Collapsible Table

Making a collapsible table for the Jimny Camper from an Aldi acacia wood chopping board.

This was a fun project. Ever since ordering the roof top tent (if it ever arrives) I decided to try and do something cool with the interior space of the Jimny. As you’re able to set the entire space flat (ish) ideas for a lounge area have been running through my mind.

This table is the first project to help design a comfortable and versatile living space for two when roof top camping in the new Jimny.

Designing the table

As I’ve said before, I’m no expert at this so it’s going to be a ‘have a go’ project and hope for the best.

I started out by measuring the ideal spacing for the holes to mount part of the chopping board to the Jimny rear side M6 bolt holes. Luckily the chopping board length allowed for enough space to use 3 of the 5 holes. Which means I can still fix 2 useful cargo hooks either side.

I cut a section of the chopping board lengthways to be used as a backing mount for the hinges. I wanted the table to be stored flat during transit and of course not flap about while the car is moving.

It may have been overkill but I used all 3 holes to fix the backing board to the rear left side of the Jimny interior. I recessed the M6 bolts to make sure the table sat flush when not in use. The plan was to use some furniture stoppers to stop it flapping around and making a noice when the car is moving.

After some sanding and shaping I added some hinges and soon realised my carpentry skills were a bit shit. The way I’d attached the hinges meant the table stuck out on a slight angle. The screw heads were causing this and it wasn’t going to be something I could ignore, it looked terrible.

I know they’ll be a more elegant solutions but I used a countersink drill bit to allowing the screws to recess into the holes and lay flat. It worked and unless you lie down and look underneath you’ll never see the bodge job 🙂

Next up, was what the hell to do about the legs. I opted for some screw in table legs. I found these in a local store on a small coffee table that was heavily discounted due to 1 of the legs being damaged.

It was a simple case of removing the metal fixings that the table legs screw into and attaching them to the underside of the table. Then finally measuring the leg length, allowing for a rubber liner or rug to be placed under it. It turned out to be approx 300mm.

Here’s the finished table in all its glory with the overkill leg placement options ? Using 1 leg in the centre is very stable but 2 legs looks good too.

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Couldn’t decide on the legs so made it work with three versions. 3 legs look ridiculous though ? Jimny Removable table made out of a chopping board done ✅ What’s the next project? I’d like to get a roof tent setup next but a little worried about the max load strength of the rain gutters. ~ 180kgs up top (roof bars, tent & 2 humans). Anyone got any advice? . . . #newjimny #suzukijimny #jimnylovers #jimny #jimnycamper #jimny2019 #jimny4x4 #jb74 #microcamper #jimnysierra #jimnyoffroad #jimnylife #carcamping #carcampingadventures #minicamper #jb64 #jb74

A post shared by Geordie Jimny (@geordiejimny) on May 20, 2019 at 6:57am PDT

I removed the ugly rubber feet the next day, going for a more clean look.

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It didn’t collapse! Removed the fugly rubber feet off the legs. Now I’m happy to have some tea ? . . . #newjimny #suzukijimny #jimnylovers #jimny #jimnycamper #jimny2019 #jimny4x4 #jb74 #microcamper #jimnysierra #jimnyoffroad #jimnylife #carcamping #carcampingadventures #minicamper #jb64 #jb74

A post shared by Geordie Jimny (@geordiejimny) on May 20, 2019 at 9:29am PDT

Add-on for ladies

I ordered my wife some 12v hair straighteners and a heat resistant pouch on Amazon. They sit perfect in the rear boot (cough… boot?) storage compartment and along with a small suction cup mounted mirror, the table doubles up as a mini dresser!

It’s the little touches that make car camping more comfortable, not just having a badass bushcraft knife and Gransfors Bruks axe.

I keep 1 leg stored in the boot compartment, alongside the hair straighteners and it takes seconds to get setup for a quick coffee when we’re out and about. This little table turned out great and has my mind racing for other applications.

£6.95 chopping board
£2.95 M6 thumb screws & washers
£1.99 Velco strips
£8.00 for the legs and fittings
Total cost: £19.89

Action shots 😉

Update

The furniture stoppers worked rattle free for a few days. Then, as the hinges seemed to settle into place, any sharp cornering made the table bounce a bit. Not good! Rattles bug the shit out of me. To fix the problem I used some velcro stuck to the underside, out of view. All is good in the world once more.

I also turned one of the chopping boards into a quick table that fits inside the storage boxes we use when we go camping. We use this more than the table inside the Jimny in the warmer weather.