cowling surround on the steering column to bring the oak against the cowl. The framing around the switch plate for the battery boost and slide out switch looks pretty good the top piece and bottom piece are only about 3/16"� wide however the "framing"� will give it a finished look.

I may have my wife, Pat, paint a new Sunrise logo on a brass plate or something to mount on the oak.

I will have to take pictures and learn how to upload them when I have finished.

Bob

[Easyrider]

Thanks Bob for the idea! I never thought of using real wood trim but can't think of any reason it won't work! Hope you can upload the pictures as I would like to see them. Sounds like a great idea to me, but I'll have to wait till spring to do it now as I plan on putting our MH into storage this week.

[Bobg43]

I have a 2005 Sunrise and had the dealer custom design a fabric cover for the dash. They fitted it for the computer workstation and the vents. There are companies that do this and you can pick different colors.

I did it because my dog lies on the dash and this prevents him from scratching it.

[Easyrider]

Thanks Bobg43, I'm aware of what you are talking about. I'm looking for something to put on the front of the dash around the instruments and switches, not on top of the dash - though I plan on doing that sometime also.
Steve

[Bob&Pat]

Installed the oak molding on the dash today, will take photos of the dash after I remove the clamp Friday.

I wanted to try posting a photo of the "before"� showing the plain dash.

Posted all photos in the following message.

[Bob&Pat]

[tderonne]

Looks like my 2004 Adventurer which came with a wood (or pseudo wood) band in the same spot. I knew the Voyage used the same dash, didn't notice they left the trim off.

Very nice installation.

[Easyrider]

Pretty nice looking! Any ideas on if anything can be done around the instument panel? I'm going to try the same thing with ours in the spring. It's getting too cold to glue things on now. Thanks for the inspiration!

[DriVer]

Very nice looking modification.

[DonavonP]

Very nice job.

[Bob&Pat]

Thank You for the very nice comments; Easyrider, tderonne, DriVer and DonavonP.

Easyrider, I have no plans to add anything to the instrument panel of the dash.

However I plan on making a Tray (box with bottom and sides) out of Oak approx. 7 ½ "� wide x 12"� deep (front to back) and with 1 ½"� sides, stained and finished to match the dash trim, to set between the instrument panel and the passenger-side workstation. I will just set the tray on that non-skid rubber matting. This would be like the old style wood file boxes used in offices long long ago when I started work, before the plastic ones. I may use the 1/4" stock for the sides and bottom and put some dividers within the tray.

The other item will be to replace the Plastic Console cup holder with a console box and tray made of the Oak. That should be it for the dash area, don't want to over do it.

Weyerhaeuser "ChoiceWood"� Oak is available in ¼"� thick, ½"� thick and ¾"� thick stock in widths of 1½"�, 2½"�, 3½"�, 5½"� and 7¼"�.
Always need a place for all the Reading glasses , Sunglasses, remotes and cell phone.

Bob