Caravan renovation

Hello @VickiD

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thank you for sharing your question about your caravan.

Looking at the photos you posted, I definitely think you can take the roof off without disassembling the walls. I would suggest however keeping the panel join strips and the plastic trim to the opening of the rooftop exhaust just in case. Have you considered painting the roof? This would save you so much effort with disassembly unless, of course, the ceiling is showing signs of structural damage or a heavy infestation of mould.

I propose removing one of the plastic joining strips and seeing if you can access one of the panel's sides. From there you should be able to tell how it's been mounted either by glue or some sort of mechanical fixing. Once you remove one panel you should be able to access the others in sequence.

Let me call on our experienced members @FloTheCaravan, @Peggers, @twocutekelpies and @woodenwookie for their recommendations.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing the start of your caravan roof revamp.

Eric

Hi Vicki, I've seen some use a multifunction tool and carefully trim the ceiling off around the cabinetry to take it down to replace. Ceilings are usually glued and stapled (lots of narrow crown staples) to the timber ribs in the roof. It takes a bit of agro to pull it down, it's very well attached. 😂

You may need to add support timber strips between the ribs to take the new ceiling around the overhead cupboards. Once the new ceiling goes up, you may need to add timber beading to cover the join.

New joining strips can be found in the bathroom section at Bunnings - 3mm wet panel joiners, staple them to the ribs and slot the ply into them, gluing the ply to the other ribs.

Hope this all makes sense.

Timber on tent poles are great for holding the ceiling up until the glue cures.

The wet panel range also has corners available to dress the hatch surround.

Hope this helps

Shelley

Hi @twocutekelpies

Thank you so much for that information. let me tag @VickiD to make sure they see your suggestions on how to tackle that roof renovation in their caravan. How have you been? Are you currently working on any new caravan projects?

Eric

FloTheCaravan

Hi @VickiD

I’ll be sure to follow you on Instagram. If the roof isn’t currently leaking it’s amazing what a coat of paint can do.. giving your roof a good sand and undercoat you would be amazed at the difference.

the old caravan walls and ceilings are very well stapled in, in saying that it would be ok to remove but I could see it damaging the walls at the same time would be my issue..

we replaced our walls with 3mm Marine grade ply. I repainted my roof to look as good as new. You can see more photos in my roof highlights on my Instagram flo_the_caravan

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/19696#Comment_19696

After looking at Vicki's photos again, I have to agree with FloTheCaravan, ceilings are really hard to replace so if you can get away with painting, that would be the best solution. Just make sure any leaks are resolved to avoid further damage.

The ceilings in my vans have always been too far gone to save but Vicki's looks salvageable.

Hi @EricL I'm well, thanks for asking. Between work, constant rain and the election (husband ran as a Labor candidate in Qld) I haven't been able to do any thing on my vans but hoping to get stuck back into my little Franklin this weekend. 😊

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/72534#Comment_72534

Thanks for all the feedback. I agree that the ceilings are in reasonably good condition and I definitely don't want to pull things out if it can be avoided. One reason I thought it might be necessary is that there are holes where old lighting was, and the new lighting won't be in the same place. So, 1. is the holes and 2. is getting the electrical wiring to the new location.

Any suggestions on fixing these issues without pulling out the ceiling would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again

Vicki

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/99661#Comment_99661

Hi @VickiD,

What's the ceiling made from? Is it textured vinyl wallpaper over plywood? Perhaps you could patch up the holes with a wood filler. I'd suggest you'd need a couple of good coats of primer over the repairs before painting to help disguise them. If it is a textured vinyl, you'll likely have to do some patterning work to the filler repairs to imitate the surrounding texture.

Although a whole heap more work than just painting, you could leave the current ceiling in situ and clad over it with 3mm whitecoat MDF.

Let me mention @FloTheCaravan and @twocutekelpies to see if they have any thoughts.

Mitchell

FloTheCaravan

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/116651#Comment_116651

Thanks @MitchellMc

Ive used a number of times. Taubmans 3in1 primer and can highly recommend the product to undercoat all your van. The coverage is amazing and would give great coverage of your old roof…

The old holes maybe handy for new wiring to be fed through the roof. I drilled a hole in my roof for a hook and drilled through the fiber glass also.. so things can be repaired and look great too..

think about the area of the hole and once covered having handles or hooks attached to the roof is super handy for hanging clothes to dry overnight etc.. you can get lots of lovely adhesive wallpaper or adhesive vinyl to turn it into a feature strip.. could add a wooden beading along as a feature to cover the main larger hole. Even a round mdf coaster painted the same as the roof be a good way to patch if you can’t get an even finish patching the hole…

hope this helps @VickiD

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/126421#Comment_126421

Excellent, I will try those suggestions first.

Hello again

I was working on the kitchen benches in the van and i found some wood rot in the corner. I had to pull out a lot more of the kitchen than i had planned. Anyway, there is some rot in the floor that will need to cut out. Pics included. What type of fastener is pictured and how do i get it out? What is the sealant used between the floor boards?

