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Help, just had a wonderful week away in our 2004 Bailey Ranger 510/4.  Unfortunately a tin of peas fell out of the cupboard and smashed a hole in the worktop below.  Our caravan servicing man says it is a huge job to replace the worktop. 

Does anyone have any tips or advice about repairing it.

Vanessa

 I was looking around a Caravan dealers a couple of years ago and saw in a caravan a worktop where someone who owned it previously had inserted some tiles( i think 4 small) into worktop. They must have had damage and took off top veneer of worktop down to the depth of tile. I suppose this would only work if damage was in middle of worktop and you could insert tiles in middle and make it symmetrical. Its an idea anywhere to camouflage damage.

 Yes with caravans being so lightweight, the nature of materials outside and inside are easily damaged, worse luck.

Hubby repaired our surface when a 2 ltr bottle of pop fell on our top when travelling.

He says how big is the hole, how easy it will be will depend on that.

You are never going to make an invisible repair.  And you need to get the surface such that you can keep it hygenically clean if you prepare food on it.  If the hole is really large, I think I would cut out a sqare section, with the corners radiused, and make an exact size inlay.  I would use a contrasting colour to make it look like a deliberate design.

But it would take time, patience, and a reasonably high level of DIY skill.

Depending on the value of the van, and how long you intend to keep it, there may be a case for facing the cost of a replacement work surface. The cost would probably balance out come time to sell; if the damage is visually an eyesore after repair, a buyer would want a hefty chunk off the asking price.  It would also go against you in a buyer's assessment of how well the van has been cared for.

Bertie.

hi there, we bought a caravan from our local dealer, and even though the van was ten years old, they offered to fill in the dings on the worksurface, which he said was a small job and it came up a treat.

It was a wooden finish, and I recall they use crayons to finish and it looks really good.

If you need to make further enquiries I can post a link or number, they are based in the vale of Glamorgan South wales, but I would assume any dealer could sort it for not a lot of money..    

You don't say where you are but my friend had a repair done to his worktop at Reads Caravans near to Chorley

We had an Abbey 215 once that was supplied new with 4 tiles stuck on the worktop next to the gas rings for hot pans etc to be rested on.

There are some nice worktop savers that you could possibly stick over the damaged area. 

Hi, I work for a company who can repair your work top for you depending on where you are. We have finishers all over Britain. The Plastic Surgeon

My Mobile 07971 091379