My DIY damp repair project

[TheBig1]

sorry only just popped into this thread after promising advice.

Firstly don't get carried away with ripping out too much at a time. This compromises the structural rigidity and can allow a rotten wall to sag,

to treat soft timber that you can't remove, there a wood hardening resins available

joining timbers use a biscuit jointer and plenty of foaming urethane glue to take up any slight gaps

 

[TheBig1]

sorry only just popped into this thread after promising advice.

Firstly don't get carried away with ripping out too much at a time. This compromises the structural rigidity and can allow a rotten wall to sag,

to treat soft timber that you can't remove, there a wood hardening resins available

joining timbers use a biscuit jointer and plenty of foaming urethane glue to take up any slight gaps

 

[jockaneezer]

You can buy "non expanding" polyurethane foam too. Good luck with your repairs.

 

[The_Kraken]

sorry only just popped into this thread after promising advice.

Firstly don't get carried away with ripping out too much at a time. This compromises the structural rigidity and can allow a rotten wall to sag,

to treat soft timber that you can't remove, there a wood hardening resins available

joining timbers use a biscuit jointer and plenty of foaming urethane glue to take up any slight gaps

Thanks Big1

I'd seen someone else say the exact same thing - makes perfect sense. So, once I get the Aluminium checker plate floor up, I will make a plan of attack. It'll definitely be one side at a time or even one corner at a time. Having seen how flimsy the panels were by the hab door area repair, I definitely won't be ripping out too much of it in one go.

 

[The_Kraken]

You can buy "non expanding" polyurethane foam too. Good luck with your repairs.

Thanks Jockaneezer, I will have a look for some!

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[The_Kraken]

As I promised, here's a couple of images to go along with the last update where I had cut and shaped some batten and then bonded them in place with Sikaflex 512. I used some sash clamps to hold them in place over night to ensure a good bond - I was careful to use more lengths of batten on the outside to help keep the walls straight and not damage the very thin Aluminium outer wall.

Although, it doesn't look like I did on the photos above! I am pretty sure I did add some batten to this clamping arrangement on the outer wall of the MH....honest!

 

[The_Kraken]

Here's a photo of the repaired wall awaiting the wallboard.

Next I got an offcut of some fluted plastic sheet I had kicking around at work and used it to make a template for the wallboard.

Once I was happy that it fitted nicely, I transferred the template to the wallboard and cut that out using a stanley knife. It fitted very well so, next step was to get the wallboard bonded in.

I had ordered some wallboard adhesive from Magnum Motorhomes. It was a two part mixture. The only downside to this was that Magnum's only do two sizes of tubs. Enough to do one whole wallboard or enough to do three whole wallboards (8 x 4ft sheet). You HAVE to mix all of the two part adhesive or the stuff won't be the right mixture and it won't set properly. So, it was a shame to have to waste most of the tub that I bought. Oh well.

Having mixed up the adhesive (which was easy enough, pour in the hardener and mix with a stick) I used a wall adhesive applicator (£2.50 from B&Q - the plastic notched ones) to spread the adhesive on the back of the shaped wallboard.

Before I did all of that, I had made a couple of braces and found a piece of ply to use to keep the wallboard flat and clamped when I stick it up against the repaired wall.

Carefully (trying not to get wallboard adhesive all over the show) I offered up the shaped wallboard and married it up to the polystyrene and wooden batten. I got the piece of plywood in front of the wallboard and added braces and clamps where I could. I will leave it overnight to set up.

 

[The_Kraken]

I had a chat with Richard today about his experiences with the same model of MH. It was invaluable. Sometimes a chat with someone that's been in a similar position can seem to halve the problem! Thanks Richard, I really appreciated your time today.

So, whilst the hab door area is setting, I thought I would get stuck in to the garage area. Richard had told me that the next step would be to get the checkerplate floor out. To do this, I had to undo the tie down anchor points (4 of them) which bolt through the floor and the chassis.

It was a chance for me to have a look at the floor from underneath. Torch in hand I find the bolts. They're pretty rusty so I get a spanner on each one and jam them up against the chassis so I can undo them from above without needing someone else to help me.

Long story short, one came off easy. The others I had to get big spanners on them and they broke luckily because they weren't shifting!

The floor looked in good shape from underneath so I was pretty hopeful that we were in good nick. I started prying the thin checker plate up which is bonded to the plywood floor underneath it. To be fair, the checker plate is proving to be a bugger to pry up and I had to admit defeat for today. I need to get a pry bar to make the job easier.

What bit of the floor I could see was good in the middle but had a couple of soft spots in the corners. I think I'm going to have to replace the floor by the look of it! Arghhhh!

