Symphony overcab locker removal

Hi all

After a moment's inattention, I've managed to damage the front of my Boxer Symphony by driving into a low height barrier. The damage is not huge, a couple of dents and gouges in the glass fibre but the repairer says the only way to be sure of a proper repair is to fix it from the inside. To do this I need to remove the headlining in the overcab locker and it would seem that, to do this, I'll need to dismantle the locker unit itself first.

As might be expected, there are a number of screws and fixings spread throughout that area (inside and outside the cupboard space) and my approach is probably going to be to try to undo everything in sight but, before that, I wondered if anyone has any advice on a better way to go about removing the unit please (e.g. a logical sequence or any shortcuts)? Many thanks for any help, as ever.

Pat[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

I've never owned a Symphony, but I had a similar A/S conversion (on a Transit), and it was probably the same construction.

If so, the overcab locker is not a "unit" as such, but just a front panel with a door in it. The ceiling and side headlinings are continuous from van into locker, with no joins. I ~think~ A/S do it like this so that it's exactly the same headlining panels whether they fit a locker or an overcab bed.

So the front panel should be easy to remove - just remove the door (to make the rest easier to handle) and then take out the screws inside the panel that go upward into the ceiling and downward into the cab roof - it should then just come straight out.

The bad bit (if it's like my Flair) is that you then have to remove the complete side panel on each side, and the complete headlining. I did consider cutting the headlining, but it was obvious that if I did it could not be rejoined without leaving an unsightly joint. That complete panel was quite difficult to remove, and needed to be carefully bent to get it out of the van!

[Edit: perhaps I'm remembering that wrong - I'm certain that the side panels were one piece on both sides, but perhaps the headlining was two panels. If so, the main panel overlapped over the one inside the locker, so it wasn't possible to get the inside one out with removing the main headlining...]

Hello Pat,

Terry Hammond is the man you need to speak too.( username here is newterry )

I’m sure he won’t mind me sharing this info that he gave me late last year -
Our vans are the Peugeot Harmony but I’m sure it’s the same:

Quote from Terry -

I've attached some photos of the bulkhead removed and the dropped down cargo net, as you can see it opens up the overcab for much easier use. However, there are around 25-30 screws to remove that attach the bulkhead to the roof which can only be done by feel as you can't see them through the flap.

The upper side rails need to be loosened and its 2 man job to lift the bulkhead away to be stored safely. I would suggest re-inserting some of the existing screws (only) back into their holes to stop the roof liner from sagging. any longer screws risk piercing the outer skin.

Also don't be tempted to 'stuff' the space into the leading edge as it will risk detachment of the hi-top from the van body- yes it happened to me on a previous van!

*** I would think carefully before going to all that trouble though, if the damage is limited I’d be tempted to repair yourself with a fibreglass repair kit. I bought one last year on Amazon ( Upol Isopon brand ) very easy to follow instructions, if a little messy WEAR GLOVES. Give it 2 or 3 layers between drying and keep an eye on it for water leaks.

Either way good luck and recommend a bright yellow sticker on the dash with the height of your van printed on it.

Paul

after a repair on the inside with fibreglass repair kit the out side is filled with a gelcoat filler and this seals the repair to make it water tight

Roopert wrote:I've never owned a Symphony, but I had a similar A/S conversion (on a Transit), and it was probably the same construction.

If so, the overcab locker is not a "unit" as such, but just a front panel with a door in it. The ceiling and side headlinings are continuous from van into locker, with no joins. I ~think~ A/S do it like this so that it's exactly the same headlining panels whether they fit a locker or an overcab bed.

So the front panel should be easy to remove - just remove the door (to make the rest easier to handle) and then take out the screws inside the panel that go upward into the ceiling and downward into the cab roof - it should then just come straight out.

The bad bit (if it's like my Flair) is that you then have to remove the complete side panel on each side, and the complete headlining. I did consider cutting the headlining, but it was obvious that if I did it could not be rejoined without leaving an unsightly joint. That complete panel was quite difficult to remove, and needed to be carefully bent to get it out of the van!

[Edit: perhaps I'm remembering that wrong - I'm certain that the side panels were one piece on both sides, but perhaps the headlining was two panels. If so, the main panel overlapped over the one inside the locker, so it wasn't possible to get the inside one out with removing the main headlining...]

Thanks, Roopert. I read this yesterday (before I saw the other replies) and I had a go at removing the front panel but found it is trapped by the upper side rails even after all the ceiling and cab roof screws have been removed. I can also see the headlining is two panels, overlapping as described in your last paragraph, so whichever way you look at it it isn't going to be a straightforward job. Must admit the cutting option did also cross my mind early on but that really would have to be a last resort and I've now got everyone else's suggestions (which I'll reply to separately) to consider before it comes to that.

