Easy RV Camper Ceiling Repair

This is an easy way to update the ceiling in your RV or pop up camper. This project will work to cover up a discolored or water-damaged ceiling inside a camper, or to just give the ugly ceiling some interest with a designer look.

After rebuilding and repairing our water damaged pop up camper roof, we were stuck with a camper ceiling that had started to peel off from the water damage. We needed a way to cosmetically fix the ugly ceiling inside the camper. Vinyl ceiling tiles were the perfect choice for this project. They are lightweight, easy to apply and have the ability to completely change the look of the inside of a camper or RV!

Deciding to Update an RV Ceiling

Currently, most camper ceilings are made from thin Luan plywood covered with a wallpaper panel, usually in a white, textured look. The purpose of this ceiling layer is to cover the foam panel that is inside the camper roof and give it a finished look. It’s generally pretty boring, but doesn’t necessarily need to be updated if the ceiling is in good shape.

However, sometimes the ceiling of a RV or pop-up camper can become damaged which can become an eyesore on the look of the interior of a camper. More often than not, this damaged is caused by water.

If there is a minor leak in the roof, water can seep in over time and will slowly begin to penetrate the Luan plywood. Usually the first sign of a minor roof leak isn’t dripping inside of the camper, but instead you’ll notice some warping or wrinkling of the white ceiling layer. The water in the wet plywood destroys the glue in the ceiling wallpaper and it begins to pull away from the plywood.

Of course, water damage can also cause discoloration of the white ceiling or the wallpaper layer will begin to pull away completely from the ceiling. In all of these cases, the first step is to find and fix the source of the leak and then to repair any structural damage. Once that has been tackled, you can give the interior ceiling a cosmetic facelift without removing and replacing the whole ceiling panel.

Meet Our Ugly Pop-Up Camper Ceiling

Back in 2017 I purchased this 1994 pop-up camper for cheap, cheap, cheap. I got what I paid for, because the roof was completely rotted away and needed to be rebuilt. This post gives the full tutorial on what we did to rebuild the pop up camper roof.

Once we rebuilt the roof and made sure it was watertight, I wanted to update the ceiling so it didn’t look absolutely disgusting. I peeled away the white wallpaper material that was already loose, and then found a way to cover that ugly water damaged ceiling up.

OPtions to Update a Camper Ceiling

When trying to cover up and hide the ugly damage to a camper ceiling, there are a few different options that will work. It’s important to consider the weight of the material, because all of this weight will be added to the overall weight of the trailer. Some of those RV ceiling ideas include:

• Vinyl glue-up ceiling panels
• Adhesive vinyl flooring
• Wood paneling
• Wood flooring or planks
• Paint with texture
• Fabric

I have a full post that shows all of these amazing RV ceiling ideas in one place!

This post will describe the step by step process on how to add vinyl ceiling panels to the ceiling of your camper, because I found it to be a lightweight and easy to install solution.

How to Install Plastic Ceiling Tiles in a Camper

Supplies:

• Fascade 2′ x 4′ vinyl ceiling panels
• Fascade j-trim (optional – see information about j-trim below)
• Loctite Power Grab Ultimate Construction Adhesive

Fascade is a company that makes decorative ceiling tiles that can either be placed into drop ceilings or used as glue up panels. They are made of vinyl and therefore very lightweight and can also be easily cut using scissors or a utility knife. They are available in white, but also many metallic colors to resemble the look of tin, copper, or other metal antique ceilings but for a fracture of the price.

Fascade ceiling panels are available at all major home improvement stores including Home Depot, Lowes and Menards, as well as online through Amazon (here’s a slightly different ceiling tile design from Amazon), Overstock and DIYdecorstore.com.

It’s hard to find a deal on these ceiling tiles, as almost all of the retailers sell a pack of 5 for $145 (which is $3.63 per square foot). Menards sells these tiles individually, which is beneficial so you can purchase exactly the number that you need. At Menards, a 2’x4′ panel costs $21 putting the price per square foot at $2.63. I’d recommend shopping at Menards for this project!

