Interior Roof Linings

[Rogue Trooper]

Well I've totally run out of money for the mechanical stuff at the moment so I've starting playing with the interior in the rear of the van. What I would like to know is what have people used for the interior roof linings in the back.

I'm making the wall linings out of plywood but I need to curve something over the roof. I don't want to glue carpet or anything directly to the metal. When I was young and dumb I glued lengths of chipboard to the underside of the roof. There is no way in hell the chipboard is ever going to come off so I may as well utilise it now so I at least have something to screw to. I previously had thin MDF curved across the roof quite nicely but that's not ideal because if it gets damp it tends to expand and then it's stuffed. Plywood doesn't really like being bent so that's out too although the boat builders seem to get away with it somehow.

So any suggestions of what people have used successfully in the past?

[restoreid]

Hey Rogue I used ply in the bit in the corner of mine but I got too good quality very stiff & was a bitch to bend so i wet it then used a steamer to get the job done but there is a special bending ply you can get that would be easier The corner bit between the roof & walls is the hardest Lots of luck

[Jeff]

If you are going to cover it, you could bend thin steel sheet around the tight curves.

[Rogue Trooper]

Aha, I eliminated that poxy corner by building an overhead console into the rear of the van so all I need is curvy bits for the sides. Thanks very much. I will investigate bendy-ply.

[Rogue Trooper]

If you are going to cover it, you could bend thin steel sheet around the tight curves.

I did think about some light sheet steel but as the curve radius reduces as it approaches the rear of the van I put that in the 'if-all-else-fails' bucket. I think working with some flexible board will be a bit easier. I'm trying to keep wood out of the van as much as possible but have relented for the walls and ceiling in the rear of the van.

[Marishka]

hey Rogue,
 have you thought of getting a roof top cut and turning it upside down then welding legs on it so it would be like a bench ,
then using ply and spray foam to customise a roof skin with speakers and recesses for dvd screens etc?
i thought about it ages ago but never got around to it.

using same tequnique as like in this dash build=
Nova Armaturenbrettbau / Dashboard build

[Bas / NZ]

If you are going to cover it, you could bend thin steel sheet around the tight curves.

More steel to rust I used 1.5 - 2ml ply on my last van, curved real easy

[cfjeff]

mine is done by glueing 1" foam to the roof and then glueing the draylon to the foam. Has been in there since the original interior build back around 1992 and has never caused rusting and never fallen down. And also provides a rather good sound deadening. Thats why its the only part of the original interior build that stayed for the new interior.

Cheers Jeff

[obsession]

hey Rogue,
 have you thought of getting a roof top cut and turning it upside down then welding legs on it so it would be like a bench ,
then using ply and spray foam to customise a roof skin with speakers and recesses for dvd screens etc?

I hate you marty  I just spent 3hrs on u tube !!!  lol 
cheers for the link it was excellent ...except my mind wont stop creating .....

[Marishka]

  i know what  u mean , i was on youtube for ages checking out customising using spray foam n fiberglass , my brain nearly exploded with the info overload. haha.
the possibilities  are endless hey.