Serious hole needs filling (1 Viewer)

thebobajob

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Jun 19, 2012
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Whilst doing a quick repair to a small hole in our Swift Royale 610 roof using Eternabond RoofSeal I noticed a big bubble under a sticker ('Caution, ladder slipperly when wet') at the back of the van. I squeezed the bubble and loads of water shot out.

On removing the sticker I discovered a very manky and shoddy filler repair done by the previous owners which basically crumbled as I touched it. I have dug out all the wet and crumbly filler but I am now left with a substantial hole in the aluminium. Not just a crack, a proper hole.

It doesn't go through the motorhome body but it needs more than just crack repair. I liken it to having to use a good deal of Polyfilla.

Can anyone suggest a product which I can fill the hole with and then I can probably cover that with EternaBond Roofseal once it is set and sanded. Then I'll put another sticker on it!

Thanks
 
Apr 25, 2012
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Hi, I'm no expert on body repairs but I'd be inclined to get expert advice. When some clown caught the overcab on our motorhome when trying to tow his caravan off the pitch next to us on our storage site, I took it to a local reputable body shop. Admittedly I wasn't paying, but even if I had been, given the value of a motorhome and the likely long term ownership plan, I wouldn't do a job like that myself. If you have it done professionally you have their guarantee if good workmanship. Do it yourself and you have none.

In case you're interested the body shop was Mastercars of Birstall. Excellent job, and it was aluminium.

Gary
 
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thebobajob

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Wise words

Wise words, thanks Gary. And thanks for the contact in Birstall. Probably a sensible move.
Bob

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dogman

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If you're determined to DIY then consider a patch, seal, paint then sticker, maybe saying "Beware, patch underneath sticker, do not remove this sticker".
 

grasscutter

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Not sure how old your van is and what you want to spend. I have read before of people plating over holes and then putting stickers on the plate to hide it.
Hope you get it sorted OK.
 
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thebobajob

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DOGMAN:

It's not so much, determined to DIY, (though I do quite like fixing stuff myself) it's more a matter of cost versus age of van.

What do you mean by patch? The hole is probably 10mm deep at its worst, and let's say roughly 50mm by 80mm wide. Would a patch do the job. I would have thought I would need something more 'filler' like than that?

Thanks for your thoughts.
Bob

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thebobajob

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Not sure how old your van is and what you want to spend. I have read before of people plating over holes and then putting stickers on the plate to hide it.
Hope you get it sorted OK.

Hmm, I like that option. The van is 19 years old so I don't want to spend a fortune. Anything is better than the NEXT bag and duct tape solution that I have just put on as the rain is coming down again!
 

163phil

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In case you're interested the body shop was Mastercars of Birstall. Excellent job, and it was aluminium.
And more than likely they ground out the old filler, roughed the edges of the hole over, then filled it with P40.

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A quick skim of ordinary fine body filler over the top, then prime and paint and you'd never know.
 

TheBig1

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many many years! since I was a kid
i was going to say isopon is the way forward or a plastic version. treat it like a rust hole in an old banger. clean thouroghly, roughen the surface and edges, apply 2 part filler and wait to cure fully. then sand back and use a fine top coat filler, sand again and paint

dont put a sticker over fresh paint/repairs straight away, as it will react and bubble

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Feb 27, 2011
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I would be tempted to do the repair using one of the methods above. I would then get a square of aluminium that is 2" bigger on each side than the hole. I would use Sikaflex to stick this over the repair ensuring that there was at least a 1" wide coverage of sikaflex with at least a 3mm depth to it.

This would provide physical protection to the repair and prevent water and sunlight (uv) getting to it again.

Of course ensure that whatever filler you use is fully dry first.

In this weather I would also use a heat gun or hot hair dryer thoroughly on the area before attempting to fill to try and get as much moisture out of it as possible first.
 

pappajohn

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problem with water ingress....you dont know how far it's spread until you start removing panels.

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thebobajob

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Heck, all great advice. I think I am going to go down the ISOPON route and then look into bonding a piece of aluminium over it. Seems the most cost effective way to do it based on how much I have to spend and how old the van is.

The extent of the damage is the thing most worrying me. I have dug out as much of the problem as I can but without pulling back the aluminium I am unsure as to how far it extends. It seems pretty solid further in but I suppose I can't be sure.

I'll have to let it dry out a bit and see - not the easiest thing in this weather with nowhere indoors to keep it.
 

g8ysn

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g8ysn

depending what is underneath cut out and fit roof light/vent , i whacked side of my van on a /
gate "6 inch hole right through [arggggh] cut out and fitted door £50.00, otherwise a good grp
metal paste filller the epxy type when its gone off you can drill and tap, so should be up to job, all the best with repair:Doh:
 

hilldweller

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Can anyone suggest a product which I can fill the hole with and then I can probably cover that with EternaBond Roofseal once it is set and sanded. Then I'll put another sticker on it!
Thanks

This is stronger than the thin ali of a MH, as long as you give it a decent area to key to and prepare it well.

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/..._productId_167469_langId_-1_categoryId_165625


Ah !

I'm late on this but I leave it as confirmation that this stuff does what it says on the tin. I've used quite a bit of it !!

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thebobajob

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Jun 19, 2012
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Bought the ISOPON and aluminium sheet along with some PU Sealant/Adhesive - now pray for dry weather!

Thanks all once again, will keep you informed.

Bob
 
Feb 27, 2011
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Bought the ISOPON and aluminium sheet along with some PU Sealant/Adhesive - [HI]now pray for dry weather![/HI]

Thanks all once again, will keep you informed.

Bob

You can keep talking to your imaginary friend all you want :winky:. If it were me however I would take things into my own hands and rig up a bit of cover and get a little heat in there to help it along.

I would be up there with a heat gun blasting it some. letting it cool down and repeating over the course of a day or more. But that's just me a little impatient ::bigsmile::winky:

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thebobajob

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It was a nice day so I abandoned work, dug out all the mess from inside the damage and 'borrowed' my wife's hair dryer. Dried it out a few times, recovered the damage for the night, with a wad of salt inside to try and draw out some more moisture, and will repeat tomorrow.
 
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thebobajob

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A big thank you to all those who offered solutions and opinions. We are back on the road!

Eventually, having found enough dry and not-freezing weather, I managed to dry out the holes (I found a few small ones too). I then filled the small ones with P40 and then P38, sanded them over, primed them and sprayed them. The two large ones I filled with P40, sanded it down, primed and sprayed up two pieces of 0.5mm aluminium and bonded them over the holes and sealed around the edges.

Although it would be a complete lie to say the back of van looks likes new, from a distance it is respectable and most importantly is now waterproof once more.

I also resealed every edge and extrusion on the van with auto-marine bond/sealant and fixed a couple of small holes in the roof with Eternabond Roof Repair.

Fingers crossed it will now be weatherproof enough to survive the winter and beyond. It has been fun but I hope I don't have to do it every year!

Cheers
Bob
 

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