Hi all - and particularly those of you in the "Fixed it Club" from whose websites I have gleaned so much information over the past couple of days. I have a minor damp patch in the front offside corner of my 10 year old ABI Sprinter. On close inspection I can see the "awning" rail (it's off-side, so not actually the awning rail but you know what I mean) has come away slightly, right at the very front off-side corner, letting water in. The damage inside is very minimal indeed as I've spotted it early and I reckon a little wood hardener is all that's needed, if that. So my plan is to take off the rail and reseal it with mastic-on-a-roll. The screws all look in good condition so I am hoping it won't be too bad but this is my question - Must I remove the entire rail when it's only a tiny section at the front that is in trouble? Or could I very carefully cut the rail with my dremmel fitted with a cutting disc? I would then only be dealing with the last three feet or so of rail at the very front which would obviously be a much smaller job. I guess I would need to be careful to ensure a good, well sealed join when putting it back together, but do you think it's feasible? Or should I bite the bullet and take the whole thing off? Thanks in advance! (PS I will photograph the job and post it on my website - promise!)
Well done for spotting the problem early, that can make all the difference in this type of repair.
You could cut the rail, and save a little time on re-sealing the whole rail....but think about what caused the failure in the first place. The sealant under the rail failed, and the sealant under the remaining rail is just as old, and could fail any time too. Additionally, if you cut too deep when cutting the rail, and go through the skin of the van, you will have another potential leak. I would bite the bullet, and do the whole rail. At least that way you know for sure it is good.
It would make sense to do all the other rails too over the next summer or two, as the sealant is only really designed to last 5-10 years.
I agree with cara, chances are if part of the mastic has perished, the rest of it wont be too good either.
We have recently done all our rails (this is our 1st caravan, and we knew nothing about this kind of repair) It is easier than it appears, give it a thorough cleaning with white spirit, followed by wiping off the white spirit residue (this will attack the new mastic if left) with methalated spirit.
I'd agree with the other posts, do the entire rail, it's not an enormous job. Take your time, make sure you clean both the rail and the side of the van properly. Use the correct width of mastic and you might consider using Sikaflex or Soudal adhesive sealant on the top and bottom of the rail to seal it permanently. You can either run a thin bead of sealant along the edges of the rail before fitting it or leave the fixing screws loose when fitting the rail then run a bead into the gap. Remove excess with a cloth after you've tightened the screws.
If you want to you can do the other rails at your leisure.
Good Luck!
Apologies but can I hijack the thread for a second and ask if anyone knows where we can pick up awning rail around Stoke? We need a piece for our Dandy to attach a porch awning for short trips. These tips on fixing it on are very helpful!!
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Topic: Damp repairs - cutting awning rail
