Itineo/Rapido damp fix

[Eno]

So our recent hab check through up the dreaded damp on our 2020 Itineo, 2nd owner. This corner was discoloured when we bought it but felt solid, dry and hab report was clear. So maybe a recurring issue or new.


The window doesn't seem to be the issue so first area to investigate will be the panel join and roof in this corner.

Do I just remove screws and sealant on the trim here to remove it and inspect the joint? Then hopefully spot the issue and seal it before rebedding the trim on new sealant?

Hopefully find and fix the outside leak before tackling the inside.

Or do I go back to a main dealer and try the warranty? It's 5 years but not sure it transfers? Anyone have experience on this? May have just expired.

 

[CAB96]

Not sure if the warranty expires but a good idea to check if it is still covered.

 

[LiFePO4Convert]

so first area to investigate will be the panel join and roof in this corner.

You will not find the roof joint in that corner.

But, you are certainly on the right track.

Good luck with drying it and sealing it.

 

[Gellyneck]

Could it be road spray from your tyre in front of this lower corner?

 

[CazPaul]

Yes look underneath first, what is the underfloor made of and does it look sound when you look underneath at that area?

 

[MisterB]

It looks as though you have a cleaning brush that might be draining it's last dregs of water out, giving the impression of water ingress?

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

The floor catch has a healthy amount of surface rust on it as well, so a damp corner for whatever reason but perhaps not helped by the open ended washing brush handle as MisterB has suggested,it might be a good start to make a cap for the open ended handle.
Mike.

 

[Eno]

Thanks for all the thoughts.

A fair point on the brush pole, but fairly sure it's not this. Not used regularly and normally the bed is down.

The construction is GRP Panel, insulation, fibre board.

From when I replaced TV aerial with solar roof entry gland.

The wall panels seem nicely jointed to the floor panel with the GRP side lapped and hanging over. Plenty of sealant, no obvious gaps, so seems like probably not road spray.

Next step when get some drier weather is the corner trim and roof corner trim and see what's underneath.

Any recommendations on sealants for the corner if I find a gap? And rebedding the trim?

 

[Eno]

So got up and had a good look around, certainly bit to reseal, a couple of hairline gaps and cracks but not sure if any of these are the main culprit yet.

Top rear corner over the damp.

Moving down the vertical corner looks solidly sealed, think safe here.

Current guess.

Water is coming in around here, and spray from beneath in some weathers, and tracking in either along joint or the bolts holding the corner bracketry in place.

Also spotted this cheeky little hole, I believe this corner has been an issue before (prior owner) and this was put in as some sort of drain hole.

Current plan to take the rear bumper off and get a better look at it, see what I can figure out.

Should I look to grind out and repair the hairline cracks or sealant?

Finally also spotted this cracked trim for first time, not sure when it happened, most likely back into a tree branch.

 

[ontheroadagain]

I am surprised by the poor build quality. I thought Itineo would have been better. I hope you find the source of the leak but looking at those photos there are a number of areas that require attention.

 

[enark]

So our recent hab check through up the dreaded damp on our 2020 Itineo, 2nd owner. This corner was discoloured when we bought it but felt solid, dry and hab report was clear. So maybe a recurring issue or new.
View attachment 1217683

The window doesn't seem to be the issue so first area to investigate will be the panel join and roof in this corner.
View attachment 1217684
Do I just remove screws and sealant on the trim here to remove it and inspect the joint? Then hopefully spot the issue and seal it before rebedding the trim on new sealant?

Hopefully find and fix the outside leak before tackling the inside.

Or do I go back to a main dealer and try the warranty? It's 5 years but not sure it transfers? Anyone have experience on this? May have just expired.

Pretty sure Rapido water ingress warranty transfers, but has it had annual hab checks?

 

[ManTheVan]

Very surprised to hear. I also thought that the brush might be the culprit. Our 2010 Rapido was bone dry.

 

[Eno]

Pretty sure Rapido water ingress warranty transfers, but has it had annual hab checks?

Pretty sure it does to, but only 5 years. So out of luck there.

 

[Eno]

Here we go.

Rear Bumper off, not too bad a couple of screws, 2 behind the number plate, some pop rivets , and the whole assembly slides up and off.

The solid corner trim only runs to the bumper. The corner trim looks well bonded and I doubt the source of ingress, once fixed the roof and before reattach the bumper will use the hose and see if anything is running down here.

Below the corner trim is some not too great looking flash banding, hopefully found the issue. Once the corner trim ends this the only thing protecting water ingress, also a few screw holes and a slice in GRP that i'll epoxy fill.

Taking the banding off, and shows the damage. Testing the wood, the top half around 10%, bottom >40%, so I'm hoping that the issue is mostly the bottom. Checked the other side, and the same issue.

