Hymer roof lining

[bobmaddison]

Hi folks,

We have a Hymer T Class GT on a Merc Sprinter chassis. The interior roof lining that goes from the shelf above the cab to the roof light is hanging down. Although it is fixed around the edges it sags down in the middle like a floppy sail. I cannot see how it is supposed to be secured unless it should be glued to the roof. Anyone got any ideas ?

[Brian Kirby]

You may find more detail of your van will get more relevant answers. For example, year, and full designation (i.e. T what: there should be a number after the T?). It sounds like an adhesive headlining that has come unstuck, possibly as a result of age, possibly as a result of a roof leak. If you can attach a picture it may also help.

[Derek Uzzell]

I don’t think Bob has ever provided his 2005 Hymer’s model-number, but I’m guessing it’s a T655 GT.

 

There’s a video of a 2004 T655 here that shows the motorhome’s interior, but I’m not sure this will help much with Bob’s roof lining enquiry.

 

 

As Brian suggests, iit’s likely that adhesive was used originally to attach the roof lining and - after 15 years - it’s perhaps not too surprising that the lining has come loose. If adhesive has been used and it still has some ‘stickiness’, if the sagging part of the lining is pushed upwards hard towards the roof it may be possible to detect the adhesive ‘grabbing’ and to feel any framework (probably wood) to which the lining was stuck.

 

However, I can’t see any way of addressing the sagging without removing the lining’s fabric and then reattaching it to whatever is above it.

[bobmaddison]

Thanks Brian. Its a T655 Tramp on a 04 Sprinter..

 

Bobm.

.

[bobmaddison]

Thanks Derek,. You got it- it's a T655 Tramp.

 

Bobm.

[weldted]

You could try very gently heating the lining with a hair dryer (not heat gun) gradually pushing it back in place, you would need to support it until it cools down. Some of the glues used react to heat to improve adhesion.

[Derek Uzzell]

There’s some on-line discussion/advice on dealing with a sagging ceiling lining of a motorhome/caravan.

 

https://tinyurl.com/y6x6jp84

 

Plainly, if warming the lining (as weldted has suggested) allows the lining to re-adhere to the ceiling, that will be the simplest/quickest fix.

 

If that doesn’t work - and assuming that there is a lateral wooden ‘skeleton’ to which the lining was originally stuck - sandwiching the lining between narrow strips of metal or wood screwed on to the wooden skeleton above the lining should be an effective long-term solution and (if carefully and sympathetically done) should not look like a bodge.

 

Whatever material Hymer used 16 years ago may have become quite fragile by now and should be treated gently. Replacing the lining would be a specialised task and far from cheap, so if it’s at all possible to address the sagging issue using a tidy DIY approach, that’s the way to go.

[Brian Kirby]

I'm inclined to think that the best thing initially is to find an edge of the roof lining that can be gently released so that you can see what is actually behind it. Derek's link doesn't spend long on the cab roof, but my impression is that it is not a particularly complex three dimensional shape: possibly a thin sheet of ply sprung in.

 

The over-cab moulding looks like GRP, which should be insulated on its underside. The insulant will be fragile, so a ply liner with a stuck on fabric covering would provide protection for the insulant.

 

The main problem, I'd guess, will prove to be whether the lining was installed into the over-cab moulding before the moulding was attached to the remains of the Sprinter cab (probable, IMO).

 

I'm assuming (again! :-)) that the Sprinter cab roof will have been cut off leaving only a perimeter frame, although it may have been possible for Hymer to obtain Sprinter chassis minus the cab roof. This may mean that the lining and whatever it is attached to (the ply or whatever) is larger than the aperture left in the perimeter cab frame, so that it cannot be removed in one piece - which, if it could be, would make reattaching the lining easier.

 

Hence my suggestion to explore the edges of the headlining to see if there is somewhere you can release a bit of the fabric to be able to see behind it. Have you tried feeling and tapping the headlining in areas where the fabric is still in place, to see whether it feels and sounds as though it is attached to a backing layer?

[Derek Uzzell]

Brian

 

I’ve attached a photo extracted from a video of a 2004 Mercedes-based T655 and that image shows the ceiling area from the ‘shelf'’ above the cab seats to the rooflight further to the rear.

 

I had assumed from Bob’s description "Although it is fixed around the edges it sags down in the middle like a floppy sail” that the lining was simply made of fabric (as was sometimes the case on older UK-built motorhomes) but it’s not evident from the photo what Hymer has done and it may well be more likely (as you’ve suggested) that the Hymer’s ceiling itself is rigid (eg. plywood sheet) and has a decorative fabric covering on its lower surface, and it’s the covering that’s now come awy and is hanging loose.

 

Until the construction of the ceilng area has been confirmed and the problem accurately diagnosed, it’s hard to offer informed help. If the construction involves fabric glued to a rigid backing, weldted’s advice would be the first approach to try before any form of ‘manipulation’ is attempted.

[laimeduck]

I have had the same problem on a couple of old Saab cars I bought as bangers*.

The fabric lining had a very thin foam layer laminated on the inside which through age had disintegrated into a powder, thus detaching the lining from the plastic layer.

See if you can do what Brian suggests and if there is a powder, then that's almost certainly what will have happened.

 

It won't help your problem, but at least you'll know?

 

* These were bangers I bought for £200 for one off Crumball banger rallies, so I simply used screws with washers and screwed up into the inner plastic layer, coupled with silicone sealant. Looks didn't matter! In fact I made the washers from old 1 cent US pennies with a hole drilled. Looked quite good in a rustic way! On the Saab 9000 it lasted for 3 years!

 

 

[Brian Kirby]

Derek Uzzell - 2021-01-05 1:54 PM........................................Until the construction of the ceilng area has been confirmed and the problem accurately diagnosed, it’s hard to offer informed help. If the construction involves fabric glued to a rigid backing, weldted’s advice would be the first approach to try before any form of ‘manipulation’ is attempted.

Agreed. That's a helpful picture Derek. I wonder if that transverse cover strip on the ceiling, just ahead of the rooflight, can be released without damage? If so, it might be a good place to see what the linings are and, if any damage to the fabric results,.re-fitting the cover strip should hide it.

 

I assume the headlining extends across above the two side cupboards, so whatever is trapped above them would presumably have to stay put (the alternative would be to dismantle the cupboards, but I think that's probably a step too far! I think the picture also shows a couple of speaker enclosures left and right of the front shelf which may come out.

 

Assuming there is a rigid lining of some sort with a fabric facing, it looks like a very careful Stanley knife job all around the edges to fully release the fabric, then remove that, attach an edge binding all round to cover the cut fabric edges, and then re-stick the fabric back in place, perhaps using a clean paint roller to "iron it in place". Not easy, as a contact adhesive would be probably be needed, giving minimal to zero opportunity for adjustment once started!