Inside Ceiling in Hawk

Dorado_33

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Joined
Oct 11, 2014
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My ceiling inside my 2001 Hawk split when my head touched it when I was popping it open and it ripped about 8 inches. Has anyone needed to repair the cloth ceiling and if so how? I really do not want to replace it. Any suggestions?
 
D33,

This is a very common problem with '00-'02 fwc's.. I had an '02 ranger that had the headliner desintigrate on me.. Replaced it and installed rigid insulation.. Came out great! Sold that and bought an '01 Hawk that had the same issue.. I was able to beat the guy to death on price because of it.. Got a great deal and did another headliner with rigid.. Came out even better with all the do's and dont's I learned from the first job :).
The only real solution is total replacement of the headliner... The longer you wait the worse it will get.. Lots of fibers will start to float around from the insulation and breaking down of the headliner material.. Not good

TT
 
D33,

I can't believe I don't.... But I don't..
I know I have some of the first job on my old Ranger 4 years ago.. But will take some considerable digging..my photo posting skills on this site have left a lot to be desired in the past few years...
Would be happy to answer any q's you may have..
I was able to replace the headliner without taking the exterior "lip" apart. Hence, not messing with the exterior seal at all..

TT
 
I replaced mine too. I used some wood strips that I purchased from the RV dealer (cheap) and the headliner from ATC. I used screws to hold the wood rather than staples. Takes some time but not overly difficult but you will need an extra set of hands and eyes to keep the headliner straight and tight.

The other option is to have ATC or FWC do it when changing out the vinyl and they take the roof off and put it on the workstand. Much easier but also costs a bit more.
 
KMC...

when you replaced your headliner, What did you do down the edges and across the front to keep the material? Curious..also, what insulation?

I screwed stained maple trim across the middle, and thin aluminum trim down the sides and front.. To many years chasing those little staples...I was around $700 plus time

TT
 
Here are some photos of my 2000 Eagle (I imagine that the roof construction is the same). About a year ago I tore out the headliner and used a foil covered foam board wedged between the supports as a temporarily replacement, but it worked out so well that I just left like that. I cut the foam board slightly larger than the opening and relied on friction to hold the foam board in, I didn't use any adhesives or fasteners. All in all cost me around $25.

It is a good cheap fix but eventually I want to put a standard headliner back in.

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Looking towards the front of the camper.

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Looking towards the rear of the camper

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Front lift panel

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Ceiling with foam installed. The reflective layer reflects a surprising amount of radiant heat back into the camper.
NOTE: I ended up covering the metal support members with reflexive to help avoid condensation build up on them.
 
When I originally did mine, I ran strips of the wood (about 1/8" thick) along the sides and on the front and back but left the extra headline untrimmed as I was going to ATC to have the vinyl replaced. What I learned was a) those strips that I used on the sides wasn't good; added thickness hindered closing of the roof b) you could trim the front and back a bit so they didn't overlap the roof when closed; about 2" or so c) ATC then tucked my extra headliner up and under the roof when they replaced the headliner.

If you were doing it yourself, I'm not sure how you'd do the sides but the front back would be easy; just don't extend the wood all the way to the sides.

I used the orig. insulation but kind of wish I would have used the other rigid stuff as it was hard keeping the orig. stuff in place. I used duct tape and you can see it through the headliner if you look really closely. I didn't want the extra expense of the new solid stuff which was kind of minimal in retrospect.
 
I'm surprised friction alone holds your insulation in. I suppose that stuff is super light. I haven't had any issues with my headliner but I'm slowly replacing all the staples with screws as they get loose.
 
craig333 said:
I'm surprised friction alone holds your insulation in. I suppose that stuff is super light. I haven't had any issues with my headliner but I'm slowly replacing all the staples with screws as they get loose.
I was just as surprised as you. They are light and stuffed in tight. It has been almost a year of bouncing down dirt roads with no problems.

Back on topic: TearAid is what I would use (my canvas is covered in the stuff and it works well). If your looking for something more permanent look at iron on fabric or liquid/spray fabric adhesives. If you can get decent pressure on the material (with Iron or hands depending on adhesive) it should hold and may be a more permanent fix. However it would be labor intensive and might be impossible depending on the location and size of the tear.
 
Thats awesome,I was just looking at that reflective foam but never thought of it for the roof,I have mold on my old Grandby and when I get to that point,that looks like the way to go...Thanks for a great post
 
Regarding the existing insulation, not much came down and I think the old stuff is/was glue onto the top. The gap between the bracing isn't very large so I'm sure that helps. I've been on a few rough roads (rough enough to break a shock) and it hasn't come down yet :)

Oh, the ATC headliner is one piece, the FWC is two (or was when I bought mine; the seam is obviously down the middle.
 
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