Total newbie in need of MASSIVE help.

S

scandude

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May 26, 2019
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Fiat Ducato
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I'm a newbie
Hi Everyone

We are total newbies to owning a MH and picked up our first ( cheap ) one last weekend from Scotland. The 220 mile trip home was enjoyable (slow) but uneventful ( I counted no less than 50 flashes, waves of acknowledgement which made for a fun trip back :) )

In the last few days I decided to take a closer look at the MH and noticed worrying signs of damp so investigated and found a significant amount of damp/rotted wood, pretty much through to the skin. The person I bought it from says he and the last owner never spotted any so didn't think much about it ( and not really knowing what to look for ) took the chance.

Now I'm no diy'er or wood expert and I'm expecting a large bill for the repairs but considering this is a 1990 Chausson Acapulco 42, based on a Fiat Ducato chassis, would it be worth attempting the repairs myself as I'm assuming its a case of replacing the wooden 'beams' and then laying marine ply or similar over the top ( once sealed of course ).

I don't want to get rid of the MH as weirdly it felt very comfortable and homely in the first 20 mins of driving it, but currently we are on limited funds and wondered if anyone had any advice or links on what can/should be done and how?

Thanks Guys :)
 
hi welcome,

i guess it depends on how big a problem you got in terms of the size of the affected area and are any of the main structural supports to the exterior have to be sorted.
IMHO , if you can handle a wood saw a mastic gun and lecy screw driver then i would be inclined to give it a go myself.
interior panels can be bought either locally or online eg. from O'leary motorhomes.
just take your time and importantly fix the point of entry of the damp, probably with a tube of Sicaflex or the like.

i am sure others will have different views or even better more practical advice
good luck
 
Hi and welcome!

I can imagine the worry, so first of all you need to properly register to become a full member which will allow you more than the 5 posts you're on at the moment. Honestly I can't remember if it's 12 or 15 euros for a year, but which ever, it will be your best chance to be helped with all the questions you need to ask.

Then , have a look at this forum, may be you'll find answers on there.
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/forums/self-build-motorhomes.70/

It's sunday, so quite a few might be away. Be patient , they will all come to the rescue!

Amicalement
Frankie:)
 
The next thing you should check before thinking of trying a repair is to check underneath for any rust/rot in the chassis

How much did you pay?

Unless you can do the work yourself you could end up spending too much and it might be better to sell and move on - even if it means breaking................

Hope it's not too bad though

Whatever you do you will get plenty of help here(y)
 
Barclaybasher said:
The next thing you should check before thinking of trying a repair is to check underneath for any rust/rot in the chassis

How much did you pay?

Unless you can do the work yourself you could end up spending too much and it might be better to sell and move on - even if it means breaking................

Hope it's not too bad though

Whatever you do you will get plenty of help here(y)
Click to expand...

As above, it would be wise to establish the mechanical condition before any serious spending, I would suggest take it for an MOT test and explain to the tester why you’re having the test done.
Good luck with your first van.
 
Don’t worry if you got her for a song. We paid £3500 for our first leaky rust bucket. Non the less she took us to Poland and back. We loved her. She was an Itasca micro mini Winnebago. Had a few trips in the UK, but decided it was a leak to far when the over head bed got leaked on in the Lake District! We sold her on and bought a Rapido. But Winnie is forever in our hearts. So if your handy. Go for it re repairs. Yours cant be any worse than Winnie!
 
Hi and welcome yy yy

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Hi guy's thanks for the replies.

To answer some questions, yes some of the wooden structure is rotten as well although the aluminium skin is in good condition ( although some small screw holes are visible and maybe where the leaks are coming from)

We paid £2500 for it with 95k on the clock it's a 2.5 non turbo diesel engine and it has a years mot already, didn't want to spend too much on our first MH but we enjoyed the first trip home and the chassis looks as solid as a tank no rust at all. I don't think we did too bad for price but the wood work looks overwhelming.

I've all.the tools I could want leccy screwdriver ,Wood saws and circular saw etc but never undertook such a seemingly massive task before and was looking for advice.on what to do.

I think I'll probably register as it seems a good place to be and may have lots of questions as I might want to ask about getting maybe 10/20 bhp extra from.the engine if possible.

