Hi all so we fixed our front end damp problem. Then last night with heavy rain we found water coming through the extractor fan on one corner. Just as one problem is solved we get another one. We can't actually see where the water is getting in. Has anyone else had this problem. With this bad weather forecast I'm so worried about it now. Thank you.
Is it an Omnivent. If so the mechanism for opening and closing operates one side of the dome only. If very high winds coming from the opposite of the vent to the mechanism it can lift the dome and drive water in. We had one of these on a previous caravan and at times thought the wind was going to rip it off the roof. I fixed some angled plastic to the roof around it to help stop the wind getting under it, but did not completely cure it but helped.
------------- 2023 Swift Archway Woodford, MK3 Kuga ST Line X 190 ps AWD Auto
Now 52 years Caravanning completed.
Thank you im not sure what type of vent it is. I know the control is on the one size and you twist it round to open the vent up. The thing is we didn't have strong winds last night just heavy rain so I'm baffled and stressed.
That sounds like an omnivent. We had a small damp patch in one corner from ours. The sealing compound on the roof had deteriorated, so I dismantled it, cleaned the old mastic off with white spirit then meths and renewed it with W4 mastic strip of the appropriate width.
It can all be done from inside at a push but if the fan is fairly close to the wall of the van it is easier to do the outside work when you can see it.
Don't be tempted to try a silicone bodge over the top of the ols sealant, it is not a long term fix.
Dave.
------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,
Teach a man to fish and you can get rid of him for a whole weekend.
Thank you Dave . I had some of the w4 mastic strip delivered today. So hopefully over the next few days I can get down to the storage and sort it. It's one problem after another with this caravan. But I do love it. So it's worth it in the end.
A caravan is a big box that has many holes, joints and openings in it, They have to be weatherproofed in some way or another to keep it from letting the outside weather in. An older van will inevitably need some attention to the sealant as it degrades and fails to keep the water out.
Ideally, with the aid of a damp meter, we find out what bit needs repairing before it has been leaking too long and caused the wet wood to rot and need replacing. That way it is fairly straightforward and relativly cheap to do, plus it should be quite a while before it needs doing again.
Being told that your pride and joy has the 'dreaded damp' condition can put the fear of god into owners who often then decide to get rid and buy another new one, mainly because of the work involved and cost of someone doing it. However, doing it yourserlf also gives one a feeling of pride and satisfaction as you have found out. Good luck ijn your endeavour.
Dave.
------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,
Teach a man to fish and you can get rid of him for a whole weekend.
Thanks Dave . We used the mastic around the extractor vent thing and we also did the one above the shower and bathroom just to be on the safe side. We have replaced the old sickaflex we did that in the summer with our damp repairs . I'm hoping our problem will be solved. Will find out when we go and check on it at the weekend. Fingers crossed.
Ok so problem is not fixed. Went to check on the old girl today and it's been leaking again through the omnivent thing. Bowl under it had water in plus the table top was wet. What else can be done. This wet weather is horrendous. So we have put a cover over the vent for now until we can take a better look at it. Gutted
That's a pain but at least you have made sure that the mastic is now sound so not an entire waste of time, money and effort.
It may well be that the actual plastic dome has a crack in it, the usual place is where the lift meckanism is located. For some reason, they only lift it up on one side so a lot of strain gets put on that fixing. Should you find a hairline crack it can be siccessfully and cheaply mended with some clear gorilla tape over it and the surrounding area. A new dome will be an extortionate ptice and who is gonna see a bit of clear tape up thetre? Good luck.
Dave.
------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,
Teach a man to fish and you can get rid of him for a whole weekend.
I’d endorse that: it was a different make of roof light in our previous elderly Motorhome, but we could see the drips from the cracks in the old plastic by the hinges (one on each side).
They weren’t expensive to replace, unlike the roof light in this thread, but changing them allowed more light in as the plastic had gone cloudy & yellow, so we found it worthwhile.
Thanks Dave your advice is always very much appreciated and as helped us no end. I will check for cracks. And your right it does lift up on the one side. I really don't want to be spending anymore money on it if I can help it. So tape it will be.
Tou are more than welcome chezben. Unfortunately I too speak from experiencing the brittle UV damaged dome on our Omnivent which I fixed with clear gorilla tape. It was just one of the many problems, lift gearbox broken, siezed motor and intermittent control pad malfunctions experienced with it over the years, eventually I bought a nearly new one at a bargain price. Hopefully not to start all over again but I think the basic design is flawed.
Dave.
------------- Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day,
Teach a man to fish and you can get rid of him for a whole weekend.