How do we fix this veneer damage in our motorhome?
We recently discovered this damage to the veneer on one of the overhead lockers of our Autosleeper Symbol. It's lifted from the body of the locker and split in several places, We have no idea when it happened, or why.
Has anyone seen anything like it before, and if so, what caused it? And more importantly, how should we fix it? Or is it better left to the professionals? We don't mind if the locker surface looks a bit crazed after the repair, but we do mind if it looks botched and badly repaired.
The only think we can think of is that temperatures dropped below freezing the night before we noticed it (we're on the South Coast, so our "freezing" is relatively mild compared with some). And the surface of this locker is slightly concave (not convex, as in our previous vans). So perhaps the veneer was stretched a bit tight in the first place, and wasn't really stuck down completely. And the contraction due to the cold just finished it off? But we've had colder nights than that . . .
Answers
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@msquared From the photograph It looks a bit more than veneer damage, more like impact damage but it might be the angle of view? Have you thought about contacting Autosleeper to see if they can supply a new door?
David
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Thanks for the prompt response. It's definitely not impact damage, as there's definitely been no impact! It's just the veneer lifting then cracking. The concave door doesn't help, as it looks like even the intact veneer isn't stuck to the surface of the door properly in the concave section.
We took the van out for its regular winter drive to keep the battery topped up etc a few days ago, and it was fine when we came home. We noticed this a few days later when we popped into the van to borrow something from the van kit. The only thing of note in the intervening time was an overnight freeze.
I will definitely check if I can get a new door from Autosleepers, so thanks for the suggestion. In the meantime, perhaps the judicious application of superglue.
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Try searching the AutoSleepers Owners Forum and I am sure you will find threads on similar issues.
Unfortunately, registering on that forum isn’t possible at the moment but hopefully it will soon start up again.1 -
From the photo it looks like you have a "plastic" veneer and not timber. I'm saying this as the surface has not torn along the grain and what looks the lip to the bottom edge of the flap. I'm also guessing this is laid on a particle board base.
If you cannot get a replacement then it is obviously going to be a repair project.
You obviously need to get the flap indoors and up to room temperature. Next step is re-fixing the veneer. Do not attempt to remove it. Your adhesive of choice should be an "Impact" adhesive. This gets confusing as even the manufacturers get mixed up between "impact" and "contact". They both work in the same manner, by applying the adhesive to both surfaces and then bringing them together. The problem is with a true "contact" adhesive you have NO chance of moving the surfaces around once they meet. I'm speaking through experience on this one as I've laid sheets of Formica over 2.4m x 0.6m in size. You need to read the small print and find one that says re-positioning possible. You may be able to find a spay can version.
Once you get the veneer back, the finish will not look brilliant. You now need to overlay another veneer over the top with the same adhesive. You will not be able to get an exact match, so I would also cover the flap that is next to it.
Best of luck with the job.
Colin
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