Thanks to everyone for your replies.
 
Hi-smiley.png welcome , and if you can try and give it a good inspection so you know how extensive the problem is , then put up some pics to get the best advice .
 
scandude said:
Hi guy's thanks for the replies.

To answer some questions, yes some of the wooden structure is rotten as well although the aluminium skin is in good condition ( although some small screw holes are visible and maybe where the leaks are coming from)

We paid £2500 for it with 95k on the clock it's a 2.5 non turbo diesel engine and it has a years mot already, didn't want to spend too much on our first MH but we enjoyed the first trip home and the chassis looks as solid as a tank no rust at all. I don't think we did too bad for price but the wood work looks overwhelming.

I've all.the tools I could want leccy screwdriver ,Wood saws and circular saw etc but never undertook such a seemingly massive task before and was looking for advice.on what to do.

I think I'll probably register as it seems a good place to be and may have lots of questions as I might want to ask about getting maybe 10/20 bhp extra from.the engine if possible.

Thanks to everyone for your replies.
Click to expand...

At that price I think you could have a go at it as long as there’s no damage so extensive as to make it undriveable.
As a full member you’ll be able to post questions and photos throughout your renovation and there are many members here who’ve done their own builds and are generous with their support.
If you’ve checked all round and there are no their soft bits then at least your work is limited. Mine had a fairly large but replaced at the back and looked absolutely fine afterwards.
And hellowelcome
 
Hi and Welcome.....(y)

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There was a great informative thread recently on DIY damp repair, can't remember title, and bit occupied today to find it, but others may and be able to post a link, otherwise I'll look this evening.
Welcome to the forum (y)
OP @kracken or similar, maybe ?
 
Well I've started the job and I'll register and put some pics on. I've found some large holes in the aluminium outer skin that go to the outside. I've got some aluminium sheet and fixed this down with sticks like s**t turbo that has covered the holes. I'm going to get some car body filler to the outside and make it look smooth but not sure if this was the right thing to do as it looks ok but not sure of the long term fixes.
 
Just remind yourself that at £2500 even if worst comes to very worst breaking for spares you will get your money back.

However I am confident that you will be able to fix the problem and have many many many happy times away with her.

I would also re-iterate that the £15 spend on becoming a paid member on the site is £15 very well spent and will save you much more than that.
 
An adventurous but regrettably naïve young couple in my m/bike club bought a 30 yr old very tatty m/h cheaply (also £3500). It had damp but was fine for a year until the occasion when they had to brake very hard. The fixings of a wall cupboard full of heavy crockery pulled out of the soggy 'wall' and fell forward and onto the floor with a mighty crash, scaring the living daylights out of them and their previously laid back Husky dog.
My pal is certainly not a DIY chap by any stretch of the imagination (he had to borrow a saw and drill) but he succeeded in the extensive repair/replacement of the rotted/soggy wood frame and all wall cupboards were refixed by galvanised coach bolts through the body from the outside inwards - using spacers between the inner and outer wall panels to prevent the panels from crushing. There's now a row of rather interesting bolt heads along the side but they have done the trick.
They both packed in their jobs and are in Croatia at present heading South; 3 months into a year touring Europe. The m/h's running well.
 
Well its been a while since I last posted but not much been done yet (the weather hasn't helped).
I took it to a local motor home repairer and he gave me the usual look as if to say "the jobs too big mate". Most/All of the interior needs stripping out as there is significant damp/wet and dry rotted wood. The roof looks as though a porcupine has been rubbing his back all over it (i'm not sure where the aluminium roof starts and the rusted screw holes end). It seems to be a job too big as I'll need to replace all the wooden frame and insulation. So with the help of you friendly lot and many, many pages of questions, I'm going to have a bash and give myself till the end of the year to have it done (maybe longer as I work 40 hours a week not including 2 hour trip there and back everyday).

So I have a few questions:-

1. I'm going to need lots of materials, insulation, wood, bonding and adhesive glues etc, I know of o'learys, magnum motor-homes, but is there anywhere else where I can get a wide choice of materials from?