Measure and Plan the Ceiling Layout

Measure the length and width of the ceiling in your camper. To achieve professional looking results, it’s recommended to have equal cut pieces on each side of the room. That way, the pattern is centered in the middle of the room with even amounts being cut off on all sides. This tutorial from DIYdecorstore.com describes exactly how to measure and plan the layout of the room. You can also get away with just eyeballing it by laying tiles on the floor or holding them up to see where they will lay when installed on the ceiling. (This is what I ended up doing and it worked fine!)

To cut the panels, simply use a pair of scissors or a straight edge with a utility knife. I prefer to cut only my first panel (which will be the panel in the far left corner of the camper) and then cut each panel as I need them. This gives some forgiveness if the room isn’t perfectly even, you can adjust those cuts later on.

Install J-Trim Around Perimeter of Ceiling (optional)

It is optional to use the J-trim for installation. The only purpose of these pieces of trim is to give a clean, finished edge along the edge of the ceiling. They do not provide structure or support for holding up the tiles. All of this will be achieved with adhesive in the next step.

You could also choose to use thin pieces of wood, quarter round, or any other trim pieces to frame out the edge of the ceiling as well. OR, as long as you make even cuts, you can probably get away without any trim pieces and it will still look nice!

To install the j-trim, first clean the back of the piece with some rubbing alcohol. Then, apply a 1/8″ bead of adhesive to the back and place on the edge of the ceiling. Use small pin nails to secure the trim in place.

Glue Ceiling Tiles to RV Ceiling

Lay the first panel (which will likely be cut down to size based on your initial planning layout) in the back, left corner of the room (if you are standing in the doorway).

It’s recommended to wipe the back of each ceiling panel with a bit of rubbing alcohol to ensure the surface is clean and will accept the adhesive well.

Apply a 1/8″ bead of Loctite Power Grab Ultimate Construction Adhesive to the back of the first panel, along the edges and making an X across the center of the panel. Place the panel on the ceiling and hold in place for a couple of seconds, apply slight pressure to the panel, especially where the adhesive was applied.

Continue gluing up the panels along the back edge of the ceiling, using the same technique. The how-to guide for installing glue up tiles from DIYdecorstore.com is a great supplemental resource for this project. Plus, these directions will also be included with your tiles.

As you install the panels, each one will overlap the previous row slightly, by about 1/2″. This area will be easy to see on the tiles, making a perfect, even installation very easy to achieve.

It was such an easy project, and it completely transformed the look of the space.  I think it looks as good as new; what do you think?

Can I use a different kind of adhesive?

I would strongly recommend using the Loctite adhesive I linked in this post. It’s also the adhesive recommended by Fascade company as well. I ran out of my first tube and decided to use a different brand of adhesive that was supposedly quick grab.  Let’s just say I had ceiling panels falling on my head while a few choice words flew out of my mouth.  I had to grab another tube of Loctite adhesive before I could finish!

Do the ceiling tiles stay up over time and changing seasons?

I completed this project five years ago and the ceiling tiles stayed up on the ceiling for all of that time. I live outside of Chicago, where our winters are pretty cold and our summers still get hot and humid. With all of these temperature fluctuations, I was a bit worried that the tiles would start falling, but they never did!

I sold the camper two years ago, so unfortunately I can’t speak to how well they will hold up beyond the five year mark. If they did start to fall, I planned to just reapply the adhesive, and also add some pin nails into each corner of every panel for extra holding power.

Use these vinyl tiles for a backsplash update!

Fascade makes the same pattern of tiles, in a slightly thicker material, that can be used for backsplashes.  However, I think the ceiling tiles would work just as well for a backsplash, however, they will have a larger tile pattern which might look a little odd on a backsplash. I used the Fascade vinyl backsplash panel to update the backsplash in my pop-up camper by painting the raised edges in black.

Full Pop-Up Camper Tour

You can see the full reveal of this 1994 pop-up camper remodel project here!