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Having taken everyones advice, I bought a damp detector from Axminster tools )online). I used it today, it showed red in the places I had expected! I hve found a couple I was not expecting! At the rubber joins on the window and from around the rails as I had expected.

I plan to start a brief repair Sunday although am away for work monday. Can I remove awning rail and tape up till I have time to replace rails? I have covered roof with tarp for tonight so that I can start work tomorrow. Is it wise to do this when I have removed rail in case it rains before it goes back on? I know they are not breathable!

Robin

The damp does not seem to have gone very far, am I going to hae to take a saw to the wall boards? Or will I be able to dry it out using a heater on them for a longer period of time?

Unfortunately I tested the wood just below the window rubber. It was fine elswhere around the window, just red below the joint of the two ends of the rubber!

Robin

hi you need the fixit gang

http://hp-h.com/p/wizard41/

i do feel for you we did the whole front of our carvan take a look at my Gallery pic you will see, but it looks fab now!  Go to my home page this will take you to Alan parker site, you will find step by step photo's. I  did a write up on Fixed Windows.

As Micheal has said "the Fixed it Club is always Here to Help"!!!!

www.alanparkers.dsl.pipex.com/

Hi Robin , i put tape ( ducktape ) over my awning rail joins when i was doing my repair , it was a good job i did as it rained a short while later . If you can , i'd recommend you tape them if the joins are going to be left unsealed for a while .

Remember to first remove the damp wood inside & dry the area , then fix the outside ie awning rail .
If you fix the outside first you may find you trap the damp in the caravan walls , you may also need to remove wooden spars inside that you have just fixed the awning rail too .

atb

Wizard

Hi Wizard,

I am doing it in the wrong order cause I am very short of time and need to at least stop more water going in. I know that this will make it a harder and longer job ultimately but winter's approaching!

However, I have a bigger problem now. As I think I said in another thread, the rails sit on a rubber seal which is in turn sealed to the van. Now I have got off the sealent from the van but there is so much on the rubber that it wont pull off, scrape off and I have now stuck a load of white spirit on it and I now just have a tar like mess everywhere, including on me. What do you think I can do? Presumerable I can't just leave the sealent on the rubber and re seal, but it wont come off and I now feel like crying! Of course we were ripped off by what seemed a nice couple. He went round and said he had pointed out the bad bits, obviously to put me off!  I thought the 8 month old baby would have made them feel a little more kind. After all I wouldn't dream of doing it!

Sorry Having a bit of a rant, I feel angry now, I didnt before. They of course have a brand new van!

Anyway Any ideas or just burn it?

Robin

Camping people are the nicest people you could possibly meet...on a campsite.

But when it comes to selling their caravans they grow horns!!

Robin

Do you mean the old sealant won't come off the rubber?
If so, then I thought I was faced with the same gooey clean up job. However I got new rubber seal from my local dealer - 32 metres for £12.80.

I have just finished a damp repair job at the offside rear and the awning rail is off ready for refitting when the rain stops. I covered the edge of the van with overlapping strips of 4" masking tape till the weather improves. Previously used duct tape but what a job cleaning the adhesive later!

HTH
Jim

Hi Robin , use a sharp edged plastic scrapper to remove the sealant from the rubber , it does take ages but the job will be a good un when you've finished . If you have loads of thinners on the rubber trim dry it throughly and if it's still soft and gluey after a day or so it may need replacing .
As Jim says you could see if you can get a new rubber trim from a caravan dealers rather than doing all that scrapping ..

atb

Wizard

Well I have been worrying but it seems the rubber is beginning to take shape again, although it still has tar like mastic on it. Feel a little less depressed!

Wizard, this may sound stupid, but how do I attack the wall boards? The seem good so do i take a saw to it. Obviously I can see no screws! I want to take them off ok if possible.

Robin

Hi Robin , are your wallboards soaking wet with damp , if they are only very slightly damp they could possibly dry out .
If they are soft ( ie when you press hard with your fingers ) then you need to remove the affected area , i cut mine with a stanley knife and straight edge as the wallboards are only 3mm thick .
If your wall board is sound then i think you'll have a hard time removing it , you could try lifting it using a wallpaper scraper , but i don't think you'll get it off in one piece . You'll probably need to replace it with new wallboard .

atb

Wizard

Hi Wizard,

Thanks for the reply, I have been on a course for a couple of days hence why I have not replied sooner. My wall boards do not feel damp at all, it is only the damp detector that tells me it is wet behind. Presumerably it is the joists( or what are they called?) I just want to dry it out! Do you think I am going to be able to eave it or will I have to destroy the walls?

Robin

Robin

I thought our problem was minor - grab handle screws not gripping. However, I decided to "bite the bullet" and put it right.

I cut the wallboard in line with the window edge (using Stanley knife and straight edge as Wizard mentioned) removed the fixing staples and gently bit by bit levered the board off the polystyrene insulation.

Here's how it looked. The mess in the corner is what's left of the corner timber supports over about a 2 foot length.

And here is how it looks now. I'm very pleased.

Post last edited on 14/11/2006 18:24:29

Post last edited on 14/11/2006 18:24:51