If you own an Avan more than 7 years old, your burgundy vinyl stoneguard probably looks as bad as mine does. I have asked repairers and agents about it and the replies are all the same. Yes, it can be done if you are happy to spend around $1000 (which I'm not). I found some PVC coated exterior blind material in a very similar colour, and I would need to glue it in place and fit a 10mm grey vinyl retaining strip down each side. If anyone has been down this track and can advise me what sort of adhesive does the job, and generally how it was done I would be very appreciative.

Regards

Chris

Have you given any thought to replacing it with Aluminium Checker Plate instead, Chris  More life in that. 

Yes I changed mine on our Cruiseliner  using the   propeller plate Vinyl.   Silver (ally coloured) stuff you can get from Clarke's Rubber. I was going to do it in Aluminium sheet,   but Ellie says "Oohh this vinyl looks good why not use this"   I always Obey  even when I think "I don't really like this stuff".

 It was fairly easy to do.  Strip the fittings off and in the case of the Cruiseliner the Boot Lid.  Remove all the old Vinyl.   The boot lid is the trickiest bit if using non standard vinyl like the stuff I used.   However  This vinyl after a couple of years in the sun shrunk and was pulling out from the edging clamp strips and the Boot lid trim.

I stripped it all off again about four months ago and covered it with,    Five Bar Pattern Aluminium Tread plate  1 mm thick. 0.9mm would be easier if you are not used to working with sheet metal. You can just lay it an and form it to the profile of the van. 

Cost me about $80.00 for materials and about eight man hours to do the job. Although I did it Over three days as it was Summer (WA) and too hot to work outside after 10:30 AM.   Just take your time.

Tools used.  125 mm Angle grinder, Jig Saw,  Battery Drill, Drill Bits, Screwdriver Bits Hole Saw, Tape Measure, Fine Texter Marker, Stainless Screws (to replace the original ones) Pop Rivets for the boot lid.

Aluminium sheet came fro Ulrich Aluminium in Perth. 

Hi Stratman.

I got up one morning and painted mine, the paint I used was nothing special did the job people complimented on how it looked.

2nd part of story hail destroy it and insurance did a nice job on it, insurance guy just said yes its damaged by hail and I can see it was in good condition before it hailed and replaced it.

Hi Stratman.

My only problem is I am not sure which can of paint I grabbed possibly the gloss even my panel beater/spray painter brother didn't notice just said new front and moved on.

Stratman77 wrote:

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Hi, Mike!
I don't know what sort of original covering you had on the Cruiseliner, but I understand that my Avan has a burgundy vinyl glued to a foam 'underlay' which is glued to the van and the removal process is where a lot of the cost is as it all has to be scraped off and the surface sanded or ground smooth before you can apply new stuff. Maybe you can let me know how you removed the original covering.

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 Have a look at my Avatar.    The Burgundy stuff just peeled of no problems. I did not have much adhesive if any as I remember to worry about.  I certainly did not have any issues that way.

 I had already painted it about Three times with special (expensive) Vinyl Restorer Paint (Burgundy)    It did not last long  going dull and shabby after about  nine months.  My van by the way spends most of its life in the sun.

hHHi Stratman here is some before, after and after to look at.

The first one is the new vinyk.

Second is the faded old vinyl.

Third is when I painted it and I thought it would last for sometime but the hail ripped it in a couple of places.

I think at sometime the previous owner may of replaced the hatch door cover.

OK. I decided to give the paint a go. I brushed two coats of Dulux Weathershield gloss 'Indian Red' and it looks pretty good. Lets see if it stays on. If it does, great!