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Subject Topic: undercarriage damp causing a weakenss Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonMonnty
28/5/2014 at 4:43pm
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Hi, I am new to caravanning after deciding full family and 2 dogs is just too much in a tent these days.

I have just got a Supreme Courier Jubilee. Its getting on a bit, late 90s but the inside is immaculate, full working order ect... really happy with the price and equipment supplied ect.

My concern is the undercarriage floor. The ply has clearly been damp in the corners for some time and the front appears to be weakening around the one of the stabilisers. I am conserved about what could happen and if the ply is the only support?

Is the replacement of the floor a major job?
Is it an expensive job?
does anyone have in ingenuitive method to avoid having to replace the floor if cost is prohibitive?   


Any advice is very very appreciated.

mont


Personmichell8
28/5/2014 at 5:04pm
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You can't replace a whole floor. If the floor is crumbling at the corners then this suggests water is leaking in through the caravan seams & getting into floor at corners, its not uncommon on an older caravan. You need to seal the seams & when floor dries out, dig out any loose ply at corners & fill with IsoponP40. This worked well on mine.

Unless floor is really bad then steady should not be a problem because they are just that, corner steadies, they should not be used for lifting caravan, you level it on site & then wind down steadies.


PersonMonnty
28/5/2014 at 5:23pm
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Thanks for that. the concern over steadies is that the floor has flexed and appears to be at risk if collapsing at that point.
I am worried about what the worst case scenario is when the weight of people sat on the seating over this area is at its highest. Would the likes of these gap fillers /expandable foams offer any structural support or is that IsoponP40 job (not a product I am familiar with)

Mont


Personmichell8
28/5/2014 at 8:04pm
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IsoponP40 is car body filler with glass reinforcement so has tensile strength & is ideal for building up crumbling floor corners, I have found. If the floor is badly rotted then you will need to do some carpentry. Floor is is actually ply/foam/ply sandwich but you can replace bits with solid ply. Theres no set way of doing this, fixing an old caravan is just make do & mend.


PersonMonnty
28/5/2014 at 8:26pm
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Beautiful. I will get busy with these suggestions. Must appreciated.

Mont


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Personsteady-eddie
29/5/2014 at 6:40am
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I've got the same model van and had the same problem as you but in all 4 corners.  As previous posters have said, I repaired mine with exterior plywood, screwsand sikaflex and then did all 4 with a delamination repair kit. I then painted the whole with roof bitumen to waterproof it. All corners are still solid 5 years later.

What you must do is find why the floor has gone in the 1st place.  Mine was leaking from the awning rails, the window securing bars, the alloy rail above the windows and above the rear window.  Took six months to rebuild and now leaks every now and then but I'm soon onto it lol.

Good luck



-------------
Eddie


Personmaritimesbob
29/5/2014 at 3:37pm
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Similar caravan to me, we purchased our first caravan last month, a 89 Abi Jubilee Courier so not quite as new as yours. The flooring around the front corner legs were in bad shape. I found the culprit was the two rails from the roof down to the front bottom, the rail that runs along the seam at the roof/front grp panel, the front fixed window was also a major leak issue for us and finally, a small crack in the grp panel just above the front window.

Fixed all the front up and also purchased 6mm builders ply for the floor. Plenty of "sticks like poo" was used and also fiber glass resin to help strengthen the crumbling floor.

Looks great now, feels sturdy, can take body weight (several) and I don't fear the legs going through the floor!! Above all it smells damp free.

Must be a problem with these vans that the front end suffers major water ingress. The old type sealant was crummy too. Found ours had dried and cracked badly.

Post last edited on 29/05/2014 19:12:40


PersonMonnty
29/5/2014 at 9:12pm
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Just a bit of an update. I lifted the lino in the side compartment where I was worried. Its damp. Really damp and the ply is disintegrating . I found the cause and sorted that. I have built a brace in the compartment to prevent the stabiliser coming through the underside and into the compartment. Imminent without action. Sturdy piece of wood over the securing bolts of the stabiliser and braced against a good solid piece of frame under the seat. Looks fine and feels really secure. I am surprised that do much pressure would be placed on the stabiliser only supported by a bit of 9mm ply. Splicing a new piece of ply here looks like it will be a nightmare so I think I will monitor my brace. It may become permanent.




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