 

[irnbru]

You are really doing a smashing job. I'm enjoying watching you

 

[DuxDeluxe]

Great stuff. This will be a great “how to” for other watertrail Autotrail owners

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[TheBig1]

after the initial stress about all the rot you are finding, I expect you are relieved about just how easy the actual repair phase is. If the band of unskilled workers (monkeys) at autotrail can put it together(badly) a moderately skilled amateur wanting to do a good job can repair it better than new

 

[haganap]

Well done.

Enjoying watching

 

[Carolyn and Kev]

Seriously...Very impressed to be honest. Well done to you guys!!!!

Kev and Carolyn

 

[The_Kraken]

after the initial stress about all the rot you are finding, I expect you are relieved about just how easy the actual repair phase is. If the band of unskilled workers (monkeys) at autotrail can put it together(badly) a moderately skilled amateur wanting to do a good job can repair it better than new

You’re right TheBig1.

The whole point to this is to put some inforamation ‘out there’ so that the average MH’mer can have a go at repairing their own MH. The hab door area repair is pretty much done now and it really was easy. The hardest bit was getting the courage to get stuck in. That and having to dismantle the furniture etc to get at it.

I am sure that once I have sussed out how I’m going to replace the floor and any other rotten bits in the garage area, it’ll be a straight forward job. I’m learning that knowing how to do it and what materials to use are the bit that gives you the confidence to look past the initial horror and knowing that it’ll look great and be even better than it was when it came out if the factory!

 

[The_Kraken]

Thanks everyone!

I’m just proving that if I can do it, anyone can do it!

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[The_Kraken]

Good evening all.

A quick update. I spent the day on her on Saturday. I got rid of the remaing vinyl flooring in the repaired locker area. Sanded the floor and stuck some vinyl flooring tiles down. This now matches the main habiation area. No one will ever see it but, I’ll know its there and it’s better than having bare plywood.

Next I cleaned up the locker door and frame and used Sikaflex 291i (which is a marine adhesive sealant which I had had on a shelf for a couple of months unopened) along with screws to refit it.

I used contact adhesive to stick some strips of matchung wallpaper to the wallboard trim (wallboard trim from Magnums) and stapled those over the joins between the new and old wallboard to complete the repair.

I then cleaned up the the skirt (thoroughly scraping off and cleaning any old sealant from along the inner and outer edgees). The skirt is a single piece running fom front to back on my MH. I had unscrewed it up to just past the habitation door. But, I decided to go further and unscrewed the whhel arch section too. Again, I scraped it all out and cleaned the area. I used Sikafkex 291i again to bond / reseal it all - using sash clamps tohold it in place around the bottom of the hab door apeture (the only section where it isn’t screwed or pinned on). I then reattached the trim which comes in two parts. The aluminium ‘track’ gets screwed in place (I added some 291i too) and then the half round, white aluminium trim slides on to it. The only trouble was, I had inadvertantly knackered it so, I’ve had to order some more from Auto Trail doh! So, the door frame will have to wait because the trim must slide on first.

All that’s left is it refit the bench (after I refit the door) and I must say, I am pretty chuffed with the repair. Progress has been held up by having to source parts and ordering them as I go along. Being a motorhomer from Hertfordshire is a definite disadvantage as there’s litterally nothing around here to buy the spares I needed. This has meant having to buy more than I needed to meet the postal requirements. So I may have some kenkle wallboard to sell at the end of all this!

 

[The_Kraken]

I have been trying to find out more info on the garage floor issue. What I would like to do is to cut out the floor and replace it with a new one that won’t rot. I have read and also been told that Autotrail now fit plastic floors to their new motorhomes? So, I called them up. But alas, they would not advise me on how I go about the repair or what the floor is made from! They did however, tell me that they couldn’t sell me any of it and that I should go to their suppliers Magnums or O’Learys. So I will see if they can help unless anyone out there knows what I need?

I have seen some GRP honeycomb centred material available from Aalco. Acfording to their catalogue. It is used in the floor of lightweight vehicles! I haven’t called them up for a price yet though.

Ialso need a heads up from anyone that has experience in removing the flooring (or parts of it) in the garage area of a MH (I guess most are built in the same way? i.e. sides on top of floor?) what to expect? Can I remove the floor? How are the sides fixed to the floor?

I am assuming that the bottom of the sides and the back wall are going to be affected by damp. So if I cut those out, that should expose the floor? I’ve a funny feeling I will need to remove the skirts or at least unscrew them and peel them back to reveal where the outer skin of aluminium comes past the floor (as it did further along the sides).

Any pointers here would be really welcome please.

 

[irnbru]

I think you are going to have an almost new van by the time you are finished.

Did you realise you would have to do as much work when you bought it?

It’s certainly giving you learning skills and hopefully you are as much enjoying doing it as we are by following your thread.

