inside panel material options

evy · 07-01-2017, 07:56 PM

Hi everyone,

I was thinking of using automotive grey lining/felt to cover the bench's back rest and the panel around the window (see picture).

Like many things in this project I have never done this, so I have a couple of questions.

Does it have to be glued or can I simply staple it in the back?

As you can see I have some rounded inside corners, I did a quick test with a rag and I would have exposed plywood...
How can I prevent this?

I've heard of automotive lining/felt that stretches, does any one have any experience with that?

For your information the panel is 3/8" plywood, I've also added 3/8" plywood around the opening, so it's 3/4" thick total.

larrie · 07-01-2017, 09:25 PM

You may want to use marine hull liner. Both Accrete and I have used it. It is fairly easy to work with is stretchable and can be worked around corners. We got the material at Perfect Fit in Portland and used 3M 90 spray adhesive, Home Depot, to glue it to Reflectix. To cover the raw edge of the Reflectix I wrapped it over the edge. You can see pictures in my build thread post 65.

boywonder · 07-02-2017, 07:32 AM

Trimming around large radius corners can be tricky. You need some stretch and may need to cut lots of little triangles in the material.

Options for sticking the stuff on include contact cement, spray headliner adhesive or just staples in the back.

If your panels are concave (which they appear to be) you will likely need to use contact cement to get the covering to conform to the panel.

Depending on the look you are going for, you can also use thin (say 1/8") foam under the material.

Here is an online supplier of auto fabrics, headliners, adhesives, etc. I've bought a few things from this vendor. As it turned out, I have a giant supplier local that has most of this same stuff so I've bought lots locally.

YourAutoTrim.com: Automotive, Marine, Interiors, Carpet, Upholstery Supplies

evy · 07-07-2017, 09:17 AM

Just got an email this morning, photobucket (where all my pictures are) are restricting 3rd party sharing, you have to buy a membership now.

Just want to make sure before I close my account and find another option, can you guys see my pictures in the original post?
Or can you see the picture I joined to this post?

Ben10281 · 07-07-2017, 09:19 AM

I cannot see any of your pictures.

Flux · 07-07-2017, 09:19 AM

No pic. Photobucket hates the internet.

I am using imgur for now. Free and linkable.

evy · 07-07-2017, 09:45 AM

Ok thanks,
Tell me if this works, I created an album on Facebook that only me can see and I've copied the link of a picture using the get link (for non FB users)
Can you see it?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...5&l=d82c220c69

evy · 07-07-2017, 09:52 AM

Or does this one work?

Flux · 07-07-2017, 09:57 AM

There it is.

Hey! Nice Van!

Flux · 07-07-2017, 10:14 AM

Here's a shot of the panels I did for the inside of my van. The material is automotive grade vinyl and was a Ford OEM match. I applied it over 1/4" ply using 3M 90 spray adhesive. Applied to both vinyl and panel and then rolled it. I did staple it on the back side. I have kids who love to spill things and a dog that loves to roll in the dirt. So an easy to clean surface is mandatory.

Like Boywonder said, a foam layer in between is a good thing too. It can be thin. I have a few lumps under my vinyl from debris. Foam would help that. I think a 1/8" to 1/4" (3-6mm for you guys up north) would be nice, thicker if you want actual padding. But my panels are curved and it's holding up well even under the intense heat that we have here. Gonna be 106 today.