Marathon Plus - Tweed Fabric Heat-Welded to 1/8" Closed-Cell Foam

Fabric and padding in one pass. It cuts the wall panel process roughly in half, and it is the reason our shop stopped buying foam and tweed separately.

Upholstering van wall panels the traditional way is two operations: glue 1/8" foam to the panel, wait, then wrap the fabric. Marathon Plus is Marathon Tweed already heat-welded to 1/8" closed-cell Landau foam, so it is one operation. You wrap once.

The foam is not just filler. Closed-cell cross-linked polyethylene at 2 lb/ft³ adds genuine sound and vibration damping and a thermal break, and it hides the small imperfections in a panel edge that a bare fabric wrap would telegraph. It is also why the finished surface looks smooth rather than showing every screw head behind it.

Where this fabric belongs in a van — and where it does not

• Buy Marathon Plus if you are doing more than one or two panels and you value your time. The adhesive saving alone is usually worth the price difference.
• Buy plain Marathon Tweed instead if you are covering something that must stay thin, or if you have already bought foam.
• Order in multiples of 15 yards. It is sold in 15 yd rolls — add 15, 30, 45 yards and so on to get correct roll pricing.
• Check the Oat color restriction before you order that shade.

How it is sold

General shipping is calculated at checkout. Screens lie about color. Monitor calibration, ambient light and camera processing all shift what you see, and dye lots vary slightly batch to batch. Order a physical sample before committing to a whole van — it costs a few dollars and saves a repeat order.

Specifications

The foam layer is what gives this material its sound-damping and thermal qualities. It is also useful around window frames, where 1/8" of closed-cell padding takes the hard edge off a metal return.

What you receive

• Marathon Plus, cut to the roll quantity ordered, 54" wide with the foam already bonded

Working with it

Treat it as fabric with a built-in underlay. Cut it 3–4" oversize, lay it face down, panel on top, pull and staple from the center of each edge outward.

The one adjustment from plain tweed: the foam bulks the corners. Notch the foam away at each corner before you fold, or you will get a lump under the wrap. A sharp blade and a shallow cut through the foam only, not the face, is all it takes.

• Cut 3–4" oversize; wrap and staple as normal.
• Notch the foam out of the corners before folding — cut the foam, not the face.
• Non-stretch: square the weave before the first staple.
• Also useful as padding around window frames and hard returns.
• Store rolls standing on end or hanging, not lying flat under weight — compressed foam takes a set.

Questions we get asked about this part

How much do I need?

Measure each panel, add 3–4 inches on every side for wrapping and stapling, lay the shapes out on a 54" wide strip on paper, and count the linear yards. Then add ten percent. Every upholsterer we know has run out on the last panel at least once, and dye lots do not match perfectly between orders.

Why does it have to be ordered in 15 yard increments?

Because it is manufactured and priced by the roll. Ordering 15, 30 or 45 yards gets you whole rolls at the correct per-yard price; ordering an odd quantity does not.

Is the face fabric the same as plain Marathon Tweed?

Yes — same 100% polyolefin woven tweed, same UV-stabilized yarns, same certifications. The difference is the 1/8" closed-cell foam bonded to the back.

Why is Oat handled differently?

Oat is stocked separately. It is available for general shipping, or by custom invoice for pickup in Denver, CO. If you want Oat and you were planning to collect in Portland, contact us before ordering.

Pairs well with

• Marathon Tweed Fabric
• Nassimi Moxie PVC Coated Fabric
• Van conversion interior materials

Sold and shipped by Campervan Parts R Us, the parts counter of Noke Van Co. — a working van conversion shop in Roanoke, Virginia. If you are unsure whether this fits your van, email us the year, model and wheelbase and we will check it against a build sheet before you order.