If you've got the time and inclination to paper etc, then go down the ply route.
We bought wallboard as we only had a metre squared bit to replace and wanted a colour match. Really pleased with the finished look. Unless you are looking for it, you wouldn't notice.
We went with PU sealant. Bought the cheap PU sealant off ebay that wizard recommends and used Sikaflex externally. Go Outdoors was the cheapest supplier at the time. But think you need non setting stuff for the window rubbers.
The information I've been reading on sealants and mastics is definitely cobfusing. Some say sikaflex, others fix all, and others caraflax IDL 99.
Mixed reports of the effectiveness of each caraflax being reported as not great under windows, fixall being a sealant rather than a mastic and sikaflex being rather dear.
Yes it is a huge minefield. Lots of different opinions. We went for PU sealant, as does everything, seals and sticks and good at both. When I was seaking advice along came a chap that knew a lot about boats. I figured if PU was good enough for a boat, it was good enough for a bit of rain on a damp caravan.
Go with your gut and stick with it. Literally ha ha.
Hi Steve, I used the vans existing polystyrene way back then, I knew nothing about caravans, but I was good at DIY, had 3 kids at school age, no money for the things needed, and at that time there was not much choice in materials, hardboard was not the best choice but I had to make do with what I could get, thankfully there are loads of different materials that can be used now.
My Ace globetrotter originally did have thin hardboard interior walls and roof, and found it difficult to get same thin sheet to replace old ones.
I have not had to do any big projects like that for some time now, so not up to date with all the new stuff available.
By all your replies from the good members on here and their good advice, the choices seam to be mindboggling, take a little time to weight up the pros and cons of the materials needed to suit your needs an budget.
On my present van I all did the rails, skylights, and vents with W4 Mastic Sealing Strip, found that not as messy as tube counterparts, took off old non setting sealant (messy job)with White spirit, wiped down work area of van with mentholated spirits, applied the strip, screwed on the rails, trimmed the squeezed out excess from rails and vents, again cleaned off any sticky residue with, spirits and meth's. I did use non setting sealant between van skin and framework of van and the overlapping joints of skin as an extra precaution, then applied the strip as above.
------------- If everything runs smoothly then I must have done something wrong
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Topic: buy wallboard or can i make it myself?
