Hi all,
I bought this van last year. On a much closer inspection, I have recently found a couple of leaks in both corners to the floor at the rear. :(
Looks like a poor awning rail seal/repair was the culprit. There a while by the look of the damage. Slow n steady ingress. Water has damaged the corners of the wallboard (frame) at the rear, perhaps 30-40cm vertical and horizontal from the bottom corner. The damaged area has to be replaced.
Water had also lodged along the cross member where the stabilisers are bolted to the floor. Sections will have to be replaced.
I also found ingress on the floor, which meets the wallboard, next to the toilet/shower. Again, it's been happening for a long time given the state of the timber in the affected area. Is it possible that the plumbing is leaking, toilet flush system maybe? It's a Thetford system.
We've had it covered since we purchased it. Slowly drying out. Can't see any new leaks. Gas heater and Dehumidifier on the go, but it's a bad time of the year for efficient drying.
My question is, does anyone have access/privy to the floor and wallboard schematics/diagrams? I'd love to get a proper picture of the framework, see how best we carry out the repair work. We have a carpenter in the family...
I would love to hear from anyone who may have had similar issues and how they went about the repairs.
(P.S, it was a private sale, so no real comeback. That ship has sailed.)
I can't help with any diagrams, but I would suggest that you purchase a damp meter so that you can check the whole van. If the caravan has been serviced there should be a damp report as part of the service. If you can see damage then the water ingress has been happening for some time. A damp meter will alert you to ingress before any more damage becomes visible.
As the owner of a 2011 Xplore 495 I would pay particular attention to the area around the large front window. The rail above the window covering the joint between the roof and the front panel is a known weakness and may need resealing.
A friend of mine had a 2018 18tb elddis which had suffered from water ingress due to failure/lack of sealant on roof to front rail panel.The remedial work involved removal of window and seal,removal of Rh+L/h side and lower window frame,plywood timber corner braces.Roof rail resealed.Left to dry any dampness up and then all timbers for frame replaced seal and window refitted
I strongly suggest that in the first instance you get the caravan serviced by a reputable AWS technician. They will be able to identify any issues and will also do a damp report.
Hi and welcome to the forum. Sound advice from iank01, get the professionals to do a whole caravan damp test including a written report so that you can see the big picture and then concentrate on the areas that need immidiate attention. It's a pity it wasn't done before you had the dehimidifier on but it is what it is.
As for floor plan you may not be as lucky with Elddis as I was with Bailey, they have been excellent over the years in giving me wall and ceiling layout plans. However, the battens may well be held in place with nails so you could detect them that way, a bit more tedious but doable.
The good thing is most things are fixable so long as you can do it yourself as dealer labour costs are a different story.
Dave.
------------- Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you on experience.
Mark Twain.
I just want to thank everyone who replied to my post. I've since found the "problem" area where the ingress occurred. It didn't register until I went to replace the number plate bulbs. As I was removing the screws, water was pouring down the screw. Not where you'd expect water to be.... The terminals and connections were literally rotted with rust. Water had entered the caravan from the top of the "bumper/lights" assembly. Once I applied a generous amount of Sika, the problem was solved. Dry as a board since. I have uncovered it for over a month since realising this, and it's perfect. I now need to repair the timberwork within and remove/replace any wood with extensive wet rot. Anxiety levels are back to normal. :)
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Topic: Elddis Xplore 506 (2012) - Water ingress
via mobile 04/3/2024 at 7:41pm
