Saggy / bellowing vinyl roof liner

[Clean]

Hi all,

Trust you are happy, healthy and safe during these odd times.

Does anyone have any tips, tricks or fixes for faux leather/ vinyl roof liner that has begun to bellow? The material has come unstuck in places, and has developed pockets of air behind it causing it to bubble / bellow out. i suspect we might have overcooked the interior with our fan heater when out in the bus during autumn months.

In some areas the bellow is up to 25cm long, and in others much smaller. If I push on the bellow I displace the air trapped behind it risking further delamination of the liner from the roof.

I am guessing I will need to cut a slit, remove a slither, and reglue the liner to the roof, but just curious to learn what others might have tried.

All,and any input gratefully received.

Thanks,

Clean.

 

[Dci_Carter]

Do you mean roof headliner? It should be hung not stuck?

https://www.justkampers.com/vw-t2-bay-window-parts/interiors/headlining-kits-sunvisors/metal-headliner-bar-vw-t2-bay-1967-1979.html

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[Clean]

Do you mean roof headliner? It should be hung not stuck?

https://www.justkampers.com/vw-t2-bay-window-parts/interiors/headlining-kits-sunvisors/metal-headliner-bar-vw-t2-bay-1967-1979.html

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I do mean roof headliner, but in our bus it has been stuck, not hung. Annoyingly, it is now coming unstuck in places!

Come to think of it, I am not sure whether the system you linked to would work on a roof with a whopping great hole cut in it for a Westfalia pop-top.....

 

[sparkywig]

The vinyl headliner is fitted using metal bows through sleeves in the headlining material. If yours has been stuck to the roof that's not as it left the factory.
If it's been stuck without thorough cleaning of the metal and without using a high temperature adhesive it will come unstuck.

 

[Clean]

OK, so we’ve established that my headlining is not factory spec. Most of my bus is not factory spec, so no drama, there.

Any ideas on how to fix it, anyone, please?

 

[Moseley]

I don’t think there’s a magic solution, cutting it to get glue in behind it is likely to be short-lived and look messy (getting the vinyl lined-up perfectly again after will be near impossible due to the way it stretches), so in reality if you want a decent job, pull it off and redo it. You might want to consider how you redo it to avoid it falling off again in the future - it sounds as though it has been rushed in order to try and make the interior look a bit fresher.

 

[sparkywig]

As I said previously, if the metal's not been thoroughly cleaned and a high temperature adhesive not been used then it will fall off at infrequent intervals.
If you want it to stay stuck and look good then you'll need to remove the vinyl and all the old adhesive and start again.

 

[ozziedog]

Sounds like you have an issue similar to when there’s bubbles in wallpapering. My best guess is that if anything works then it’s a bonus and if it don’t work then as said before you can always start over . I’d try the smallest one first or if you have any off cuts try on them, warm up gently and see if you can shrink them be cooling them quickly with a damp sponge or an ice cube then try the slit and re glue thing. None of this is tried and tested, it’s just an idea. :mrgreen:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,keep us in the loop :mrgreen:

 

[Clean]

Sounds like you have an issue similar to when there’s bubbles in wallpapering. My best guess is that if anything works then it’s a bonus and if it don’t work then as said before you can always start over . I’d try the smallest one first or if you have any off cuts try on them, warm up gently and see if you can shrink them be cooling them quickly with a damp sponge or an ice cube then try the slit and re glue thing. None of this is tried and tested, it’s just an idea. :mrgreen:

Ozziedog,,,,,,,keep us in the loop :mrgreen:

Thanks, Ozziedog; refreshingly positive.