Time to clean it up all up, and let it dry.

Any suggestions on repairs? Do I just apply more banding and sealant or look to find some sort of grp/plastic angle and bond that in place with sealant?

I think this has all really been caused by a poor design decision not to run the corner trim all the way down.

 

[rb62]

Here we go.

Rear Bumper off, not too bad a couple of screws, 2 behind the number plate, some pop rivets , and the whole assembly slides up and off.

View attachment 1225581

The solid corner trim only runs to the bumper. The corner trim looks well bonded and I doubt the source of ingress, once fixed the roof and before reattach the bumper will use the hose and see if anything is running down here.

Below the corner trim is some not too great looking flash banding, hopefully found the issue. Once the corner trim ends this the only thing protecting water ingress, also a few screw holes and a slice in GRP that i'll epoxy fill.

View attachment 1225568
View attachment 1225566

Taking the banding off, and shows the damage. Testing the wood, the top half around 10%, bottom >40%, so I'm hoping that the issue is mostly the bottom. Checked the other side, and the same issue.

View attachment 1225573
View attachment 1225574

Time to clean it up all up, and let it dry.

Any suggestions on repairs? Do I just apply more banding and sealant or look to find some sort of grp/plastic angle and bond that in place with sealant?

I think this has all really been caused by a poor design decision not to run the corner trim all the way down.

I think if it was a design fault there would be more reports of damp on here,I think there has been previous damage that has been poorly repaired.

 

[Eno]

I think if it was a design fault there would be more reports of damp on here,I think there has been previous damage that has been poorly repaired.

There's definitely been poor previous repairs but I stand by my view that the rails should extend all the way down.

 

[Eno]

So all exposed and dug out best I could and drying in this nice weather.

Started on the inside, working on this section first and will get it dry, preserved, hardened and glued back with new marine ply before tackling the corner. Garage tray and rear panel are fully propped, so hopefully won't move when I have to remove the bracket.

Outside thinking might use some plastic angle or aluminium? to enclose the whole corner, top lapped to the flash band, and seal both edges down to the bottom. Should be a better seal, or maybe this corner flexes too much and rigid plastic would crack? Anyone got any experience here? The OEM corner is a pretty chunky aluminium profile.

Interestingly can see a fibreglass reinforcing beam running along the edge, also one under the tray edge too. I assume to help support the large rear overhang and weakened section due to the garage tray. Also the closed cell foam not degraded at all so just a thin layer of rotted wood to deal with.

Well and truly into it now, hope the weather holds.

 

[Eno]

Plenty of progress. It's been in to the garage to have one of the electrical elements of the truma heater replaced, luckily under aftermarket warranty.

The cracked roof trim and any other hairline cracks up top have been filled with creeping crack sealant, not that I really think this was the ingress point.

The other corner bracket has come off (rear fully propped), and damage dug out.

Rear wall mostly just staining, one screw hole was quite flaky and soft so that's been drilled out and will have a replacement dowel glued in, the rest seem firm, but wood hardener was injected just to firm it up.

New ply cut to slot into the space, treated new ply and whole area with preservative, and just drying out now before gluing it all back in place and replacing the bracket.

The one big positive is that apart from having to remove the brackets to get at the damp wood, the rest of the structural members for the rear overhang are all fibreglass, so shouldn't have suffered from the water ingress.

 

[HappyDays-NI]

Well done for tackling this type of job yourself. That’s no mean feat!

 

[CazPaul]

Fancy using all that timber construction, a recipe for disaster.

 

[Eno]

First corner almost done.
Inside re-assembled, bracket back on and floor glued back down, almost can't tell.

Outside corner capped and sealed, just a little new flashband on the top join and all done.

One corner down, One to go.

 

[Eno]

Corners fixed, before fitting the bumper again, noticed a couple of the clips were loose. All removed, filled and resealed.

Base all sealed up. Once it's dried time to refit the bumper. Fingers crossed should be fixed now.

 

[Eno]

And I'm done, at least on this fix/issue. To be fair to her actually the only jobs on the list now are upgrades, but we might sell so not focused on these just yet.

Not my best sealant work but it's a continuous and variable curve in my defence.

And the final view, all my hard work hidden away.

Fingers crossed now for when we get some rain.

Hope this helps anyone else tackling damp issues.

Thanks to Genear for sharing photos of his van to compare. Helped figure out where mine had been bodged.

 

[Eno]

A couple of photos from other corner.

 

[Lenny HB]

Well done you have done a really nice job and should last years.
Many years ago I've replaced internal walls on caravans due to damp, always looks very daunting when you start but once you put your mind to it, it's surprising what you can achieve.

 

[CherylnMick]

That looks so much better now, well done.
You don’t want to keep it as I’m sure it’s going to last you years