Manz801 wrote:but found it is trapped by the upper side rails

Ah yes - Paul240z mentions this and I had forgotten. It all felt quite non-trivial while I was doing it, but you have to just keep at it and take lots of photos, so that when (eventually) it's apart, you know how it goes back together!

On mine I can remember some other frustrating features - one of which was that the side panel on one side had obviously been put in before the wardrobe was fitted, and it overlapped it! So it needed a bit of judicial work with a chisel to get out...

Paul240z wrote:Hello Pat,

Terry Hammond is the man you need to speak too.( username here is newterry )

I’m sure he won’t mind me sharing this info that he gave me late last year -
Our vans are the Peugeot Harmony but I’m sure it’s the same:

Quote from Terry -

I've attached some photos of the bulkhead removed and the dropped down cargo net, as you can see it opens up the overcab for much easier use. However, there are around 25-30 screws to remove that attach the bulkhead to the roof which can only be done by feel as you can't see them through the flap.

The upper side rails need to be loosened and its 2 man job to lift the bulkhead away to be stored safely. I would suggest re-inserting some of the existing screws (only) back into their holes to stop the roof liner from sagging. any longer screws risk piercing the outer skin.

Also don't be tempted to 'stuff' the space into the leading edge as it will risk detachment of the hi-top from the van body- yes it happened to me on a previous van!

*** I would think carefully before going to all that trouble though, if the damage is limited I’d be tempted to repair yourself with a fibreglass repair kit. I bought one last year on Amazon ( Upol Isopon brand ) very easy to follow instructions, if a little messy WEAR GLOVES. Give it 2 or 3 layers between drying and keep an eye on it for water leaks.

Either way good luck and recommend a bright yellow sticker on the dash with the height of your van printed on it.

Paul

Thanks Paul (and, indirectly, Terry!). I had been puzzling over how the bulkhead could be removed once the screws were out but this post confirms the upper side rails will need to be loosened. In my case, I think this might then necessitate removing the cupboard over the sink as the rail extends underneath that. I'm also a little concerned that to get the rail out of the way it would have to be rotated at least 90 degrees (see picture) and this might well damage the fabric where it 'hinges' at the bottom. Then I've still got to get the headlining out, of course. 

All things considered, I'm getting more and more tempted to either see if my repairer would be willing to do just an external repair (don't think he'd guarantee against water ingress in that case) or have a go at it myself, although access to the sloping edge of the roof where the damage is is not going to be easy either. (My only experience of working with fibreglass was on my first car, a Triumph Spitfire, back in 1980, which I seem to remember didn't go all that well!).

(As far as the sticker on the dash goes, when I bought the van the dealer suggested exactly the same thing - I just never got around to it. I'm regretting that now!

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Cheers
Pat

IanH wrote:I'd visit a boat builder first, one who makes GRP boats of course.
If it can be repaired from outside, then a hell of a lot of work could be avoided?

Thanks, IanH. That's a thought I hadn't had. There's a marina about 10 miles from me so I'll make some enquiries there; they ought to be specialists in making things watertight! The more I look into this, the more I agree with your comment about avoiding the work though!

Cheers
Pat

glyne lock wrote:after a repair on the inside with fibreglass repair kit the out side is filled with a gelcoat filler and this seals the repair to make it water tight

Thanks, Glyne. This accords with what the repairer told me. Don't think they'll be keen to give any guarantees otherwise.

Hi all

Just to conclude this, I've had a bit of a result. I decided to press on with the dismantling of the locker given the information everyone provided but, after eventually removing the locker front and side rails, I found that the roof lining boards are so far overlapped that getting any further without considerably more work wasn't going to be possible. I reluctantly concluded that an external repair was my only practicable option and resigned myself to getting the damp meter out regularly in future as the repairer confirmed he couldn't guarantee such a repair.   

However, when he started work he found that the vehicle in the affected area is double-skinned and I'd managed to stop just in time to avoid puncturing the inner skin - a distance of no more than a couple of centimetres! Removing the lining on the inside would have been completely unnecessary as it turned out. He could therefore fill the hole using the inner skin as a base and has now guaranteed it. Just got to get the inside of the van back together now then before we get away on our next trip!    

Thanks for all the help received.
Pat

Thanks for the update - that's interesting and unexpected! I guess A/S must have made it double skinned at the front for extra rigidity - I can't think of any other reason.

I'm not surprised that you decided to stop when you did. I only kept going with mine because I had several things that all needed doing at the same time (inc. resealing the side windows) so having to take the lot out seemed unavoidable.