2. I've heard and read various forums and advice about insulation, the old insulation is a blue Styrofoam 20mm thick, (I measured with calipers) that seems to be sandwiched between plywood, I've heard of SIP's (Structural Insulated Panel's) but these seem to be thicker than the original insulation/plywood combo, I'm looking to keep the panels as close to the original size as possible (and maybe save a bit of cash as the thicker you go the less room you have and the more money you spend) so what is a good way to insulate and board the motor-home, buy the SIP or buy the Styrofoam and attach the plywood to it?

3. When it comes to attaching the sidewalls to the aluminium shell, whats a good adhesive to use? I guess it'll need to be waterproof, but stick like S*** turbo isn't probably the best (and its expensive at £10 a tube). Also I hear of sikaflex a lot, is this used to attach windows and seals to the motor-home and is there a specific type of sikaflex?

Its a long post so I apologise, as I'm better with lots of information than little bits and making a massive/costly mistake.

If there is a post that answers these questions please direct me (I cannot see it) rather than repeating answers I'm happy with that (I'm sure I'll get to speak to lots of you in the coming months)

Thanks Again
 
Celotex foil backed foam insulation at most builders of different thicknesses eg, 1" thick.

'Saniclad' is a UV stable hygenic plastic cladding used in hospitals etc.
It comes in various colours { usually white } in 6ft X 8ft or 8ft X 10ft sheets 2.5MM thick etc.
The Company 'Saniclad' in Bromborough can roll it up and post it out.
It can be cut with a fine jig saw if supported on a table, drilled,screwed and is waterproof so can be used to make a wet room etc
They also sell corner, joining strips etc
ie, It's not a commonly used material in motorhomes but it's cheap, doesn't rot etc
It can be used as a base substrate for spray gluing Veltrim carpet to. It's not as rigid as plywood but is strong and light.
It's that relatively cheap if you make a mistake as it's around £20 per sheet it's not the end of the world.
Good stuff to repair a damp motorhome on a budget?

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Didn’t Wildbill do a thread showing his damp repair in his van. I know he took it apart at the back, all the cupboards out etc.
Ralph built ours from scratch converting a brand new panelvan movan .
But as you say , the bit about the insulation and wood he fixed to the inner walls might come in handy for you scandude if you want a look at at the thread it’s here . Look through till you come to the insulation bit. He bought from the places you’ve mentioned too.
www.motorhomefun.co.uk

rb panel van conversion begins !

Well after Ordering our base vehicle back in July it has finally arrived..... As you can see its a Peugeot Boxer, the van is 6.4m long and has a 2.2 engine with 130 BHP. The new Boxer has a few changes to it the obvious one being the face lift. Other changes made are to the sliding door gear...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk
Welcome to the forum too.
 
scandude said:
Most/All of the interior needs stripping out as there is significant damp/wet and dry rotted wood. The roof looks as though a porcupine has been rubbing his back all over it (i'm not sure where the aluminium roof starts and the rusted screw holes end).
Click to expand...
scandude said:
I work 40 hours a week not including 2 hour trip there and back
Click to expand...
scandude said:
We paid £2500 for it
Click to expand...

Sorry to be the voice of doom, but I think you should break it for spares and start again - you would get something for it.

You could very easily spend more than you paid for it trying to fix it, and the work will probably consume all your spare time for the next 6-12 months - It's amazing how the cost of the multitude of little things that you need mounts up. If you have dry rot in there, goodness knows where it has got to. At the end of it, you'd still have a ~30 year old van with 30 year old fittings and 30 year old mechanicals, none of which will last forever.

However, if you do decide to try and fix it, make sure that the base vehicle is absolutely sound - the last thing you would want is to complete the labour of love, only to find that it fails it's MOT.

Whatever you decide: The very best of luck! :)
 
Its heart breaking after having so many positive comments that Misterg has posted his doom and gloom opinions, however I think he is absolutely spot on. A project of this size takes a serious amount of dedication. Apart from costs and time that will escalate there is also the danger as things get tough you could lose the will to see it through to the end. If its useable as it is I would use it as much as you can this summer and then sell it on. Put it down to experience and move on.
 
Both Wildbill and rosalan did similar, repairs Bill posted loads of pictures too so have a search for his.
good luck with it all.

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