Water damage (split thread)

Terrontress

MOD EDIT:

This post was split out from the fridge thread to create a new thread. The first fridge related bit of this post was removed for clarity

On the negative side, it seems my DIY job on the seal where I crashed it has not worked! I have found a damp patch. I suppose the weather has been awful the last while. I will have to have another go.

I think with all the remedial work I have carried out, VRT and damage done by crashing, I would have been alot better buying something local.

peasant

As for sealing your damage ..what did you use?
Not silicone, I hope? (If you did, you'll have to get rid of it all, including the residue which will be quite a job)

Try and get some of the stuff that windscreen fitters use to glue the glass in, that'll do the job. It's nice and elastic, sticks like hell and doesn't age and crack in the sunlight

Terrontress

In the spirit of a truly botched job, I used thick plastic sheeting and gaffer tape. I thought it would hold it. The moisture does not seem to be coming from the area where the damage is which makes me think that it is getting in, rolling along and then collecting. Which is more worrying than localised moisture.

What are the consequences if the wooden frame is rotten? Can the joints be replaced easily?

peasant

If the wooden frame is rotten, your camper is held together by plywood, some glue, styrofoam and aluminium sheeting :rolleyes:

Yes it can be repaired, but you would need to rip everything rotten out and rebuild with new wood. Can you bribe a carpenter friend with a few pints?
Getting replacement alu could also be a bit of a headache, depending on size.
Really depends on how bad it is in order to decide if it has to be repaired at all or if it's best left alone as it just might do for another while (also keep in mind cost/value of your camper)

If the damage isn't too bad yet and you're not thinking about ripping everything apart, get yourself some polyurethane based glue/selant (Sikaflex 221 or Wuerth automotive bond) and re-seal every single seam in the general area and on the roof.
The tinyest pinhole can let in surprising amounts of water which then collects somewhere and starts the rot.

also see this post
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=53793792&postcount=4

peasant

Generally speaking, it is a good idea for everybody to keep a keen eye on their motorhome, no matter how old or new it is.

A good idea is to go out in the rain and actually see for yourself, where water runs off, where it collects and where it seems to disappear.

A notorious spot for water ingress on alcove models is the "hump" where the roofline goes up into the alcove. Water can collect there and seep into the seams at the sides or in and around rooflights or TV masts.

Other critical spots are where the rear wall mets the base plate (usually hidden behind acres of plastic). Very often the sheet metal isn't long enough, so water running down doesn't drip off, but actually creeps back up again and into the wooden base plate.

Also all windows, hatches and their seals need to be looked at from time to time.

But the worst culprits usually are botched aftermarket fixings. Anything that requires drillholes (bike carriers, reversing cameras, TV masts, cables, awnings) needs to be throughly sealed ...you wouldn't believe the amounts of water that can creep past a badly sealed screw.
Any rusting screws should set the alarm bells ringing.

If your motorhome is made of GRP you're not entirely in the clear either. Your base plate would still be wood, some wood may still be in the structure and GRP also degrades once water gets inside.

Terrontress

Not looking too good Peasant. Reckon something will need to be done. There were two bubbles on the aluminium panels. When I pushed them water came out.

And on the inside, the interior wall, which is made of wood, is fairly soaked.

I think I will have to seal the hole properly, take off the interior panels, cut new ones, see if I can replace any joists and put the panels back on.

If I could get it fixed properly it would be a weight off my mind.

I suppose, on a positive note, I most likely would have done the same on an expensive camper so at least this one wasn't too dear.