I just recently this past July moved into a new home. I've been slowly trying to fix it up as I go and I've hit a wall with the Bathroom. First off the house is very old, I dont know the exact year but the living room, Bathroom and Kitchen and one of the Bedrooms have this thin board covering the walls. There is no drywall behind them (I've checked) I got lucky and the Kitchen didn't have a finish or wallpaper, but not so lucky with the Bathroom.

The Bathroom is in this horrible Purple, Green and White, Gold wallpaper where the walls are completely split in two with a metal runner that is covered by a wallpaper boarder by the previous owners. The top half the walls are covered with a textured wallpaper and the bottom half is a vinyl contact paper that is my best guess. Where around the shower tub area they placed floor tiles on the walls. (headaches from it already its disgusting)

I've felt the walls behind where the wallpaper has peeled away and its very slick, makes me wonder how they got the paper to stick. I know I have to remove the paper and I cant paint over it but I've searched everywhere and I am really confused on what to do.

I dont want to try and remove the paper and ruin the board behind it knowing there is no drywall and then be out the money replacing walls, But I cannot leave it up and paint over it. How do I remove it and not damage the thin wall behind it?

Also I've read so many things saying you can paint over vinyl, some saying you cant, do I have to rough it up first? Do I have to attack it with a blow dryer and slowly peel it away? Or can I use Kilz over it then paint?