Carpet lining- how long does it take?

[Cuiken]

I've read about the slam vents but, I'll be honest, don't fully understand their function. As a result, I did not give them huge consideration.

That said, because I used the OEM panels, the only thing covering the slam vent is the carpet. The carpet is far from airtight so I guess I'm getting away with it.

 

[JOG]

I used carpet from The metal House:

Welcome to The Metal House

The Metal House stock over 400 different Seals, Extrusions & Trims plus Camper & Van Conversion Products. All available with fast shipping.

themetalhouse.co.uk

It seemed to work pretty well. Only gripe is that it does 'fluff up' a bit in locations where it sees a lot of contact. For example, where our daughter rubs her foot against the sliding door panel when she's bored on long journeys.

I used a mixture of products including glue and carpet from The Metal House, clips from Transporter HQ and Megavanmats, poly insulation from Kiravan and sound deadening and foil backed 10mm self adhesive foam from dodo.

Initially I also used self adhesive foam from The Metal House but, unfortunately, the product was terrible. It was too stiff to form around the shapes in the body work and the adhesive 'let go' after an hour or so. Basically, it all fell off. That's when I ordered the dodo foam and, man, what a difference. A far, far, far (I can't overstate this) superior product.

To that end, I am curious if there are higher quality carpet options out there. The Metal House stuff was not particularly cheap and it was easy to work with but it's a lesser known brand. Maybe I'd go with Kiravan or another bigger brand next time (out of curiosity as much as anything).

I used the OEM panels with a mixture of clips:

Sliding door - Hidden fixing clips from Megavanmats.

Tailgate - Original fixing clips. On balance, I might use these on the sliding doors next time as I have picked up a niggly central locking issue and the hidden clips are going to be a pain when I remove the panel to investigate.

Side panels in the rear - Hidden clips for most and just two of the 'long' clips from Transporter HQ in the two locations where you are clipping to a piece of L bracket steel (you'll find these when you remove the panels.

Roof panels - Long clips from TransporterHQ with the exception of two spots where there is not enough space. Here I reused originals.

Rear seat belt covers - Long clips from TransporterHQ.

Can't stress enough the importance of creating neat holes for the clips to pass through in the metal work. Where I did not do this, the clips where a total PITA to fasten. As previously said, I sacrificed an old soldering iron to melt neat holes in the carpet.

Anyway, probably enough detail there to bore you to death. Hope some of it is useful.

Cheers.

A seriously good write-up - really informative and encouraging for others who may be nervous about taking the plunge.

Thank you for taking the time to post all the info in such an easy to read way. If there was a “Required Reading” section - this post should go there!!!

Well done!

 

[ma77y]

Slam vents reduce pressure build up when closing vehicle doors, if you limit their function by carpeting, insulating or sound deadening the area you may have problems closing doors properly.

 

[bobbybasic]

The devil is in the detail, which many skip over which is why your thorough write up was of great interest to all (especially those of us wanting to take the plunge but afraid of the unknown). Advice much appreciated.
One other question, how did you finish the slam vent holes at either side of the tailgate? The oem panels don't even cover these fully on mine- see photo.

View attachment 135449

I think the best thing to do is make a cardboard template and extend the panel round the contours of the wheel arch and closer to the floor, then recut a new piece of 3mm ply using the template as a guide.

If you wanted to add a slam vent then there is this option, which would look neat imo.

VW Transporter Interior Slam Vent T5 T5.1 T6 Left Hand Side | eBay

<p>This is a Left hand side interior vent for your VW T5 / T5.1 / T6 / T6.1 load compartment. It finishes off this area perfectly, especially if you are carpet lining the interior. These vents are necessary to allow the air pressure to leave the cabin when shutting the doors.</p><br><p>It is 3D...

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Eclipse Custom Vans]

Series of holes in OEM panels are for the slam vent and this coupled with the vent behind the bumper allows air to escape when closing doors. If you stuff insulation down behind the wheel arch you may restrict airflow, the sliding door hard to close (just open passenger door slightly, shut sliding door and then close passenger door, simples). Just don’t block the

We make a small fillet piece to cover in the bottom of the rear panels below the slam vents and glue this in place before carpeting.