adhesive for filon, luan, Styrofoam for walls and ceiling

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers

What type of adhesive do you think is best for attaching the filon, luan, Styrofoam, etc. to rebuild

  • Liquid Nails

    Votes: 4 36.4%

  • Contact Cement

    Votes: 3 27.3%

  • Other (please specify)

    Votes: 4 36.4%
  • Total voters
    11
DownbytheRiver

DownbytheRiver

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 14, 2013
Posts
54
I am curious to see what users think about types of adhesive to use to connect components of walls and ceilings during a rebuild.  If there are mitigating factors and tradeoffs (price, location/climate of RV, ease of application, duration of adhesion, etc.) please feel free to add comments to explain further.  Thanks for taking the time to weigh in.

Jason
 
I like urethane-based construction adhesives, but screws are still my favorite form of attaching anything. They hold good but are still removable if needed.
 
Gary,
  Would you screw the outside filon fiberglass back onto the rest of the RV (I assume sealing each hole)?  I just feel like that makes a ton of holes to then worry about...

 
I used liquid nails for the bathroom redo and so far no issues. I am waiting to see if the summer heat has any negative results, but do not think it will.
 
What are you attaching the filon too? If you attaching to metal tubing, I use pop-rivets (sealing each one). If attaching to wood, I'd use Liquid Nails (heat won't effect it).

Pop-rivets give you a much more positive mechanical attachment than screws. They are easy to drill out if you want to remove them. Screws tend to strip out. I have been replacing screws with pop-rivets on my TrailManor for 4 years now. Ever time a turn around, another screw comes out. Pop-rivets never come out unless you want them to.
 
The recommended product for Filon is Stabond E-183 which is a contact cement type product which will also adhere the Filon to styrafoam insulation. The problem with regular contact cements is they have a tendency to release after a while if the material is exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time. The problem with the E183 is the price. I had to buy a gallon a couple of years ago to do a door repair on our MH and it was about $175 a gallon then. Don't know what it is now.
 
Ernie,
  I read your post that said the same thing elsewhere and wonder if you wouldn't mind elaborating.  Luan seems to permeate the RV industry both in mass production and individual repairs.  I recognize it's a cheaper wood substance, but why avoid it entirely?  I'm interested in hearing your thoughts.
 
I would bond the filon using an adhesive designed for the task, e.g. the Stabond, but would use some screws wherever the opportunity presented itself, e.g.under trim at the top and bottom. 3M makes a variety of adhesives for bonding body panels to metal or other structures - check their catalog for body panel adhesive. I just got some #8515 Body panel adhesive for a repair job on a panel that came loose, but ended up using good old JB Weld instead because it was easier to use by hand in a hard-to-reach space (the 8515 requires an applicator gun to squirt on).

The factory vacuum bonds the entire sidewall in one process and then attaches the wall as a unit to the RV, typically  screwing to the floor and roof sections. That makes a pretty rigid unit that holds up well. It's harder to get a reliable permanent bond when building up the panels by hand, so anything you can do to strengthen or reinforce the adhesive is a plus. I would not be concerned about sealing a few rivet or screw holes, especially if you are going to paint or otherwise coat the exterior anyway.
 
I believe that after 41 years in the flooring business, I'm interested in quality, rather then cheap. Luan is cheap. I use hardwood plywood. It has proven itself in all our projects and is a lot stronger. If I have to remove plywood, it doesn't fall apart like luan. It took me 2 days on this coach here to take up luan that was glued under laminate. The area was 5x 10 feet. The stuff peels apart like paper. Personal preference.When I add hardwood to a slide- I use yhe hardwood plywood. It doesn't make your coach smell like a lumber yard.
 
catblaster said:
I'm with Ernie..... Luan is somewhere between particle board and cardboard.
Click to expand...
Thats a good observation- you can add OSB to that equation, also. and the scary thing: lots of coach manufacturers use that OSB.
to a coach manufacturer- get it off the assembly line as fast as you can- adds to their bottom line.
 
Luan is used to make plywood and plywood has its pluses and minuses.  Like any material, it should be used only where it is suitable, but "suitable" sometimes (often?) includes the budget as a parameter.  Let's face it, soft luan wood is used in plywoods instead of birch or oak or fir because it is cheaper.  OSB, MDF and particle board are much the same - lower cost is nearly always the driving factor. It would be nice to always use better quality materials, but our budgets don't always permit it. However, when buying an RV (new or sued), or getting remodeling estimates, be aware that use of luan and OSB in  the construction are hallmarks of a low-end quality and design. Be realistic in your expectations, and consider the difference when comparing to another model or vendor who uses higher quality materials.
 
I'm a welder that goes between three different OSB mills in the Ark-latex area. It is made of nothing but pine. At least where I am at. It has its uses, such as floors, but in that case I use 3/4" OSB and it'll last forever. But in a mobile home I can see it becoming a nightmare especially if it gets just a little water on it.
 
I have used both urethane adhesives and E183 contact cement for gluing plywood and filon together.  There are goods and bads for both and it is mainly in the application.  With urethane (usually procured in caulking type tubes).  It is sometimes difficult to get an even application over the entire surface and can result in loose spots and uneven surfaces, yet if applied well, does a good job.  With the contact cement, it is difficult to align before it adheres and is difficult to get a good bond across the material, especially if a large vertical area.  I guess my recommendation would be to use contact cement (E183) on horizontal flat surfaces and urethane adhesive on vertical or uneven surfaces.  As Gary says, use screws (or pop-rivets) where feasible in addition to the adhesive, especially in areas susceptible to getting wind under the edge.  Screws can make a nicer easier to hide repair IF one uses flathead screws and is careful and diligent in countersinking.  Pop-rivets seem to provide a more permanent bond especially if aluminum rivets are use so they do not rust.  However, pop-rivets are more difficult to address cosmetically.
 
No experience with external pieces, but for the interior rebuild, I used mainly Loctite 375 to hold walls and cabinet components together.  No issues, and no squeaks.
I'm a woodworker, so I have plenty of clamps to hold things in place until they set.  Also used some very thin staples where they wouldn't be seen - never alone, but in combination with the Loctite.
I have not had any issues with the rebuild yet.

I also used some regular old waterproof wood glue where appropriate, and some automotive trim adhesive to hold aluminum sheet onto the ceiling (backed that up with screws, too).
And I didn't use any Luan.  I had to special order quarter inch, veneer core plywood for internal assemblies.

As I said, I haven't worked on the outside, but if you have questions on a specific interior application, let me know.
 
What about aircraft epoxy like T88?  Works on wood, metal & plastic.  Thin enough it could be applied through a hole between laminated layers.  Not sure if it would attack styrofoam.  Aircraftspruce has it in pints.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 658 (members: 4, guests: 654)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,934
Posts
1,387,763
Members
137,684
Latest member
kstoybox
Back
Top Bottom