Use of Vinyl Fabric for a wall covering

[Kstills]

Any of you motorhome guys or gals do a soft touch type wall covering using vinyl fabric? I'm renovating a B 190 and leaning towards this route to do the walls. Currently, they're either luan with wallcovering on them or luan with a coarse fabric (up in the fiberglass cap).

I've found fire retardant vinyl at Sailrite, I'm thinking of putting a fire retardant foam or fur backing on it and stapling that to the luan. Waterproof, soft to the touch and comes in enough colors to make a cohesive looking unit that looks more modern than the original.

[rideair]

It's what was used back in the 90's Airstreams. Granted, at that time, the EPA made them use a crappy glue that did not work well over time (you may also remember the headliners of cars having the same problem of that era). I'm putting my 1996 34' front kitchen back with the same product you have listed since the original stuff has fallen down and needs to be replaced.

Enjoy,

[Kstills]

Originally Posted by rideair

It's what was used back in the 90's Airstreams. Granted, at that time, the EPA made them use a crappy glue that did not work well over time (you may also remember the headliners of cars having the same problem of that era). I'm putting my 1996 34' front kitchen back with the same product you have listed since the original stuff has fallen down and needs to be replaced.

Enjoy,

Are you planning on putting a backing on it, and if so, what do you plan to use?

And I'm well acquainted with the headliner problem, mine is failing in the front of the van.

[SeeMore]

Bonding a facing fabric to foam is not a path I would take. It is hard to get the fabric threads to lay consistently. Use a manufactured combo fabric if you can find one.

Fabrics:
https://fabricwarehouse.com/foam-backed-vinyl-1/

https://www.amazon.com/Backed-Marine...dp/B07MM3551D/


3M makes a great wall/ceiling mounting adhesive:
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40071864/

[Kstills]

Originally Posted by SeeMore

Bonding a facing fabric to foam is not a path I would take. It is hard to get the fabric threads to lay consistently. Use a manufactured combo fabric if you can find one.

Fabrics:
https://fabricwarehouse.com/foam-backed-vinyl-1/

https://www.amazon.com/Backed-Marine...dp/B07MM3551D/


3M makes a great wall/ceiling mounting adhesive:
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40071864/

I'm not sure the foam would have to be bonded to the fabric. In my installation, this is going onto luan, so I would assume I could bond the foam to the luan, then staple the vinyl overtop. I'd lap the top and bottom in order to pull the vinyl tight.

I say this without ever having done it before, but one thing I have is a LOT of wood to practice on.

[Kstills]

https://www.sailrite.com/Fabric-Back...8-5-yds-Rolled

Sailrite sells that foam and recommends it for headliner applications. They say to glue the one side to the board, then glue the vinyl fabric to the foam. That is essentially what I'd be looking to do for the walls. And the headliner, to be honest, although I have found foam backed vinyl I like for that application.

[SeeMore]

I have experience doing fabric walls gained by replacing Airstream mouse fur with both vinyl and ultra-leather fabrics, and with or without foam. For a rookie upholstery project I'll repeat... My best advice is, avoid gluing multiple layers.

I have sourced from Sailrite but would NOT use their 1/2" foam on anything but an upholstery application where you are striving to achieve a 3D quilted affect of pleats, diamonds, etc. Either use bonded 1/8" (example links above) or fabric stretched over glued 3/16" base foam which works best on luan substrates in automotive applications I've done...

Example - Ultra-leather stretched over 3/16" padding material:
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f39...ml#post1785832

Example foam:
https://www.yourautotrim.com/316foampadding.html

[Kstills]

Originally Posted by SeeMore

I have experience doing fabric walls gained by replacing Airstream mouse fur with both vinyl and ultra-leather fabrics, and with or without foam. For a rookie upholstery project I'll repeat... My best advice is, avoid gluing multiple layers.

I have sourced from Sailrite but would NOT use their 1/2" foam on anything but an upholstery application where you are striving to achieve a 3D quilted affect of pleats, diamonds, etc. Either use bonded 1/8" (example links above) or fabric stretched over glued 3/16" base foam which works best on luan substrates in automotive applications I've done...

Example - Ultra-leather stretched over 3/16" padding material:
https://www.airforums.com/forums/f39...ml#post1785832

Example foam:
https://www.yourautotrim.com/316foampadding.html

Is there a significant difference between installing a headliner as opposed to gluing the foam first and then attaching fabric over the foam? I've watched the Sailrite vid on headliner installations and it seems pretty straightforward, I just assumed that installing foam and fabric on a vertical surface would actually be easier, simply because you're not working overhead.

Another advantage I'll have is my 'walls' can be prepared out of the van. They are all luan plywood based, and none of the surfaces are even as large as a 4x8 sheet, so I intend to do all my painting and fabric work on a work table, then install the panels in the van when they're done.

And thanks for the tips, you're more than helpful.

[rideair]

Kstills,

I was going to use this product, since it appears to be about what was installed on the ceiling back in 1996 by Airstream on the trailers. Wanted to go back to a factory look and feel. Though if there's something else out there that even better and more original, I'm all ears.

https://www.sailrite.com/Seabrook-Wh...cked-Headliner

Enjoy,

[Kstills]

Originally Posted by rideair

Kstills,

I was going to use this product, since it appears to be about what was installed on the ceiling back in 1996 by Airstream on the trailers. Wanted to go back to a factory look and feel. Though if there's something else out there that even better and more original, I'm all ears.

https://www.sailrite.com/Seabrook-Wh...cked-Headliner

Enjoy,

Yep, I'm probably going to use that (or similar, maybe a different color) for my headliner.

Here's what I've found that most closely approximates what I thought I could do for the vertical surfaces:

https://www.diydoctor.org.uk/project...all-panels.htm

It's a long read, but if you skip to the numbered steps, 7-14 pretty much describe what I was thinking of doing. Glue the foam to the board, they use batting which would be fine, stretch that over the foam and staple it, then stretch the vinyl over both and staple that. No need to glue the fabric to the foam as the staples will provide the means of holding it to the board.

[Gypsy4910]

Vinyl is a direct carcinogen, so maybe look into that before you decide. Canvas would be a lot less toxic, and you could paint it.

[Kstills]

Originally Posted by Gypsy4910

Vinyl is a direct carcinogen, so maybe look into that before you decide. Canvas would be a lot less toxic, and you could paint it.

"Vinyl" is a broad term, and probably useless in defining what you mean.

Vinyl Chloride, the monomer (one unit) that makes up Poly Vinyl Chloride polymer (many units) is considered a carcinogen.

At issue in determining whether PVC would be carcinogenic would be the level of un-reacted VC in the mixture and it's ability to migrate into either the air or foodstuffs.

This paper gives a good overview of the mfg process to make PVC, as well as the residual VC monomer levels in the PVC, as well as how long it takes for the VC to totally leave the PVC.

https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/pdf/10.1289/ehp.8141123

This paper discusses the LD50 of VC, and it's biodegradability.

https://hpvchemicals.oecd.org/ui/han...ly)%20is%20low.

Overall, unless you're reacting the VC in an open vessel, the chances of it becoming either an acute or chronic toxin appears to be remote.

[rideair]

Always something to worry about in life, "It's a Jungle out there!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j5Be5a86uA

Just Saying,