I don't see photos of front tables on the SMB web site and am told they can't mount them in the cockpit area because of warranty issues (the transmission is under there). With the front seats facing each other there is (barely) knee room for two and so, always trying to make efficient use of space, I set out to design a table mounting system for the Sprinter. If we can eat up front then we can leave the bed set up in the back all the time. With windows on three sides the front is a great place to eat when outdoors is not an option (lunch stops, rain, hot days, cold days).
My requirements for a front table are
- Come and go from the driver seat while table is in place (The standard table position aft of the seats does not allow this when there is a cabinet behind the driver)[/*:m:1ghz61ai]
- Ability to rotate seats while sitting in the seat and while table is in place, so we can aim somewhat forward depending on the view[/*:m:1ghz61ai]
- Mount should work for laptop[/*:m:1ghz61ai]
- Come and go from passenger seat with seat facing forward and laptop in place (for example to get drinks while underway)[/*:m:1ghz61ai]
- Easy to set up and switch tables[/*:m:1ghz61ai]
- Access to drink holders in front of laptop (Sprinter does not have a good convenient place for two large drinks)[/*:m:1ghz61ai]
- Ability to remove all mounting hardware before taking the van in for service (to avoid warranty issues and so they have access to the transmission under the floor)[/*:m:1ghz61ai]
Since I have my new Sprinter for a month before SMB Indiana starts construction, I am working on this now.
My first idea was to install a vertical post on a custom anchor point mounted to the seat bases. This didn't work because the post is in the way of our legs and would not allow rotating the seats while sitting in them.
My second idea made use of the storage compartment just above the ashtray. The plastic storage insert pulls out to reveal a single DIN (2"x7") slot. I made a prototype out of foam board to see if I could meet all the above requirements:
The table mount sticks into the DIN slot but the weight of the table would put too much torque on the dash so I added a leg to the floor for support. I removed the floor mats to see what was down there. Nothing helpful, so I plan to cut a hole in the floor mats so the leg will sit on the steel floor and the mat will keep it from sliding around. There is a wire hooked inside the DIN slot and wrapped around the post to keep the mount from coming out of the DIN slot. It is tight enough in the slot so that it does not wobble back and forth.
I think this works really well. As you can see, my knees have barely enough room to rotate the seat when it is forward enough for the back of the seat to clear the door:
And although leg and foot room is tight, we do fit:
Note that I also mocked up the counter that will go behind the driver seat. There is lots of room to come and go from the driver seat with the dining table in place. This table is 20x24 inches but I think there is room to make it a couple inches larger. The cut-off corners make it easier to get in and out, but probably are not necessary. The table is just an inch from the vent controls and rests on top of the shift lever.
I am also really happy with how the laptop mount turned out:
Note above that there is access to the drinks while laptop is in place.
The laptop feet keep it in place, but I will probably have to add Velcro to the bottom of the laptop for rough roads.
Both the dining table and laptop mount meet all the requirements above. They each have a 1.25" dowel on the bottom that fits in the hole in the mount, so they can be rotated to any angle. When the laptop faces aft, we can both see the Delorme street atlas while driving. The seat elbow rests do not get in the way. The passenger will be able to surf the web while under way using the 3G/4G antenna on the roof.
If I don't hear of any problems that you guys can think of, I will build the final version out of wood. I will make a telescoping leg out of steel conduit and PVC pipe. I will post more photos here when done.
David