New to caravanning! Silverline Pegasus 1989 renovation questions

[peggysue]

Hi everyone! I very impulsively purchased a Silverline Pegasus 1989 with absolutely no knowledge about caravans or caravanning and I'm very quickly learning I am *completely* out of my depth! I'm completely clueless but eager to learn and willing to turn my hand to DIY and tinkering. I bought her as a project... And a project I have indeed got!!!

We are willing and able to put in the graft to get her right but we have damp issues and holes galore, and inherited problems such as a broken heater, taps not working and the oven won't ignite.

Please bear with me on this line of thought and my query... I think our first job is getting her watertight. We have pin hole damage to the walls in the back nearside corner so we're thinking we need to rip out the kitchen as the walls are rotting. Possibly the floor too but we don't know til we get the kitchen cupboard/sink bit out and look. Our kitchen has a sink, hob/grill (apparently this is working and would be good to keep, fridge uses gas too I believe) and an oven (ignition apparently doesn't work but this was what I was told by previous owners).

As the kitchen taps don't work, I'm wondering whether to fully replace so we know we're all good, which then led me to think if we actually need the water heater...

Just to reiterate, I have absolutely no clue about these things but I've been reading some threads and watching youtube this morning, we have a cascade 2 and truma. I'm wondering that as we don't intend to use the shower in the van, we'd only really need hot water for a bit of washing up i.e. Either washing dishes or our hands/faces. We are thinking that if we can get her ready for adventures, it'd be more of a glamping pod than "luxury caravan with all the mod cons" and would use shared facilities on sites.

Also as the heater doesn't work (no idea why, old owners said it hasn't worked for a while) this would need replacing.

As it's all connected to the gas or each other in one way or other and the whole system (I'm assuming) is connected together, I guess what my query is, is it as simple as "just ripping out the kitchen" or do I need to factor in these other appliances before we start dismantling the kitchen?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, would love to hear from anyone who has completed a full renovation!

 

[otherclive]

Hi welcome to the Forum, you’ve certainly dived into the deep end from a 10m board.

There are some on the Forum who have resurrected old caravans and I’m sure you will get good advice. Some pictures of the various areas of your caravan would be a good starting point. Post them into a new thread such as Technical.

 

[Buckman]

It reads as if you have severe damp and damp is the most important issue that needs to be resolved first and foremost. Have you do a damp check using a meter damp meter? Do this before spending time and money trying to fix the caravan.

 

[peggysue]

It reads as if you have severe damp and damp is the most important issue that needs to be resolved first and foremost. Have you do a damp check using a meter damp meter? Do this before spending time and money trying to fix the caravan.

Morning! Thanks for replying! Yes, I've bought a damp meter and the internal wall that has the most visible damage appears to be more or less dry, though completely crumbling and rotten. It's the back corner next to the sink. The cupboard underneath the sink where this wall continues was maxing out the damp meter but by airing it out in this dry weather, it has reduced the damp significantly. I believe the cause for the damp/rotten wooden is due to holes in the aluminium skin where it's corroded.

 

[peggysue]

Hi welcome to the Forum, you’ve certainly dived into the deep end from a 10m board.

There are some on the Forum who have resurrected old caravans and I’m sure you will get good advice. Some pictures of the various areas of your caravan would be a good starting point. Post them into a new thread such as Technical.

Thank you so much for replying! Yes haha! It very much feels like that and reality is setting in - it seems I didn't bring my armbands and I'm hoping this forum might lend me some hahaha!

I'll pop a post on there, fingers crossed I'm a quick learner!

 

[Buckman]

Morning! Thanks for replying! Yes, I've bought a damp meter and the internal wall that has the most visible damage appears to be more or less dry, though completely crumbling and rotten. It's the back corner next to the sink. The cupboard underneath the sink where this wall continues was maxing out the damp meter but by airing it out in this dry weather, it has reduced the damp significantly. I believe the cause for the damp/rotten wooden is due to holes in the aluminium skin where it's corroded.

Not sure if you could repair aluminium as it normally requires a professional. The corrosion normally happens where there is bad damp. The nails holding the frame together rust and the rust reacts with the aluminium causing corrosion. On one of one caravans even the dealer could not do a repair which is why we traded in the caravan. The whole side would have required replacing and this was a 2011 caravan.

 

[peggysue]

Not sure if you could repair aluminium as it normally requires a professional. The corrosion normally happens where there is bad damp. The nails holding the frame together rust and the rust reacts with the aluminium causing corrosion. On one of one caravans even the dealer could not do a repair which is why we traded in the caravan. The whole side would have required replacing and this was a 2011 caravan.

Oh blimey, that sounds like a right palava! I guess I just need to get the kitchen out and see what damage we're actually faced with huh? I was wondering if I could treat the holes (someone historically has painted over some which seems to be hole-ding up around one of the side windows (see what I did there) and then fill them with epoxy putty and then reinsulate and reboard and rebuild the kitchen. There just so many things swirling in my head I think I've got myself in a twizz!

 

[Buckman]

Oh blimey, that sounds like a right palava! I guess I just need to get the kitchen out and see what damage we're actually faced with huh? I was wondering if I could treat the holes (someone historically has painted over some which seems to be hole-ding up around one of the side windows (see what I did there) and then fill them with epoxy putty and then reinsulate and reboard and rebuild the kitchen. There just so many things swirling in my head I think I've got myself in a twizz!

You could try that, but not sure how well it will blend in with the rest of the caravan and whether more will appear at a later stage due to current damp etc. One needs to be careful as you do not want to spend a load fo time and money only to find out that it is not viable in the long run.

Unfortunately none of us know how good or bad the condition of the caravan is. It may be worth paying a caravan engineer to give it the once over and to advise whether restoration is possible. Probably cost about £100 but in my opinion money well spent and it could save you a lot more. Your decision.

 

[peggysue]

You could try that, but not sure how well it will blend in with the rest of the caravan and whether more will appear at a later stage due to current damp etc. One needs to be careful as you do not want to spend a load fo time and money only to find out that it is not viable in the long run.

Unfortunately none of us know how good or bad the condition of the caravan is. It may be worth paying a caravan engineer to give it the once over and to advise whether restoration is possible. Probably cost about £100 but in my opinion money well spent and it could save you a lot more. Your decision.

Appreciate your advice! Really do, wish me luck!