Thanks again

Vicki

wood rot in floor, most of the rotted wall battens havebeen removed

floor fastener

rot was under window too

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/19721#Comment_19721

Hi @VickiD,

I must say that I haven't seen a fastener similar to that before. Perhaps it's something that is used exclusively in caravans. I'd imagine it employs some type of crimping action to connect the floor sheeting to the skin/frame underneath. You could try drilling out the centre to see if that releases them.

Could we get a close-up picture of the sealant between boards? Does it look like it could be a standard construction adhesive? Or even just a wood putty filler?

Let me mention some of our knowledgeable caravan renovation experts @FloTheCaravan, @twocutekelpies and @Peggers to see if they've come across these fixings before or know of what the sealant could be.

Mitchell

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/72544#Comment_72544

Here is a close up of the join

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/99672#Comment_99672

Is the sealant soft or hard @VickiD? If it's softish, then it's likely just a silicone sealant suitable for timber.

Mitchell

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/99672#Comment_99672

I'm afraid I can't help with the adhesive/sealant but the fasteners are countersunk rivets, I found most of mine had sheered and popped out with a flat screwdriver, others drilled out quite easily. I replaced mine with the same size using 72 AS 6-10 countersunk rivets I found on ebay. 6 is the code (drill bit 4.8mm or 3/16") and 10 refers to the grip range, in this case 12.70 - 16.00mm. If your floor plus chassis is more or less than this range, you need a higher or lower number. A standard rivet gun with the right size tip will work with these.

Whatever sealant you use, make sure it says it's flexible.

Hope this helps

Shelley.

Hello again

I have all the rot out of the walls in the kitchen. Which plywood do i use for walls?

Thank you for all of your advice

Vicki

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/19763#Comment_19763

Hi @VickiD,

Ultimately, Marine ply would be your best bet. The sheets are made from hardwood, and the glues used will not break down due to moisture exposure. However, typically caravan walls would be made from a lower grade, like Premium Plywood if it is an exposed surface or Ecoply if it's just for construction purposes. These lesser grades are not moisture resistant, and it's why you're now needing to remove the rot.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/72562#Comment_72562

@VickiD

Check out the decorative ply range from Forest 1, they stock a range of caravan ply that is poly coated so no need to paint. http://forest1int.com/products/#products-decorative You can order samples from them but can only order via a stockist such as Bunnings Special Orders desk. This is what I used in my caravans, looks great and easy to work with.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/72562#Comment_72562

Thanks @MitchellMc

I will use the marine ply for the floor. Will it be too heavy for the walls though? I see the thinnest is 3.6mm. It won't be visible where I am putting it because it will be behind cupboards and splashbacks.

Vicki

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/99678#Comment_99678

Thanks @twocutekelpies that definitely looks good for the back wall in the bedroom and also one of the side walls.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/99679#Comment_99679

I would have thought 3.6mm would be about the thinnest ply you could get @VickiD. What's the thickness of the ply on your walls at the moment?

Mitchell

Hello again

i am going to need to put new sealant in the corner where I have taken out the wood rot. I am seeing a lot of opinions about which sealant to use. What have others in this group used?

I have a gas fitter coming today and sadly, I think I see more rot. I know it was inevitable, but I really don’t want to rip the whole van apart.

In this vein, is it possible for me to polish up the trailer without pulling the whole thing apart?

Thanks

Vicki

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/19813#Comment_19813

For anyone that is following along. I just had a very discouraging meeting with the electrician 😔

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/19813#Comment_19813

Hi @VickiD

At this point in your repair efforts, I suggest taking a pause and stepping back to take stock of what you want to do and how far you're willing to go as far as repairs are concerned.

Doing a patch repair means that you only want to bring the caravan to a certain point and stop. The repairs carried out will be enough to keep it functional and allow you to use the caravan in the immediate future.

Digging further could reveal more problems, this is both good and bad. It's good because it makes you aware that there are things in the caravan that must be repaired. It's terrible because it means the caravan can't be used and it is an unexpected expense you were not prepared for.

Prepare yourself for the unexpected. Peeking behind the wall might open up a can of worms and might force your hand into a long term repair. If that should happen place the caravan in a long term parking spot on your property and have a ponder on what will it take to bring the caravan to the usability stage.

My number one tip is not to dive headlong into the caravan renovation if your finances are not up to the task. This will also give you time to be very critical of what exactly needs to be replaced and repaired.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/72589#Comment_72589

Hi Eric

Thanks for the reply. It is true that I was hoping for a "middling" renovation, where I didn't have to fix "everything". I think I just have to make a list and prioritise things. I did want it to be a little more livable fairly quickly, although not necessarily fully kitted out for holidays straight up. Some of the reasons I bought this particular van (for too much money) is that there are not many available up here in the North (I have been looking for some time) and its not too big. I do wish that the person before me had not gutted it quite so severely. Part of its first "job" was to be a COVID isolation area for our household, when required.

Due to it already being essentially gutted, I definitely have to get the electrician involved because there are naked wires. I can hold off on the gas fitter for now. I just wanted to make sure I don't put something in and then have to take it out again later so he can get to things.

I have a week's holiday coming up soon, so I will do what I can to get the electrics ready and replace the rotten bits I have pulled out.

Vicki