Hi, I thought this might be of interest to some of you and in return you could perhaps lend a bit of moral support.
Last year the wife talked me into getting a caravan, we bought a 1990 Avondale Leda Cheviot and proceded to have 4 very pleasant trips out with it. Unfortunately this spring we found some damp in the front corner... and well one thing has led to another.
It's not just damp in the front corner, the entire batten behind the joining rail was rotten front to back.
Leaving some very nice holes behind it.
Obviously somebody had decided to attempt a repair, or is that bodge to decieve the unsuspecting muppet of a buyer (that'd be me).
Though I'm not sure nails are a recognised method of caravan repair!
Removing the above pigs ear revealed this.
Now I have a wife and 2 small kids really looking forward to a two week break in Devon, booked for August the 12th. Before then I have to replace the batten down the side, strip out and fix the front corner (and whatever else I find), fix the colander around the front window, fix 2 window frames, repanel the back (another story there), side and whatever I take off the front. Redecorate (the wallboards are no longer available),refit the interior, repaint the exterior and reseal the whole thing! Luckily I've taken some time off but I think I have my work cut out. What are the odds?
I'm pretty new here so hopefully the picture links work!
dont worry mate , i,m in the same boat at the moment , it sounds like a tall order to get it finished by then .but good luck to you . wizard will be along soon .top man ,
You have my sympathy!! You have a lot to do on a tight time schedule. You are going to need a few days to concentrate on the "big bit" of this job!!
Think carefully about what needs done, what materials you need and what tools you need. Divide the job into sections and tackle them one at a time. Gather everything you need for phase 1 before you start, and whilst doing phase 1 think about phase 2 etc. It is great to see phase 1 complete and move on to phase 2.....a real moral lift!!
If you run into trouble, take time out, have a beer, post the problem on here and someone will be about to help!
There is nothing that cant be achieved if you are determined enough
Hi Keith , looks like you've got the job well on the go , some good news for you , this is fixable . It's going to take quite a bit of labour but it shouldn't cost a fortune to repair . All the advice you'll need is here , there's quite a few Fixed it Club members now and i'm sure they will be happy to help . Could you post some pictures of the outside of your caravan where the repairs are going to be . Can't say i like the look of those nails Ouch! .
You will get days when you wonder why you started it all , don't let them get you down , they pass quickly . Do small bits at a time and you'll be spured on by the progress your making .
Thanks Wizard, I'm on nights at the moment but after tonight have some time off to get a good crack at things. Will post some more pictures during the week.
Hi Keith , your pictures , hmm , quite a few holes there , i don't know the best way of repairing these , but i'll give you a few idea's you could try , (1) see if you can get some sheet off cuts from a caravan dealers/repairers , then cut to shape and bond on top of the damaged area , you'll need to get the same rippled surface on the sheet . (2) Where the holes are , use wood covered with Sikaflex 512 Caravan mastic and from the inside stick the wood over the holes , this will seal the holes and improve the strength where it's weak , some of the holes can be covered with a new window framework , you'll need to try and stipple the mastic where it come thro on the outside so it matches the rest of the sheet . (3) use fibre glass on the inside to cover the holes and try to stipple the outside to match , then spray to match the rest of the caravan .
Now i'm no caravan damp repair expert , so these idea's are what i would try myself . Hope they help.
Hurrah, we leave for Devon tomorrow and I've just got it habitable, not finished mind. So if you see an Avondale on it's way to or at Willingcott with yellow primer all down the side that'll be me!
my caravan i have just bought has damp and similar holes outside and i thought that i would glassfibre it from the inside and then put on white hammerite to get the stipple effect then spray with the colour match
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Topic: Moral Support
