How to peel back headliners from inside Cabinets

[Jackhackle]

First of all let me take the time to thank all of you who have helped me by answering my questions in the past. I have a 2018 Escape 19 and I am in the process of jettisoning the Dometic 9500E awning on this trailer and replacing it with a Fiamma manual F45S awning. In order to remove the nuts from the bolts on the old mounting brackets, I need to peel back the headliners which are inside cabinets on the right side of the camper. When finished I would like to put The headliners back the way they were relatively undamaged. Your help with this is greatly appreciated.

 

[Centex]

I wish you luck.

IME, having removed small sections of the materials inside upper cabinets for solar panel 'bolt-through mounting', it is for all practical intents impossible to peel-back the headliner intact and suitable for aesthetically pleasing 'restoration' because the ~1/4" thick grey open-cell foam backing, which is fastened to the shell (or an intermediate layer of black closed-cell insulating foam, or to a wood backer-strip bonded to the shell) by ETI using strong spray adhesive, tears and separates inconsistently even if you get a blade behind it.

My best solution has been to use a very sharp utility knife to cut a neat square outline all the way through the interior layers to the shell, then pull / cut / scrape that patch of materials out destructively to expose the shell, and finally cover with another material. At least it's inside upper cabinets so not a big deal aesthetically, IMO.

If you wanted, you could bond another full-coverage layer of new material inside the cabinets for a completely uniform appearance.

Maybe others will chime-in with a better procedure / result.

You can look under your dinette benches to see the various layers of interior materials where they 'end' near the floor to get an idea of what you're dealing with.

Good Luck!

 

[jjdeluca]

I had mixed results in removing/reinstalling the headliner & insulation (inside the upper cabinets) during our recent solar panel & rear view camera additions. Like Alan, I did find, initially, that the foam-back headliner would separate from the white insulating foam layer that's glued to the fiberglass shell. However. I found that if I carefully cut through the headliner/insulating foam along the inside edge of the cabinet face, I was able to work my fingers between the insulating foam layer and the fiberglass shell, and separate fairly large areas of the headliner/insul. foam intact. I could then drill through the shell & install the solar panel bolts then reattach the headliner/insul, foam using 3M Super 77 spray adhesive.
Best of luck with your install!
Jim

 

[HABBERDABBER]

I had mixed results in removing/reinstalling the headliner & insulation (inside the upper cabinets) during our recent solar panel & rear view camera additions. Like Alan, I did find, initially, that the foam-back headliner would separate from the white insulating foam layer that's glued to the fiberglass shell. However. I found that if I carefully cut through the headliner/insulating foam along the inside edge of the cabinet face, I was able to work my fingers between the insulating foam layer and the fiberglass shell, and separate fairly large areas of the headliner/insul. foam intact. I could then drill through the shell & install the solar panel bolts then reattach the headliner/insul, foam using 3M Super 77 spray adhesive.
Best of luck with your install!
Jim

Bravo! My one caution is that you have a new trailer. Your adhesive may NOT have hardened with heat and time, and NOT be more tenacious, as with an older rig.
That's been my experience with "contact cements". The Older, the harder. Not like life.

The OP has a 6 year old rig. The glue has likely hardened.

 

[JohnK-ESC]

First of all let me take the time to thank all of you who have helped me by answering my questions in the past. I have a 2018 Escape 19 and I am in the process of jettisoning the Dometic 9500E awning on this trailer and replacing it with a Fiamma manual F45S awning. In order to remove the nuts from the bolts on the old mounting brackets, I need to peel back the headliners which are inside cabinets on the right side of the camper. When finished I would like to put The headliners back the way they were relatively undamaged. Your help with this is greatly appreciated.

I was fortunate enough to be able to peel headliner back from seams I found underneath wooden stringers to accomplish a through-the-roof bolt and nut solar panel installation and restore it to original aesthetics simply doing so by hand, no tools needed. That said, our 21C was manufactured in 2019 and sold as a 2020, perhaps slightly more recently than yours. Our adhesive was fortunately still pliable enough to do so even though ETI warned me that it would not be possible. If you're working inside cabinets my suggestion would be to give it a try there first where blemishes don't stare you in the eye on a daily basis. Don't be afraid to unfasten wooden stringers to find existing seams at which to begin the peeling process by hand and fingers.

If you can tie a jack hackle and catch breakfast, your chances are better than average that you can peel back your headliner to jettison your awning and replace it with one that works. All the best with your efforts. Let us know how you fare.

John

 

[Jackhackle]

Thanks to all above. After speaking to Patrick at Escape you are all correct. Many thanks,

jack Hackle