Ceiling Liner For a 2010 FTC

deryk_the_gypsy · Jun 12, 2019

Hello Folks! Started some work on Dobby! I got my Maxxfan deluxe in on sunday, poured hard all day monday...seems to be holding out the weather, also added a marine brass ceiling light with red or white led's. Got The floor in yesterday. Polyurethaned some nice faced sheets. I needed 2 4x8 sheets of plywood... (wish I could have justified for teak/mahogany marine ply)with left over material I think the larger pieces was 48"x 54", the second piece is 28" x 54". little muddy after pouring all day monday.

I have the lumber for my slat bed. A plywood bed would be easier but I lived on a sailboat for 10 years, so I am familiar with what moisture does to foam... so plenty of air flow under the bed. I went with oak for the body of the frame (1.5" x 1.5" for legs and 1.5" x .75" for the front and rear support that the slats will be screwed down into. Need an opening 12.5" to slide my porta potty under the bed.

Now for my problem...I should have made an inner wooden ring that the fan would have slidden into. Then I could have screwed the trim ring to. The last trailer I owned, I swapped out an existing fantastic fan for the Maxxfan deluxe and that wood was already there. Trying to mount the trim ring through the "somewhat rigid" ceiling (that I pulled out and added 1/2" insulation with shiny mylar pointing up.) I also wired in to my 2nd battery an overhead light. I think I need something like molleybolts...that I can push through and tighten and it will expand. In a year or so when I can afford to insulate and do the ceiling and walls in cedar (and just oil it with cedar oil...I heard the mosquito's will stay away) I will be redoing the roof and then it would have wood to screw into.

Any Advice please

deryk

highdesertranger · Jun 12, 2019

I always try to ring the fan with 2x2 lumber that way the mounting screws are not just screwed into the sheet metal but into the sheet metal and wood.

I don't know if this helps at this time but that's the way I do it. highdesertranger

BinDerSmokDat · Jun 12, 2019

I bought an external mounting flange on Ebay that fit my E-150 van, filling in the concave ribs and creating a level surface and then just screwed the Maxxfan into the metal roof. (Butyl tape, 3M sealer and then Dicor self-leveling lap sealant on all screws and seams.) My interior ceiling is from outer to inner original sheet metal, dynamat, 1/8" foil faced polyethylene underlayment moisture barrier, 3/4" pink board, 1/4' wood panelling. The Maxxfan trim ring installed nicely giving a very finished look.

There is a little bit of roof flex without an interior wood flange to screw into as HDR recommended, but just a very small mount. If i was doing it over, I'd incorporate the wooden flange. It wasn't something i thought about when doing the roof and by time it came to installing the fan, it was a little late.

BTW Deryk, you know from your sailing days, seal all wood on all 6 sides!
I urethaned front, back and all edges of every sheet and stick of lumber I put in my van.
Not only does it keep the wood from absorbing water (or worse) in the event of a leak, it keeps the wood from absorbing ambient humidity as well.
It has saved me a few times from leaks and spills but not creating water stains/damage in wood.

deryk_the_gypsy · Jun 12, 2019

yeah, hindsight is 20-20 lol. I should have but too late. When I redo it, there will be wood up there for it to bite into. I saw a few types of molly bolts that would probably work....just wish the liner was a little stiffer.

highdesertranger · Jun 12, 2019

why don't you just add the wood now. either redo the fan or pull the headliner down enough to get it in. highdesertranger

deryk_the_gypsy · Jun 12, 2019

Well I took part of your advice. I didn't have enough lap sealant to redo the whole job, and we have 2 days of rain coming so...I cut 4 blocks of wood, wedged them from below with a piece of 2x4, and shot 4 screws through the top flange down into the metal and into the wood block. re-calked the new screws and put the headliner back in and was able to screw the trim ring in place properly. I also since it was down, added 2 thin plywood blocks, for the white/red led brass ceiling light, used spray adhesive to glue it to the liner, waited for it all to dry put it back together...had to use longer screws then 3 "eye glass sized" that came with it... need 3 brass screws next time I head out.

thanks again

deryk