 

[Carolyn and Kev]

We had a Cheyenne 630LB which was our first real motorhome. We loved it to bits. We had our hearts pushed into our mouths when we too found damp . Ours was the window in the drivers side of the lounge area. The locking tab came off in kevs hand and that was it! It had to be sorted.
By the time Kev had got into it..it looked like the truck was going to be torched for a insurance claim! Seriously though..It was n't that bad to be honest. Just looked poorly. Kev sorted it and we had fun in it for the next couple of years.

Your work as many have stated ...is an inspiration to us all. A small window leak and a couple of bits of timber and glue etc make our issues comparable to having a scratch at that time !
As kev would put it...My hat is off to you sir!
Excellent stuff being done and a real credit to you and your skills and patience .

Kev and Carolyn

 

[Zains Pops]

Looking good. It’ll soon be ready for your 2019 adventures.

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[The_Kraken]

We had a Cheyenne 630LB which was our first real motorhome. We loved it to bits. We had our hearts pushed into our mouths when we too found damp .....

Your work as many have stated ...is an inspiration to us all. A small window leak and a couple of bits of timber and glue etc make our issues comparable to having a scratch at that time !
As kev would put it...My hat is off to you sir!
Excellent stuff being done and a real credit to you and your skills and patience .

Kev and Carolyn

Hi Kev and Carolyn. Thank you for yours and everyone's replies. They truly are encouraging. As you've already discovered yourselves, after the initial shock of discovering damp and getting your head around it, the repair is actually very straight forward as long as your methods are good. I have a great sense that my efforts are helping others and that's what it's all about. I hope I am doing things correctly? So far, it feels like I am!

I just wish I could get more time to work on our MH. Just like you and everyone else, we do love her. It would've been easy to do what the last owner did and patch her up and pass it on to someone else. But, she deserves more than that. She's a great MH. Autotrails don't have the best rep. But, most motorhomes suffer from water ingress at some point in their lives. She was born in 2004 so I don;t think she's doing too badly!

 

[hilldweller]

Thanks everyone!

I’m just proving that if I can do it, anyone can do it!

Not quite. You obviously have considerable skill and patience and the luxury of doing it indoors.

 

[The_Kraken]

Not quite. You obviously have considerable skill and patience and the luxury of doing it indoors.

Doing it indoors is a definite advantage that I have. I wouldn't necessarily say I was particularly skill full though But, I'll take that! thank you!

 

[TheBig1]

the rear walls are sat on the garage floor and screwed down. yes, the skirt and rear valance needs removing. Replacement either 2 sheets of ply bonded either side of a sheet of insulation board like kingspan
you need to be very careful to only strip half the floor at a time and support the walls before the new floor goes in. I would be inclined to repair and reinforce the walls first for safety. new solid timber is easier to support

 

[The_Kraken]

the rear walls are sat on the garage floor and screwed down. yes, the skirt and rear valance needs removing. Replacement either 2 sheets of ply bonded either side of a sheet of insulation board like kingspan
you need to be very careful to only strip half the floor at a time and support the walls before the new floor goes in. I would be inclined to repair and reinforce the walls first for safety. new solid timber is easier to support

Sound advice, thanks TheBig1. Once I get the checker plate out and stripped back some of the wallboard, I'll see how bad the structural timber is.

I'm really reluctant to use plywood and want to go down the route of a 'plastic' floor. I just want the piece of mind that it won't happen again. I'm also going to replace the wallboards with either plastic or Aluminium composite panels so I'd really love to hear opinions about that? Perhaps the ACP might be too heavy? I have found some other lightweight panel called Palboard which is a brand name for a multilayered composite pvc sheet. I thin that would be ideal for the walls?

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[TheBig1]

composite board, pheynolic impregnated plywood or fibreglass honeycomb would work for the floor

 

[AXO66]

Just thinking the thickness of the floor needs consideration. What does it rest on.?
And can you find the correct thickness of the material you want for the flooring?
If not could you adjust the walls if you start there first to cater for the floor thickness.

I fascinated with what you are doing, and also being able to see how these vans are put together. Brilliant post.

 

[The_Kraken]

composite board, pheynolic impregnated plywood or fibreglass honeycomb would work for the floor

Fibreglass honeycomb is what I'm leaning towards. Available in various thicknesses too. I'd need to find a solid way of joining it if I do it in two halves which seems to be the most viable approach.

 

[The_Kraken]

Just thinking the thickness of the floor needs consideration. What does it rest on.?
And can you find the correct thickness of the material you want for the flooring?
If not could you adjust the walls if you start there first to cater for the floor thickness.

I fascinated with what you are doing, and also being able to see how these vans are put together. Brilliant post.

All very good points.

Once I get a chance to attack the floor to see what's what, I will post more photos and see what you all think?

 

[TheBig1]

Fibreglass honeycomb is what I'm leaning towards. Available in various thicknesses too. I'd need to find a solid way of joining it if I do it in two halves which seems to be the most viable approach.

aluminium "H" channel would be easiest plus bonding with sikaflex

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