My headliner’s falling down

Question:

First let me say, I have read Auto Restorer for several years and really enjoy it. Being a car nut, I have all types of vehicles: original cars, street rods and motorcycles.

I have recently purchased a 1990 Southwind motorhome from a friend. It was in great condition, but I am experiencing a problem with the headliner falling down throughout the ceiling of the motorhome.

The headliner itself is in great shape, clean and with no tears. I think the problem lies with the foam backing attached to the material that may be deteriorating, allowing the glue to let go. Thus the headliner falls down.

I have tried in vain to re-glue it with 3M General Trim Adhesive, which holds for awhile, but lets go after a period of

time. Any help from you or fellow readers would be greatly appreciated, as I would hate to have to replace the vehicle’s entire headliner.

Answer:

The problem you are experiencing with the headliner in your motorhome is somewhat common with vintage vehicles.

As you have surmised, the problem usually can be attributed to the layer of foam sandwiched between the headliner’s fabric and its rigid backing. The foam basically dries out and falls apart so regardless of how many times you glue the fabric back on and regardless of what kind of glue you use it falls apart again in a short time.

For a lasting repair you need to either replace the headliner with a new one or do a more comprehensive job of restoring the original one. For the latter, pull the fabric completely off and scrape every bit of foam off the backing. Use 3M Trim Adhesive or its equivalent to glue new foam to the backing. For proper fit and appearance it is advisable that you use foam that is the same dimensions and specifications as the OEM foam. You can buy very thin sheet foam from many different online vendors as well as from some fabric and crafts stores.