I had a similar conundrum when doing my vito interior - in the end I chose both options depending on panel placement
- door panels - which you are likely to have to remove to get to mechanisms etc are usually held in place by plastic re-usable rivets - remove the panel, spray the panel up with plenty of quality spray glue - cover with carpet - smoothed out by hand/with a roller as applied.
I chose not to wrap the edges on these and instead trimmed back to the edge with a single edge razor blade ( watch those fingers!) - by not wrapping the edges it means you don't create too much extra thickness on the panels and can then refit using original trim clips (after trimming out the carpet that covers the pre-existing holes) - this gives a "factory" look on removable panels.
Anything structural or which will remain in situ I carpeted in place in the van - this allows you to cover and account for any panel gaps etc and gives imo a nicer overall look to the finished product, in places where cables had been run that I may need to get to - due to my design I was able to have removable access panels hidden within cupboard - or could still gain access by removing a speaker etc - though this is a fairly basic conversion - I worked on the principal that its pretty unlikely to need to replace an entire wire or cable - so access to fuses, connectors etc was all that is necessary ( if a cable needs to be re run I will do it by attaching new cable to the old and pulling through which saves hassle anyway
) - again edges can be finished in situ with a steady hand and a sharp blade - as suggested earlier most window trims will have enough movement in them to allow tucking the edge behind with a bit of gentle leverage
Having spent 4 years retrimming Mercedes and BMW interiors I can say that the main thing to remember is - don't be shy with the spray glue!
pre heating the can gently with a hot air gun/ hairdryer until its warm to the touch helps
(ONLY WARM TO THE TOUCH - NEVER OVERHEAT A PRESSURISED CONTAINER)
- make sure you spray it from about 12 inches away using even strokes
( if necessary use a piece of card or similar to mask off any areas you don't want covered in glue)
- you should be aiming for it to look like a spider web with an even coverage and no gaps near any panel edges to prevent it peeling back at a later date
- ideally you should leave the glue until its tacky to the touch before applying the carpet
- don't be tempted to put the carpet straight on as the glue takes a while to "set"
- this works way better in a warm environment than cold - so if you have a workshop/garage then great
- if you are doing it outside in these temps then id suggest a hot air gun or even a hair dryer to give the glue a quick blast as you wait for it to become tacky.
for large areas being covered in one piece make sure you have someone handy to help - and that they understand how you will be fitting it - it never hurts to do a "dry run" without glue to see how you will manouver the carpet and yourselves within a confined space
Again - for large areas, don't glue the entire surface at once or you will have a wrestling match on your hands with the carpet - instead glue up in sections say 1-2 ft width but full height - this allows you to position it evenly as you go along
most spray glues will not bond instantly - so if you get ripples/positioning wrong there is normally plenty of time to gently pull the carpet back and re apply - so don't panic!
I bought my carpet and glue from Ebay - plenty of options out there - ideally you want a carpet that is reasonably thin - which will allow stretching in both directions for those awkward corners, if you have to cut and fold corners- again - work out how you will do it before applying the glue , just think of it like wrapping a present and you can't go far wrong - leave an excess an trim back once finished - you can always take a bit more off - but you can't add it back on!
take your time, practice on scraps of carpet and wood before you start, plenty of sharp blaeds and most important - give yourself a pat on the back once you finish for your newly found skill!
good luck!
