Should I reseal?

[alexstefanssa]

Hi all! Newbie here, just purchased our first caravan. A 2005 Lunar Chateau 470. I noticed the offside aluminium rail has gaps in between the rubber seal and the body of the van. If I pull on it a bit I can see the sticky glue underneath. I bought a can of Soudal FixAll and was thinking about squeezing some in there. What's your opinion? There's also gaps between the van body and rear bumper which I was considering sealing up. Pics below with the van wall. I do not see any stains or soft walls inside the van, and there is no weird smells.
I also need to redo the sealant around the bathroom area since it separated. Anything in particular I should pay attention to? I grabbed some silicone remover and some Sika sanitary silicone for the bathroom/toilet.
Many thanks for the time and apologies if this is available somewhere else, my google-fu was no help

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello alexstefanssa,

Welcome to the forum.

I'd like to be able to say just refill the joints and it will be fine, but sadly from the information you have given, we can't possibly determine if the breakdown of the seals have caused any problems within the wall construction.

Judging from the pictures, the a outer aluminium panel has moved some distance from the strip, that could be indicative of active rot in the wooden batons inside the wall. The only way to accurately determine the facts is to expose the wall filling.

If there is any rot, it's important that any affected material must be completely removed as well as repairing any leaks.

I hope I'm wrong but I can't count out the possibility of problems in the walls.

 

[alexstefanssa]

I think you are correct. Just went there again and pressed on the van wall just next to the rubber strip. Some areas feel hard while some feel spongy and I can hear crackling when I press. Are there any guides for such work, or is it more along the lines of "unscrew, unstick, use common sense and screw it back together again"?

 

[alexstefanssa]

Thinking about it now, since I see signs of a second sealer there, and the wood makes an audible crackling when I press on it, theoretically, it should be all dry inside no? I think wet rotten wood wouldn't make that noise correct? Also no stains inside which makes me think there's no water currently leaking, but was in the past. Just trying to assess how likely I am to have issues with this soon, or if I should just unscrew the rail a bit, add more sealant and screw in again for a couple years more.

 

[ProfJohnL]

The lack of any signs of damp on the inside is almost certainly due to the fact the caravan manufacturers use then wooden panels with a waterproof vinyl wallpaper, which can hide a multitude of sins.

But really you need to establish if and how far any damage may have affected the caravan, and that is something that needs investigating. I cannot advise whether adding sealant and hoping for the best is a suitable solution for you.

If the wood in the wall has rotted, then it will definitely weaken the the construction, and due to the strains of towing it could fail more seriously.

If you intend to scrap the caravan in two years that solution might be ok, if you want sell it on then it's almost certainly the wrong solution. That's for you and your conscience to decide.

 

[audiorob]

From your photograph there is an area of peeling paint and at least one 'crease' in the aluminium skin making me wonder if there has been further damage that has been repaired in the past? I Also wonder whether the ill fitting rear section is indicative of the same?) Of course it is very difficult to make a hidden repair to the dimpled aluminium surface so this may be more obvious to your close scrutiny. If you are a competent DIYer it is possible to remove the rail by removing the grey herzim strip and unscrewing it. Usually the rail is in 2 sections with a butt joint half way along the rail by the roofline with a screw into the bodywork about every 6 inches. Then the rail and bodywork can be cleaned and new sealant applied to refit the rail, although if this is what you contemplate the rail is very easily bent or damaged in the process and would be likely impossible to replace if damaged. the grey strip is cheap to replace as this often gets sticky or brittle over time. As Prof says, resealing without any remedial work might be a very short term fix.