What material/fabric/carpet is best for covering interior walls of Boler?

[PistachioGreen]

Hi! Loooooong time lurker, first time poster. I have a 1975 boler that my wife and I have been camping in for about 6 years now. We had a baby 18 months ago, and are looking forward to some fun adventures this summer, but the boler is in need of some modifications to suit the new addition....so, yesterday I woke up and gutted the inside just down to the ensolite (haven't decided if I'll try to replace that yet, that's another discussion).

I'm wondering what type of fabrics people have used for covering the interior walls? We've been researching marine carpet, automotive carpet, and also just rolls of felt or other materials. Can anyone recommend anything? Are there any no-nos when it comes to which material to choose?

[Jon in AZ]

You did well to leave the Ensolite in place. Its sound deadening and insulating properties cannot be easily replicated with any other material. Clean it well, glue any loose spots, remove the T-molding, and caulk the seams along with any other voids. Then...

You can prime and paint for a smooth, wipeable surface, but since you seem to want a softer finish material, I'd recommend marine headliner. There are different kinds, but some are like thin carpet without a backing, lightweight and a little stretchy, making it easier to fit the corners. Intended for marine applications, it's durable, non-absorbent, mold resistant, spot cleanable, and available in a variety of colors and textures.

Look inside a newer Scamp to see how they lay out the pieces for a good fit with as few seams as possible. Scamp has been using a version of marine headliner since the mid-80's, so they've had a long time to get it right.

[k0wtz]

jon I agree with you about the fabric scamper uses I marvel at it everytime I am in our 13f scamper.

I had a 40f converted eagle bus they did essentially the same thing. whoever did it put 1/2in foam glued on then naughahyde on top of that all using 3m stuff.

it stayed on and looked great but I just like what scamp does.

bob

[ststefan]

I just cleaned our ensolite this winter and caulked,primed and painted. I used this brush:
The World's Kindest Nail Brush - Lee Valley Tools
to clean once with TSP and again with MR Clean disinfectant. Glued any areas that became dislodged. I also ran some wires under the ensolite for speakers and a 10 gauge wire for the fan. Caulked over the cut for the wire and any other areas that needed help. Use a latex caulk not silicone. Primed with Zinsser 1 2 3 primer and painted with Dulux kitchen and bath paint.
Now is the time to check for any leaks or rot and fix them. My ceiling vent wood supports were rotted and I had leaks in the belly band area from screws going in too far.
Make sure you use a desiccant to get rid of the moisture from cleaning and painting. Latex paints add a lot of moisture when curing. One of the most common is Dri-z-air