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Subject Topic: help or advice needed please Post Reply Post New Topic
Personsimongoatcher
15/9/2012 at 7:07pm
 Location: worthing west sussex
 Outfit: swift eriskay 2003 View simongoatcher's Profile View Profile   Reply to simongoatcher Reply   Quote simongoatcher Quote  
Joined: 15/7/2012

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i have just brought a swift conqueror about my fourth caravan but i have had some real problems in the past with damp so we decided to save up and buy a newer van , so we got a swift 98 580 well please with it TILL i got it home and looked a bit harder i opened the front locker and the shelf that the locker hanger is screwed to all started falling in ,my god the mrs burst in tears and now i feel bad and gutted i have been ripped off again so instead of scrapping it or passing it on cheap i have decided to try and repair it ,i have taken down the blinds and curtains and removed the rotten shelf and things look even worse now ,i have now removed the wall boards and the wood below the unit at the front that the curtain rails screw to ,the window frames are rotten and i can see light between the window rubbers and the frame, i also removed the front rail that seals the roof to the front panel to see what was what, but now i have a big gap between the seams as if the front panel has sagged in towards the caravan how do i know when it is where it should be and am i better of fixing the window frames fisrt and replacing the shelf and wood or re sealing the rail but in not sure whether the bit of wood i have removed due to rot is the piece that the rail screw to im confused as to what does what and what to do next and how to fix the new timber to the fibre glass front panel,and how to get the window rubbers in right so i have no gaps, hope someone has some good advice if they can understand my problems


PersonBluey
15/9/2012 at 7:55pm
 Location: Merseyside
 Outfit: Swift Corniche View Bluey's Profile View Profile   Reply to Bluey Reply   Quote Bluey Quote  
Joined: 14/1/2004

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hi sorry to read about your problems,but if you look up the fix-it club threads I am sure you will find all that you need.Best of luck with it

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:D It Takes 2 To Tango


PersonAl+Mel
15/9/2012 at 10:14pm
 Location: Hants
 Outfit: Fleetwood Heritage 640 EB & ML270 View Al+Mel's Profile View Profile   Reply to Al+Mel Reply   Quote Al+Mel Quote  
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Sounds like the shelf helps to keep the front panel in shape. Can you use the old shelf as a pattern to make a new one, then try it in place to see if it braces the front panel?

Its worth taking lots of photos as you go, so you can use them to remind you what went where. You can do it! The worst part is stripping it down. Soon you'll be rebuilding and that feels a lot more positive!


Persontwincle
15/9/2012 at 11:20pm
 Location: Byfleet Surrey
 Outfit: Elddis Liberte 21 6 View twincle's Profile View Profile   Reply to twincle Reply   Quote twincle Quote  
Joined: 20/2/2008

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Here is the link for wizards web site:

http://www.1carpc.co.uk/wcdr/favorites.htm

you will find lots of help there, not to mention inspiration :)

i feel your pain as i'm in a similar position after just completing a repair, so your best course of action is to familiarise yourself with what it looks like ruined coz the satisfaction you'll get from fixing it yourself will be worth it in the end, it just takes time !  Good luck and ask as many questions as you need


Personsimongoatcher
16/9/2012 at 3:42pm
 Location: worthing west sussex
 Outfit: swift eriskay 2003 View simongoatcher's Profile View Profile   Reply to simongoatcher Reply   Quote simongoatcher Quote  
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thankyou for your replies im sure i will get it in the end just a few things im not sure of will be a bit of trial and error i think lol17


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Persontwincle
17/9/2012 at 10:30am
 Location: Byfleet Surrey
 Outfit: Elddis Liberte 21 6 View twincle's Profile View Profile   Reply to twincle Reply   Quote twincle Quote  
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Take photos as you go that will help with the rebuild. Cover so no more water can get in and start to dry what timber hasnt rotten. remove all rotten timber and replace - you dont have to be a cabinet maker to replace anything, god knows the factory production process has no idea either

Take one step at a time and have a look at some of the 'bigger' repairs on wizards site to show you its not impossible to fix any of your issues. 'Work Arounds' are good also as nothing has to be exact, e.g. use 3mm covered ply instead of a caravan panel to save costs or just replace the rotten not the whole strip to save time etc

I found replacing seals instead of reusing as it gave a better final finish

Crack on as it will get cold soon and you'll have it done in 6 weeks looking good as new. I was only in worthing last week ago and could of popped in :)


Personsimongoatcher
17/9/2012 at 7:34pm
 Location: worthing west sussex
 Outfit: swift eriskay 2003 View simongoatcher's Profile View Profile   Reply to simongoatcher Reply   Quote simongoatcher Quote  
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thankyou for all the advice i had looked at the wizards site the only bit i think i amm going to struggle with is the top part below the front cuboards it was so rotten i was like a wet cardboard box and got no idea what size or shape it was as it came out in bit about a inch long ,and im not sure wheather it was giving the front of the van the support and shape and wheather or not the front rail was screwed to it ,but i will work it out in the end


Persondaveroughley
17/9/2012 at 8:50pm
 Location: Highlands
 Outfit: 1983 CI Europa 5 berth View daveroughley's Profile View Profile   Reply to daveroughley Reply   Quote daveroughley Quote  
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I know just how you feel. Picked our van up yesterday. It was a freebie and the old saying about gift horses and mouths kept appearing in my head. Anyway. Today I thought I'd check things out properly. Electrics etc. that's when I found it. Damp, rot. U name it.
1st thought was to scrap it. But then I thought it was free and probably worth a few quid to fix. Only prob was the poly bead insulation was soaked. It's now completely stripped ( insulation an all ). Tomorrow I'll get some 25mm kingspan insulation and 4mm ply. And attempt to repair.
By the way it's our first van and an old one. An 84 CI Europa 480.

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September 27th. I'm going away. Don't care where. Just going!!!!



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