just got a avondale sport 5 berth

[mandrake1]

hi ive just joined the forum and thought i would mention my van .
ive got an avondale sport 1998 i believe ,i got it from a dealer as a trade sale cost just short of a grand .the van required some work that i knew , the length under 20 foot overall important for the drive and internal layout double bed front and rear were the most important thing ,but i have noticed a little more work than expected , firstly the carpets were dire and i noticed that there was some springiness at the door area and in front of the kitchen area all carpets removed and a repair kit baught from e bay doddle of a job to do 14 quid i think it was all perfect now , i did notice a badly stained area in front of the sink assumed it was from spilled water ,but no it was from the roof vent ,the van was undercover when i got it , anyway noticed the drips were coming from the handles not round the vent itself ,so took the thing to bits two parts to the vent held into handles by screws so i cleaned the vent ,resealing with a clear sillicone ,refitted the vent cured the drips .i have replaced the front wall boards with ne as some was broken and other places were damaged through old damp probs and put some new insulating in as the old stuff was polystyrene and actualy not a great deal of that . all dry behind and the frame was not in bad condition realy except in one place ,that was replaced with new wood reboarded with some board i had in the garage ,and wall papered and painted as near as i could get the colour other bits and bats done replacing some of the wood effect covering to the internals with a near matching wood grained fablon stuff all other walls dry and solid . re carpeted in gra carpet and in the doorway and front of the kitchen area in a grey laminate all offcuts from the carpets and flooring we have just put in the house ,so it was free . anyway still some bits to do like the brakes to check and tires there over ten years old but in excellent visual condition .oh and ive had a gas safety check done all fine and appliances fully working . ive quite enjoyed the work and saved many pounds in the process doing it myself most job are not beyond the capabilities of a decent diy er . hope i havent bored you all

 

[Parksy]

It's always interesting to read how damp caravans can be rescued and turned into good solid tourers to be enjoyed for years to come.
Did you take any before and after pictures of the work that you did Graham?

 

[mandrake1]

no i dident to tell the truth apart from the carpets which were shot and it being a bit dirty and unloved the van looked ok . the outside although it being very straight ,just minor dings it was only dull no real black lines or green gunge ,and the roof is rather clean . unfortunately i seem to do more damage than any previous owner managed to do ,i was positioning it on the drive properly a few weeks after i got it and clumsily caught it on an overhanging roof tile and regrettably dented the side about three inches from the roof put a dent in it but i managed to penetrate the outer skin ,its not that large fortunately , i have that sealed from the elements . i now need to wait untill better weather arrives to fill and respray the area . luckily enough i was a mechanic and the garage i worked for restored classic cars so i am quite capable although i wouldent class myself as an expert of doing a repair and any resto work i need to do and yes we restored timber frame cars . i have been able to get a paint that is almost a dead match for the van it may just be slightly darker but honestly it is negligible on the paint chips ive repaired ,i will put the paint code on soon to help any member that requires this info should they need it cheers again