Removing Rear Top Cupboards for damp repair

[A12]

Hi all,

We've got a Europa 500L (2003) and unfortunately found some damp on the N/S at the rear just behind the window.
It's just under the rear top cupboards so we need to remove these cupboards in order to repair and replace that section.

The question is, has anyone had any experience of removing these cupboards? Are they screwed in from the top etc and if so whats the best way to get them back up.

Any help would be much appreciated!
Thanks.

 

[Deejuk]

I have no experience of these lockers but I do understand that often these sorts of things are designed to work together with other elements of the interior for instance the shelf seems to run under the locker. So it maybe the fixings for the locker can only be removed when the shelf is removed.

I may be WAY wide of the mark, just trying to lend a hand, hard to see from the picture as you can imagine.

 

[A12]

I have no experience of these lockers but I do understand that often these sorts of things are designed to work together with other elements of the interior for instance the shelf seems to run under the locker. So it maybe the fixings for the locker can only be removed when the shelf is removed.

I may be WAY wide of the mark, just trying to lend a hand, hard to see from the picture as you can imagine.

Thanks for the input! Yes I need some better pics which I will hopefully get soon when I next pop down to storage.
But you are correct the shelf does run under the cupboards so that will need removal too!
I'm beginning to think it'll be a case of I find out as I go type of thing which always ends up a nightmare haha

Thanks again!

 

[Deejuk]

It is a case of find out as you go yes and yes it can be a nightmare, to be honest though it's worth it and I was wowed at some of the simple but superb applications I found in our old 1993 caravan. Although very much a voyage and a learning curve it was very enlightening and I learnt loads. So yeh see i as a great experience and I'm sure it will be superb.

One last point I thought of whilst typing, almost all the water ingress issues I found on our old van hadn't created any real lasting damage (bar one which I had a lot of work fixing) so it goes without saying find the source of the leak first, let things dry out and check how things have 'healed' inside before ripping stuff to bits. Of course if the leak isn't stopped from the outside whatever you do inside will just be undo by more water ingress if it's not cured. In my experience it takes a good while to find all the points of water ingress but it can be done

 

[A12]

It is a case of find out as you go yes and yes it can be a nightmare, to be honest though it's worth it and I was wowed at some of the simple but superb applications I found in our old 1993 caravan. Although very much a voyage and a learning curve it was very enlightening and I learnt loads. So yeh see i as a great experience and I'm sure it will be superb.

One last point I thought of whilst typing, almost all the water ingress issues I found on our old van hadn't created any real lasting damage (bar one which I had a lot of work fixing) so it goes without saying find the source of the leak first, let things dry out and check how things have 'healed' inside before ripping stuff to bits. Of course if the leak isn't stopped from the outside whatever you do inside will just be undo by more water ingress if it's not cured. In my experience it takes a good while to find all the points of water ingress but it can be done

Ah yes definitely!

Well we had it looked at a repair centre and the gentlemen there said the water ingress is coming from the awning rail which needs to be taken off and resealed. Although, he said it is best to fix the inside first as currently there will be nowhere for the rail to be screwed back onto as that section is just "mush"
The cost of the repair outweighs the value of the van but its lovely little van apart from this so I'm happy to give it the best go I can. The job in general seems "ok" but it's more the ripping out of things which is going to prove the most difficult, especially when I comes to trying to put them back again. But I'm for trying to squeeze a few more years out of the van.
I even considered cutting around the cupboard but then I'm not so sure the job will be done properly if I do that.
I suppose the worst case scenario is that I end up with no rear top cupboards! Lol

Just trying to get prepared as best as possible before I begin the big task lol

Thanks again !

 

[Deejuk]

Fair enough well enjoy it every days a school day they say