RIPPLING "WOOD EFFECT" LAMINATE OVER HEATER AND FRIDGE !!

[Paulpro]

Our van is an Elddis Odyssey 524 L which we really like. We've noticed that the "wood effect" laminate over the Truma Fire and also over the Fridge have been rippling up/coming away from the wooden base layer underneath. This seems to have been caused by inadequate glue between the two layers which causes the lifting effect when the fridge or fire are used.

I've had some success using an iron to flatten out the rippling and re-stick the laminate but it just seems to keep coming away again.

Has anyone else noticed this problem and have they found a different solution ? As far as I am aware there isn't a problem with the fire or fridge over heating ( recent service) - just poor adhesive.

 

[whitetop]

I had a similar problem in a previous caravan.....on a pop-up shelf.......

Careful use of a heat gun to soften the glue and remove the laminate....light sanding....then coat with one of those super strong type adhesives.....I think it was Evo-Stick...(the type where you smear both surfaces and leave till tacky)...

Then re-fitted using one of those wallpaper seam rollers....the solid type....and a barely warm iron.....

I kept the caravn about 3 yrs after that and no repeat...

Hope this helps......

 

[Ray R]

Hi Paul, We have a Elddis avante 524 and we have also suffered the same problem, as you say over the heater and also on a small section over the cooker and also in one of the bed boxes above one of the heater ducts.

I queried this with the dealer when I had the van serviced last December to be told nothing could be done, I was not very happy with this response as the van is only just over 2 years old and it does detract from the overall appearence of the van.

 

[Paulpro]

Thanks for your reply to this infuriating problem. I bet if quite a few of our caravanning friends care to look more closely at their vans they too will see the damage. Whilst away over Easter for 5 days recently the laminate over the fridge started to come away again. So I have just removed the fixing screws, pulled the fridge out slightly to show what a poor finish there is underneath. Using the small travel iron doesn't seem to work anymore as the glue has dried out too much. I have therefore had to resort to using Super Glue which is supplied with a small brush, gradually and carefully working my way along the unstuck laminate to fix it back into place.It now looks OK with the fridge back in place but will it last ?