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Old 07-09-2016, 07:51 PM   #1
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Name: Kathi
Trailer: Cadet
New Brunswick
Posts: 13
What am I getting into ?

We just bought a 1986 Cadet. The ugly gold fabric on the walls has come unstuck from the disintegrating thin foam behind it, which is revealing some sort of glue residue on the fibreglass. I would like to remove all this gunk but not sure how to proceed and what toxins I am exposing myself too. Providing I can somehow get back to the fibreglass shell, should I just paint it or maybe glue on thin styrofoam and new fabric ? Somebody must have figured this out and done it successfully...
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Old 07-09-2016, 09:14 PM   #2
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Name: Dave W
Trailer: Trillium 4500 - 1976, 1978, 1979, 1300 - 1977, and a 1973
Alberta
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Welcome Kathi!
The current standard for wall coverings in a fibreglass trailer is marine head liner, sometimes called Rat Fur. This goes over Reflectix, a silver foil bubble wrap. It is light, and lasts. Ii provides a small amount of insulation, to help keep the condensation down.
As for stripping it down to the fibreglass, I got nothing. Hopefully someone will comment on that.
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Old 07-09-2016, 10:28 PM   #3
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Name: Marion
Trailer: Shopping
Alabama
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You should check out Rookie vs 1990 casita in the project forum. He has taken his casita down to the bare bones you'll learn a lot
Good luck
Marion
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Old 07-10-2016, 10:57 AM   #4
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Name: To Infinity & Beyond!
Trailer: 1985 Uhaul VT-16 Vacationer, 1957 Avion R20 & 1977 Argosy 6.0 Minuet
Tennessee
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Open ALL the windows, get a BIG fan to blow air through the trailer, get a charcoal type respirator/air mask, get some lacquer thinner and remove the glue from the smooth fiberglass surface. NO need to remove any fiberglass or gelcoat surface from the fiberglass.

No it's actually not that bad of a job to remove the contact cement/glue from the smooth fiberglass surface of the inside of the trailer from which you just removed the wall covering just "smelly" because of the lacquer thinner. A flat plastic "Bondo" spreader or similar item helps to scrape and remove the thinner softened glue without damaging the fiberglass surface. Wipe the fiberglass down AFTER removing the glue with your favorite smelling disinfectant, let the trailer continue to air out a day or 2 and you are done!

For all the old foam from your old wall covering that is still there after peeling off the wall covering I have found getting a big brick of foam or a big sponge and rubbing what's left of the old foam with these will quickly remove the old foam from headliners and your fiberglass wall leaving only the glue and some foam residue to deal with using the lacquer thinner and scrub process.
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Old 07-10-2016, 01:48 PM   #5
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Name: Kathi
Trailer: Cadet
New Brunswick
Posts: 13
[QUOTE=David Tilston;597267]Welcome Kathi!
The current standard for wall coverings in a fibreglass trailer is marine head liner, sometimes called Rat Fur. This goes over Reflectix, a silver foil bubble wrap. It is light, and lasts. Ii provides a small amount of insulation, to help keep the condensation down.

It sounds like our Home Hardware store has this. Might be a dumb question but which side does the foil side go, to the inside of the trailer or the fibreglass ? Would I put this on with contact cement ?
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Old 07-11-2016, 09:30 AM   #6
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Name: Doug
Trailer: 2014 Scamp 16, 2011 RAV4 V6
California
Posts: 141
Kathi,
I feel your pain. I ran into exactly the same thing while redoing a Hunter Compact Ii. After trying peeling with my fingers and messy solvents, I tried a wire brush wheel on an electric drill. It worked great and did not damage the fiberglass.
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Old 07-11-2016, 11:04 AM   #7
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Name: Kathi
Trailer: Cadet
New Brunswick
Posts: 13
cadet reno

People are wonderfully helpful on this site ! I will try the wire brush on the drill as I am super sensitive to solvents. Anxious to get this baby home, our truck ball is too small at 1 7/8 and no amount of power assisted wrenching will unstick the nut, bonded to the bolt with rust. Will be landing it home with a neighbor's truck tonite. Then let the reno begin !
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