Club 80-90 Forums

Hi all I'm currently sorting the interior out and am scratching my head as how to fix ply boards to the roof so I can line it. Now do people just screw straight into the pillars on the roof or somehow fix a wooden frame in and screw to that? Any advice would be much appreciated. Many thanks

Sikaflex/Soudaflex/Tiger Seal battens to the roof/ whatever and screw the ply to them.

Yea that's what I was thinking just wasn't sure so thought I'd ask on here. Cheers mate

Never done this myself and I know it's not exactly the question you asked but panels on Airliners and Trains are often stuck in place with Velcro Hook and Loop fixings. I will be doing some work on the interior of my 1985 High Top 1.7 Diesel and intend to explore this option. Has anyone else ever used this method successfully on a T3?

I have never heard of it mate. But good luck and let me know how you get on with it

James.rigby wrote:Hi all I'm currently sorting the interior out and am scratching my head as how to fix ply boards to the roof so I can line it.

Most vans I have seen have the roof lining direct onto the metal / fibreglass ( I think )

If using a permanent fixing method for any panels,don't forget to consider what wiring you might want in there for lighting, CB aerials etc, as getting behind permanently glued panels to add wires afterwards is not practical (is it Adam )

The point of using battens is that it isn't 100% permanent. Still a pain to remove and ideally you have the screws through the lining.

Scribed around the B and C pillars, secured with about 4 screws total, middle and centre rear, battens above the windows and the front uprights (which could be replaced by another couple of screws).

I've drilled into the roof cross-members many a time. Even just screwed self tappers through the board and metal at same time. Works a treat.
If drilling. Don't worry. The cross members are double skinned so even with force, when you push through the first skin and your drill bit bangs against the second upper skin, it wont go through nor dent your roof

Just use one sheet and fix to all cross members so it'll follow the curvature of the roof line. Still leaves enough roof for foil insulation and sound proofing membrane.
Good luck.

is it possible to put up normal ply as roof lining. I have seen some that have been cut to templates for T4&5's on ebay, that are already curved to the shape of the roof. Also is it bets to use ply, instead on moisture resistant mdf. I was interested in mdf, as i could plasti coat it direct. as a finish

I've drilled into the roof cross-members many a time. Even just screwed self tappers through the board and metal at same time. Works a treat.
If drilling. Don't worry. The cross members are double skinned so even with force, when you push through the first skin and your drill bit bangs against the second upper skin, it wont go through nor dent your roof

Just use one sheet and fix to all cross members so it'll follow the curvature of the roof line. Still leaves enough roof for foil insulation and sound proofing membrane.

Isn't this what most would do, sounds right to me, or are we saying all the cross members aren't always there for drilling and screwing to?

It may well work but you are creating a cold bridge and the head of the screw then tends to get moisture forming on it leading to staining.

Ah of course, cold bridges.... was forgetting them, duh!