Hi, this is my first ever post and I apologise that I am a complete novice and not wishing to upset any fanatics out there with my ignorance. I have a Rallyman, Abi Ace caravan (not even sure which name describes the make or model) which I bought after several drinks at a festival, I have a Lidl/Aldi multitool that has several screw drivers in it but other than that, no tools to my name, there are a few I could borrow, but not many power tools. The van seemed very solid and I could not see any rot, until I removed the curtains! Behind the curtain rails and all down the panels at the front of the van there is rot. Having watched various repair videos I know what I should do, and have seen the devastation that rot causes, it is always worse that it looks. However I feel unable to do it due to not having the tools to cut plywood or the know how and confidence to do it - the task is huge for me. Can anyone, kindly, suggest what I can do with limited resources (including limited finance) and no clue, patching up is not something I do in my life, really I would like to tackle this properly but just not able at this point in my life.
Hi and welcome to the forum. The key thing is to carefully assess the full extent of the damage, not just where you have found it, but carefully look all around the van. My advice would be to buy or borrow a damp meter, of simply pay a professional mobile engineer to do it for you and give you a full damp report. Hopefully it is an isolated case but it's best to be aware of the job in hand because it could turn out that it would be better to scrap it.
As I say, hopefully it is an isolated area so the next thing is to find and rectify the cause of the water ingress, be it awning rail or window seals or pitted aluminium.
The work in rectifying things isn't difficult but it can be very time consumming, hence why folk don't pay to have it done.
You have probably got most of the tools that you will need to hand, the rest is careful destruction and simple woodworking methods to rebuild it. All spares are relatively cheap and the feeling of smug satisfaction when it's done is immense.
Dave.
------------- Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you on experience.
Mark Twain.
It seems that I could reply directly to people that have posted but not sure if the communication history will show up here if I did.
Hi Trog,
Thanks for replying.
You obviously have a sense of humour, hopefully I will be able to laugh about my lack of skills soon too, or maybe I will reign supreme in the caravan world (not likely).
Hi Dave,
Thanks for your information. I simply have hardly any funds to put towards this but have enthusiasm and a huge amount of patience. However, I did call several hire companies.
The response of the hire companies varied. One company said their damp meter has a metal plate which must touch the damp in order to register the full extent of the damp, this did not have a probe. Another company said that their meter had two probes both of which needed to touch the damp in order to measure the extent of the damp. This would only be possible if I pulled off the inside panel causing irretrievable damage, or at least that's how I view it presently, if I am only going to 'patch it up'.
It seems to find the full extent of the rot who is to say how many panels, or parts of panels, I would need to remove, again not really practical for me at the moment.
If I found where the water is coming in - not sure how easy this is - could I patch it up and dry the caravan as much as possible without the damage continuing to get too bad too quickly? This maybe a 'how long is a piece of string' question.
I could do with a little smug satisfaction, especially considering I am a mere female trying to be empowered.
Fishing for the whole weekend is a great idea, but what if you don't have a rod, let alone a boat!
As well is two words!
How does a sage know everything about everything? or does he? or does he just think he does?
Remember, if you buy something you bought it, not brought it.
Don't be disheartened, it's not that difficult but some things do make it easier. On the damp meter front, I think that you have had some incorrect information. There are indeed two types of meter, the cheaper, more basic one measures the dampness in the wood with two thin sharp pins which can be gently pushed through the often plastic covered walboard and into the plywood underneath. There is absolutely no need to go ripping wallboards off the walls to see if there is damp, it is all done in situe.
The second type does the job without leaving tiny pin holes in the wall board but costs substantially more.
Now then, I just happen to have my older damp meter in front of me, I was trying to sell it on Preloved because I bought a better one. It will do the job and give you the info you need to see what the job entails.
I'm not sure how it's done but send me a private message and I will donate it to you. Instructions and spare batteries are included.
Good luck, Dave.
------------- Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you on experience.
Mark Twain.
Thank you bordertrout, I'm a big believer in Karma and think that one should freely help others when you can. That after sll is the underlying theme of this and other forums.
Dave.
------------- Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you on experience.
Mark Twain.
That is soooo very kind of you to offer your old meter, yes please. How do I post a private reply? As you know I am new to this forum. Does anyone know?
Yesterday I investigated where the water ingress was, (learnt the technical term from youtube, not 100% sure if I used it correctly though) not sure I found the only culprit but when I pressed the rubber seal above the front window (soft walls are all at the front of the caravan) water seeped out in one area, the area was not the lowest point, it was below the centre of the roof where the aluminium trim is situated. I spent the morning undoing part of the aluminium trim and letting it dry out I then sealed the whole edge above the rubber seal at the front of the caravan. Also I removed the two rubber ends, cleaned the area out (gunky) and put some sealant under this too before replacing the ends. However, quiet contemplation/hesitation took up most of the time. Hope I haven't done anything to exacerbate the problem.
P.S. Karma is a great principal, as is just improving someones day with something that makes them smile. :)
Thanks very much for sending the meter. Evri emailed me a picture of a very nice door with the package, trouble was it was't my door. Evri managed to deliver to the wrong house, on the wrong side of the road! After a few emails, and more days, they managed to recover the package and deliver to the correct house :)
I have been away, in a waterproof caravan, and just returned. Excited (as one can be anticipating doom) to test the meter I connected the meter to the inner panels in the Nanavan, the meter showed up a small amount of damp here. However..., I managed (without much effort) to push the inner lining a little to expose the outer lining, not good, off the scale :( This winter will see the end of the Nanavan as it is, the summer may well bring the end of the Nanavan unless I can arm myself with enough tools, equipment, vigour and humour to attack the perpetual damp.
The meter is in safe hands and when I finish depressing myself with it I am happy to pass it back to you Dave, or on to a.n.other.
Hi Nanovan your van is an Ace Rallyman made by ABI.Sorry to hear of the damp sadly quite common on older vans.
If you use the search function on here you can get help. Put in fixed it club.This gives an index to people who have carried out repairs on various vans and lots of information on materials etc.
Select camping and caravan Forum and the forever button!
I had a damp van years ago and was able to repair it using basic hand tools and new timber.It was pre internet!
I tried fixed it club and it doesn’t seem to work! Not much there might be me!
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------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
The wall boards often have a kind of plastic coating on them so you do need a little pressure to get the sharp pins tp go through to the wood below.
Did you say it was the extent of rot that is likely to be a factor in scrapping the van or was it tools etc? Handtools are minimal, and can often be picked up very cheaply at car boot sales, markets etc, they don't need to be new or expensive brands. A small saw, a couple of screwdrivers, a chisel would be an advantage, a scraper tool, a Stanley type knife bu the most important thing is good humour, which you have, plus determination and a vision.
However, should your dream be short lived, there is no need to send it back, keep it for the next one or pass it on.
By the way, DaveS, I found it under 'Fixed It Club Members Directory' and goes back to 2007. Try this Link
Dave.
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------------- Never argue with an idiot, they will drag you down to their level and beat you on experience.
Mark Twain.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Rotten walls and no clue
via mobile 22/10/2022 at 10:57am
