HELP ☹️😭😭

[Brewster]

Hi, guys
I have a 2007 Bailey Pageant. Owned for 4yrs, it's been in storage for a year with out been touched. Our fault entirely ( been running away to Thailand when ever we got chance).
Apart from the usual shut which occurred in November 2024 not attended the van at all 🥺.
Anyway long story short. At the weekend took it out of storage and put it on our drive.
On close inspection found soft wall ( see pic) about 3" at the top of window.
My question is is it DIYable?
I am a fairly hands on guy, understand I need to find source of leak, reseal, cut out and replace.
OR does anyone have idea of cost?
Thanks guys

 

[toad a caravan]

It doesn't look a formidable or life threating problem Brewster,if you look on this forum under Abbey I've put images of awning rail removal,cleaning and the correct sealer,if you need any more info there will be other articles on here.Good luck ...Gary

 

[IanB1485]

Welcome to the forum. A commercial organisation would charge anywhere from £1000 to £3500! as damp can be more extensive than what appears on the surface, The vinyl wallpaper ( which has a large plastic content) on the wallboard holds back the damp for a long time before it becomes visible. To do it DIY , yes its possible but may be a bigger job than you first imagine. Lots of forum members on this and other forums have posted their efforts ( with success) so before starting search and search for these threads also youtube has some good videos by DIYer one such is

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYn4jGKuEHU
Its a repair on a roof but it shows how a typical caravan structure is built . One tip I can give is that you are unlikely to source identical wallboard in such an old caravan instead, when replacing use 3.6mm plywood and vinyl wallpaper rather than buying caravan wallboard .I use PVA glue to attach the wallpaper to the plywood rather tha wallpaper paste and cut 20mm strips of the wallpaper to make the joint cover strip, again glued with PVA glue. I get the closest match of wallpaper from Park and Leisure ltd who supply to static caravan industry Attached is a photo of the upper window frame removed from a caravan (Elddis Xplore) which had 'just a few high readings around the front window when serviced in 2024. The circled areas aren't wood its actually mould /fungus growth ! So the damp had been going on for a long time - caused by the sealing failure of the window hinge bar allowing water in through the screw holes

 

[toad a caravan]

Ian ,a few years ago I too repaired the front windows timbers of an elldis (wandahome Tb 18 app year circa 2018).my opinion it was a design fault due production procedures.perhaps a well built caravan dampness maybe not be such a drastic problem,as you say it may be worse than can be seen, hopefully for Brewster at the age of his caravan it may not be terminal and practical to repair it,it's not rocket size although it's important not to lessen it's structural integrity