Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 18:51:28 -0500
Reply-To: Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject: Re: Headliner
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2006041818175801@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
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I've removed and reinstalled it by myself, it's not too bad. You'll
have to remove the triangular piece that supports the parcel shelf
(spice rack) and pull the molding away from the back end of the
headliner. Getting this back in place is one of the more more
problematic aspects of the job, you'll need to have your headliner
glued down really tight so that the covering won't roll back. This
molding has to be tapped in place with a rubber mallet.
You'll need to carefully remove the dome light over the driver door
up into the hole it mounts in and be careful not to tear up the
wiring. Take out all the screws, leaving the rear center for last.
When this comes out, the center will drop and you'll be holding it up
with one hand. When this happens, move the headliner forward to
disengage the left and right "tail ends" (you'll know what I'm
talking about when you look) from the plastic channels that join the
headliner to the longitudinal pieces left and right. Keep track of
these in case they pull away with the headliner.
When the center of the headliner drops, the geometry of its cross
section becomes such that you will have no trouble removing first one
side and then the other from the channels over the door.
Now that the headliner is out, you can use a heat gun to warm the
covering and a putty knife to lift it off. Here's some advice: skip
the contact cement whether it comes in a spray can or a bucket. I
used the so-called high-temp spray from the auto upholstery shop and
had a sagging headliner in a couple of months. A few weeks ago I got
tired of looking at the sagging thing and took the headliner out for
a second time, this time liberally using weldwood contact cement.
It's been really hot here that last few days, and I'll give my
headliner another month before it will need redoing. And I know what
I'm doing with glue, I have been in the exhibit business for years.
So here's what's next and what worked for me before (but not before I
attacked my westy headliner the first time: vinyl wallpaper paste.
Use the commercial kind that's premixed. Brush it on with a stiff
brush, lay it in place and trim. If you roll it, roll gently so as
not to show the roller edge creases in the glue. You'll freak out
when you see every imperfection in the glue showing through the
covering--don't worry, they'll all be gone by morning. After the glue
is dry, turn the headliner over and from the back, poke through every
hole with an ice pick. Cut out the window for the dome light. If you
ever want to mount another light, say a dual aircraft type triple LED
fixture between the seat near the back of the headliner, now is the
time. Drill a hole for the wire in the headliner, tape the wire
between the hole and the area near the dome light, and reinstall the
headliner. It's not as easy as removing it but one person can do it.
Two would be easier. Run the new wire, if you install it, to the dome
light wires to take off power from there. Even if you don't have your
fixture yet, when you're ready you can just pull the new wire from
the hole at the rear of the headliner and you're good to go.
The reason that I know the vinyl wallpaper paste will work is that I
used it to recover the ceiling in an RV I keep on the gulf of mexico.
It get way hot down there and the stuff has held up perfectly in the
year-round heat and has lived through Ivan and Katrina. I'm doing my
entire westy over with it as soon as I find the time.
Jim
On Apr 18, 2006, at 5:17 PM, Rob Rubin wrote:
> I am thinking of re- doing my headliner (83 westy) and have taken many
> looks...How exactly or what is the proper procedure for taking
> those down?
>
> My question is kinda specific to the metal channels on the far sides
>
> Rob
>
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