Is it possible to repair the vinyl interior cupboard doors in my motorhome?

QIn the Summer 2023 issue (p121), Andy Stothert answered a query about which glue to use to stick the vinyl sheet on a motorhome cupboard door. I have the same problem on two or three cupboard doors.

Could you send details of the repair procedure and suggest a suitable glue? On one cupboard door, the vinyl is beyond repair. I have tried to obtain a replacement door from Auto-Sleepers, but it is no longer available.

Do you have any suggestions as to where I might be able to obtain a replacement door? My motorhome is a 2015 Auto-Sleeper Winchcombe.

AAs a result of this fault cropping up so regularly, MMM has compiled an information sheet on how best to deal with this, and a copy has been emailed to Mr Hickman.

Just in case any readers aren’t aware of what a vinyl wrap problem is, it refers to the plastic covering on the furniture doors peeling off the inner core of the door panels. Where this occurs, panels are usually made of MDF, chipboard or a mixture of materials, which result in a lighterweight door than MDF or chipboard.

In this case the Auto-Sleepers door is of a composite construction. On all of these doors, the underlying panels have a potential to soak up moisture from the atmosphere, which then causes the adhesive to fail, and leads to the outer vinyl covering peeling off.

The furniture in a motorhome has a hard life in that it is exposed to the extreme changes in humidity and temperature changes in winter storage and then holidaying in hot places. This exacerbates the problem, with any weakness in the adhesive around the edges allowing moisture to enter the material of the panel, which then swells slightly, and allows yet more moisture into the gap.

Information that MMM has been sending to readers who own a motorhome with these problems is a constantly expanding file, due to the increasing frequency of it occurring and the differing methods of dealing with it coming to light.

In this particular case, one of the vinyl layers on the door has ‘peeled’ to the extent that the owner feels that it is beyond repair. The usual repair being to stick the vinyl back down again. This isn’t as simple as it may seem.

The easiest and best solution would be to obtain a replacement door, which matched those fitted by Auto-Sleepers. Alas, Auto-Sleepers does not keep a stock of spare furniture components for this age of vehicle, and cannot make another because it uses a lightweight composite panel manufactured in a specialised large-scale facility that is incapable of producing a single door.

The only other way of repairing this door, where the peeling vinyl has broken off, will never be perfect. It entails cutting off the loose bits of vinyl covering until the joint is sound, then sanding the bare board up to the edges of the vinyl that has been removed.

Then touch up this area with paint that is the closest match to the vinyl. It will also have to be primed first.

The smoothest finish will be obtained with an aerosol spray, but it is much easier with a brush. The brush coats can also be applied in much thicker layers. This ‘fix’ will stand out like a sore thumb to the owner but, if done correctly, will probably not be spotted by others without a close examination.

However, I have spoken to the manufacturers of the doors and it can still identify the batch of doors from the build number of the ’van, and will be able to supply the details of the vinyl covering on the doors.

If this particular vinyl covering can still be obtained it is possible that another smaller scale door manufacturer could make a single matching door. I have spoken to one of these lower-volume door manufacturers, Crystal Doors, and it said that it was willing to try. There is no doubt that there will be several other door manufacturers in the UK also capable of providing this service.

All this information, including the contact details of the original door manufacturer has been forwarded to Mr Hickman, and will be included in the information sheet provided to readers who are experiencing similar problems with their motorhome’s doors and furniture.