we have a 20 year old caravan no problem with dampnesss but the floor is soft underneath by the door. The caravan is not worth much and I do not want to get it fixed unless it is a safety issue. Why is signs of delamination so important is it that you might fall through the floor or does delamination alter the towing safety.
delamination
- Thread starter pamela_374230412
- Start date
The bonded sandwich construction does form an integral part of a caravan's strength, so delamination will reduce that strength. Whether that reduction in strength constitutes a safety issue is an area where I doubt much research has been done. That's the techie response.
Our last caravan, an '83 Ace bought from new, had floor delamination for about 10 years until I had it fixed at 14 years old when some other work had to be done.
It might be an issue selling a caravan with a delaminated floor but relative to it's value I really doubt it would be cost-effective to have the work done.
Get out there and enjoy your caravanning!
Our last caravan, an '83 Ace bought from new, had floor delamination for about 10 years until I had it fixed at 14 years old when some other work had to be done.
It might be an issue selling a caravan with a delaminated floor but relative to it's value I really doubt it would be cost-effective to have the work done.
Get out there and enjoy your caravanning!
Damian
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- Mar 14, 2005
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Pamela, as has been said, the floor is a sandwich construction, one layer of wood topped with a layer of foam, and finished with the top layer of wood.
When it is bonded fully it is an incredibly strong construction but when it becomes delaminated, the more you walk on it, the more you compress the foam middle layer, and the worse the situation becomes, until, in theory, you could end up with a tramopline effect floor, that is, two layers of wood with very little, or no foam supporting it.
Its a decision you have to make, is the van good enough to spend about
When it is bonded fully it is an incredibly strong construction but when it becomes delaminated, the more you walk on it, the more you compress the foam middle layer, and the worse the situation becomes, until, in theory, you could end up with a tramopline effect floor, that is, two layers of wood with very little, or no foam supporting it.
Its a decision you have to make, is the van good enough to spend about
Hi Pam,
I had the same problem on my last 'van a repair kit can be bought from a good caravan accessory shop at approx
I had the same problem on my last 'van a repair kit can be bought from a good caravan accessory shop at approx
Hi Pamela,
Just as John says curing the delamination is an easy DIY job and the kit of two-part adhesive and syringe costs
Just as John says curing the delamination is an easy DIY job and the kit of two-part adhesive and syringe costs
my version for what its worth
hi,delamination...frightening no if you set out your stall and take your time.this is not a two hour job as stated,when you have finished you will know why they charge so much at the caravan repair shop.i have just done ours a few months ago.i will go through the steps best i can.ours had gone in two places,next to the door entrance and next to the sink four feet away.you will find that delamination is where the floor is used most.ie next to the sink and the door entrance.first decide how much delamination you have,ie.2 feet (old school) or 6 feet,this information is required when you go to order your epoxi resin mix.one mix will cover about 3 feet by 3 feet.got mine from barrons
hi,delamination...frightening no if you set out your stall and take your time.this is not a two hour job as stated,when you have finished you will know why they charge so much at the caravan repair shop.i have just done ours a few months ago.i will go through the steps best i can.ours had gone in two places,next to the door entrance and next to the sink four feet away.you will find that delamination is where the floor is used most.ie next to the sink and the door entrance.first decide how much delamination you have,ie.2 feet (old school) or 6 feet,this information is required when you go to order your epoxi resin mix.one mix will cover about 3 feet by 3 feet.got mine from barrons
Rather than packing up the underside of the van and adding weights on the floor inside, I used a number of cabinet screws to pull the top and bottom layers of the floor hard into the insulation and adhesive. Just check there are no gas pipes, waste pipes or wiring under the floor where you are locating the screws. One delamination kit at
The floor is a floor, it bears your weight. If it feels safe then leave well alone but if you stand in your doorway and give a little jump do you feel that you are about to hit the chassis. You will answer your own question.
I injected expanding foam from an airosol that is used to seal around windows on building sites, available from B&Q. Drill holes from uderneath the van floor the same size as the airosol nozzle about every 6 inches apart and inject the foam. Job done.
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