Repairing worn fabric on pop top bed slide

[Belize]

My 14 year old SMB is starting to show its age. The fabric where the pop top bed slides is tearing. I am sure this is a common repair, but can’t find how owners are dealing with it. Patching doesn’t look like it would hold up as the sliding bed would seem to quickly wear the thread. I’d like it to look good, but function, durability and practicality take precedence over aesthetics. Any experience with this. An image of the spot (there are multiple spots on both sides) is included.

[Otter]

Originally Posted by Belize

My 14 year old SMB is starting to show its age. The fabric where the pop top bed slides is tearing. I am sure this is a common repair, but can’t find how owners are dealing with it. Patching doesn’t look like it would hold up as the sliding bed would seem to quickly wear the thread. I’d like it to look good, but function, durability and practicality take precedence over aesthetics. Any experience with this. An image of the spot (there are multiple spots on both sides) is included.

unreng recently posted his solution here. Maybe it will help?

https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...-3234-295.html
.

[REF]

For some reason that link takes me to an old thread about refinancing...?
Anyway, short of pulling the entire fabric on both sides out and using it as a template to have new ones sewn up, an easier, and much more cost effective approach would be to cut strips out of a similar durable fabric or a trunk liner material and use spray adhesive to stick it down over top of or cut out the torn fabric and lay the new stuff down right on the channel.
This is how the channels are covered in our CCV top with gray trunk liner integrated with the new interior.

[Otter]

Weird. I just hit that link. It’s post #2947 on the “what did you do to your SMB today?” Thread.

[unreng]

Originally Posted by Belize

My 14 year old SMB is starting to show its age. The fabric where the pop top bed slides is tearing. I am sure this is a common repair, but can’t find how owners are dealing with it. Patching doesn’t look like it would hold up as the sliding bed would seem to quickly wear the thread. I’d like it to look good, but function, durability and practicality take precedence over aesthetics. Any experience with this. An image of the spot (there are multiple spots on both sides) is included.

Attachment 32317

Ours looked exactly the same. Instead of replacing with more upholstery, we wanted something that would withstand harsh treatment.
https://www.sportsmobileforum.com/fo...tml#post269504
https://www.mcmaster.com/7701t425 = 1/8" x 1.5" adhesive backed UHMW plastic strips.
The stock bed platform now slides more smoothly.
It's only a week or so since install, so we don't have any feedback on use.
We used DeWalt clamps to make the adhesive stick.
Next time we would probably buy the non-adhesive UHMW and use M-1 Chemlink.

Keep in mind, we also removed the upholstery on the bottom of the bed channel and installed L track and brackets to support the bed channel, so that helped our decision to remove more upholstery!

[BrianW]

Was something rough or catching underneath to wear like that? Our van is 22 years old and not showing any wear that I can see. We slide the PH bed platform back and forth a lot, too.