Any help on the following would be really appreciated.
Following the discovery of some damp spots inside the van during its annual service I set about replacing all the rail seals. This afternoon I started on what I had been told was the main culprit - the nearside awning rail. So, step 1, take off the awning rail cover strip. On doing so, I discovered that the cover strip had been cut long, and was folded underneath the van and stapled into the ply base. Turns out this wasn't a problem as the ply base is falling to bits and the staples came out very easily. I checked the offside awning rail and the same issue, except the cover strip was much shorter and not stapled, but the same problem was present albeit much less advanced.
The engineer that carried our recent damp check, that alerted me to any problems at all, identified three problem areas. Two of these were in the bottom corners of the locker beneath the rear fixed bunks. This would be immediately to the inside of the areas described above ie. where the ply is failing. The other problem area was on the inside immediately adjacent to the horizontal rail running across the rear of the van just above the light cluster (I resealed this rail last night).
So, I was all set to reseal the awning rail tonight, but can't help but feel this isn't the problem at all. It looks like the timber sub frame is exposed due to badly fitted ply bottom sheet, and over time road spray etc has soaked the vertical timbers in the corners leading to the damp, and soft spots internally.
I've no idea where to start with this as I'm totally new to caravan repair and don't want to cause more harm than good. Any help with how's best to tackle this would be really helpful.
Please see below for some pictures which might help illustrate the problem. My wife's really upset - this is our first van and we've spent alot of money on it.
None of that rot will have been caused by water sprayed up from the road, it will have been caused by water in the structure coming downwards. Reseal the awning rail & go from there. Once the floor corners have dried out repair them with Isopon P40 which is glass reinforced car body filler.
Hi Surfboy hope your well?
When you get the rails resealed & you put the beading strip back in DO NOT fasten it to the bottom of the van!
Leave about 2" just hanging out of the rail, that way any water will run off & not go under your van onto the floor !
Hope this helps
Steve
------------- Jack of all trades master of none !!!!
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Topic: Explore 546 Damp part 2 HELP!
