How to repair caravan with damaged frame?

Question

I have recently acquired an old caravan. Its sat for 15 years under shelter but the timber in the roof and some wall frame has water damage and is rotten. I have gutted the cupboards and seats so far and am yet to take out wall lining etc.

Can anyone point me in the direction of what the best timber is to buy for framing caravan roof and walls as I'll do both after I go through and reseal the whole thing.

thanks

twocutekelpies · Answer

Hi @shanicep

Excellent advice from Eric and Lizzie and you can never take too many photos, I've had to scroll back through my photos many times to see how something was before I pulled it apart. Definitely try and keep as much as you can, don't throw anything out. Seat and cupboard frames can be "re-skinned" with new ply and reused, the internal lining can be used as templates as Lizzie said. The cabinetry is often part of the structural component of vans so needs to be fixed in place to walls, floor and ceiling as needed to support them.

That looks like an excellent project project, great character and quite old.

I can see a few fasteners in your wall panels, are they screw heads? If so, this would suggest timber framing. As Lizzie suggested, meranti is the timber of choice for replacement if needed. When I did my Franklin framing, the original was 30x30 which I couldn't get in meranti so I used 30x12 and 30x18 and fixed them together to suit. My store is a smaller regional one so I had to order meranti in. I use it for wall framing but I use pine for furniture framing because it's easier to get.

It's been a while since I've bought caravan ply (pre-Covid) but I used to get it from The Bunker near Noosa, Qld, they have a few outlets with factory seconds but still perfectly suitable in a number of styles, 2.7-3.2mm thick, either poly or paper coated.

As Eric mentioned, try getting undercover, my first few vans were under tarps until I got a place with a huge carport, now I'm back to a smaller roof and tarp but I may try Lizzie's suggestion with the marquee.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress

Shelley

LizzieCro · Answer

Hi @shanicep ,

What a cute little van! This'd be fun to renovate. I'm in the Illawarra, NSW if you happen to be anywhere within cooee, and would be happy to pop over to take a look and help with advice.

If you intend only ever using the van as a stationary extra room you won't be limited in the timber type you may use. However if, one day, you think the van will get back out there on the road, then it's wise to replace like with like, as keeping the overall weight of the van the same as it was when originally constructed is critical. I won't go into the details about that, but Google away for clarification. Ultimately though, if the van is heavier than it was originally designed to be, you will void your insurance in the event of an accident, but you may not even get it through registration.

Generally unless the van has an aluminium frame these vans had timber frames made of meranti, a very lightweight, but strong timber. It's available at a lot of Bunnings stores, but maybe not so common in the smaller more regional ones. Meranti in vans, from memory, is usually 41 x 18mm, (I think!), but there are other sizes at Bunnings. Those who can't buy the Meranti will use clear pine, I'm pretty sure. Shelley @twocutekelpies will be able to confirm this as she's built van frames from pine. Just replicate what you're removing dimension-wise.

Regarding wall panels, these are made from 3mm thick ply which is available in various sizes, but you'd do best to buy the 2440 x 1220 sheets. You can use a pre-painted type, which I think is called Poly Ply, but I have no idea whether this is available from Bunnings. If you do choose to paint it yourself, I find it's easiest to prime and paint before cutting and installing, then just do a quick topcoat once it's in situ. I would also strongly advise you to install insulation prior to installing your new wall linings. You can use Foilboard type or a thermal liner like Ametaline, both from Bunnings.

I wholeheartedly agree with Eric about photographing it all as you go as this will provide documentation for reference when you put it all back together. Also, try not to just rip everything out roughly. The more carefully you can remove things, the better, as you can then overlay those pieces on your new ply and use them as templates. A lot of people don't do this, then struggle to cut their wall panels to fit curves, etc.

If you don't have an undercover area for the van, while you work on it, considering buying one of the marquees from Bunnings. A few people have found them very helpful. They stock a 3m x 6m one which has included sides, and others where you can add sides if you wish.

All the very best with it Shanicep. I really hope you'll share the journey and outcome.

Cheers, Lizzie

EricL · Answer

Hello @shanicep

Thank you very much for sharing photos of your caravan. Is the caravan currently leaking inside? If it is, I suggest getting a tarp large enough to cover the roof of the caravan. By stopping the leak you'll prevent further damage and stop the water from soaking into the timber frame. Find a good parking spot where you can work on the caravan long term. I strongly suggest looking at the amazing projects our members have shared. You'll see what they aimed for and the results that they got.

I propose drawing up a plan first, what are you taking out and what are you putting in? You'll see parts you'll need to replace and the parts that can stay. I suggest breaking the jobs down into small tasks as it will make it easier and manageable. Doing it all at the same time will result in a mixed bag and unfinished work. Once you have the jobs organized, each job will tell you what materials will be needed to repair it.

You can share your job list with the community and any specific questions you might have about your caravan.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric