Toilet
I found there was not much point in just trying to repair a damp panel as is all you are doing is trapping the damp in. This became clear when I began to strip the toilet compartment out, The aluminium panel on the back lower corner outside had started to come apart. and when I started to prod around I found the screws that where supposed to hold the corner together had totally rusted away. So I proceeded to take all the fittings and boxing out, and upon doing so I found the panels where rotten and just crumbled away in my hands to about halfway up the wall. The timbers behind also crumbled away, obviously being the bathroom was the main reason for the extensive damp, fortunately the floor was undamaged, my original plan had been just to cut the panel as far as the damp went , but I decided to remove all the panels, although it seemed a bit drastic at the time I soon realised I had made the right choice as I found a bit more rot on a couple of timbers.
I then set about replacing any rotten timbers and rebuilding the corner that was giving me problems on the outside. I think the hardest part was the lack of room and the fact I am not exactly skinny, I then renewed the glass fibre and instead of using wood panels I decided to use plastic although a bit heavier makes it very easy to clean, you can virtually hose the inside and the water runs away through the shower plug hole. The most satisfying part was doing the corner out side new screws into the replaced timber soon pulled the corner back together . It is at this point I should point out that I forgot to mark in the toilet where the new timbers where and as the panels are glued , at the time I had no reason to mark where they where only when I came to put in fittings I realised my mistake and spent a long while try to detect the timbers sorted it in the end but what a pain.
I found there was not much point in just trying to repair a damp panel as is all you are doing is trapping the damp in. This became clear when I began to strip the toilet compartment out, The aluminium panel on the back lower corner outside had started to come apart. and when I started to prod around I found the screws that where supposed to hold the corner together had totally rusted away. So I proceeded to take all the fittings and boxing out, and upon doing so I found the panels where rotten and just crumbled away in my hands to about halfway up the wall. The timbers behind also crumbled away, obviously being the bathroom was the main reason for the extensive damp, fortunately the floor was undamaged, my original plan had been just to cut the panel as far as the damp went , but I decided to remove all the panels, although it seemed a bit drastic at the time I soon realised I had made the right choice as I found a bit more rot on a couple of timbers.
I then set about replacing any rotten timbers and rebuilding the corner that was giving me problems on the outside. I think the hardest part was the lack of room and the fact I am not exactly skinny, I then renewed the glass fibre and instead of using wood panels I decided to use plastic although a bit heavier makes it very easy to clean, you can virtually hose the inside and the water runs away through the shower plug hole. The most satisfying part was doing the corner out side new screws into the replaced timber soon pulled the corner back together . It is at this point I should point out that I forgot to mark in the toilet where the new timbers where and as the panels are glued , at the time I had no reason to mark where they where only when I came to put in fittings I realised my mistake and spent a long while try to detect the timbers sorted it in the end but what a pain.
Luton
After returning from touring for a couple of weeks, I noticed that the panel on the underneath of the luton was bowing down, due probably to the weight I had been carrying on top, So I took everything out and removed one of the panels that make the base, once again near the front luton window the timber had rotted, really didn't surprise me as the window had tons of sealant round it so it must have been leaking at some time. also I removed the wallpaper that had been stuck over the side panels and revealed a well rotted piece of wallboard so I removed anything that was rotted right up to the window frame, really at this point I should have removed the window and resealed it but due to the awful weather I have left that on my to do list. all the aluminium is held by screws behind a black plastic strip that is pushed onto a aluminium edging strip, so when you remove the black plastic strip the screw heads can be seen, this was the reason the luton had bowed the screws that should hold the luton up had disintegrated and the weight I had up there had pushed it down. So I set about replacing the timbers ( I forgot to mention I use tanalised timber less chance of rotting ) . I beefed it up to with more timbers than had been used originally but used lighter boards, the aluminium is now better supported and no longer bows down. The only problem I have now is the cab roof is rusty and needs repainting thinking maybe a behind the radiator roller.
After returning from touring for a couple of weeks, I noticed that the panel on the underneath of the luton was bowing down, due probably to the weight I had been carrying on top, So I took everything out and removed one of the panels that make the base, once again near the front luton window the timber had rotted, really didn't surprise me as the window had tons of sealant round it so it must have been leaking at some time. also I removed the wallpaper that had been stuck over the side panels and revealed a well rotted piece of wallboard so I removed anything that was rotted right up to the window frame, really at this point I should have removed the window and resealed it but due to the awful weather I have left that on my to do list. all the aluminium is held by screws behind a black plastic strip that is pushed onto a aluminium edging strip, so when you remove the black plastic strip the screw heads can be seen, this was the reason the luton had bowed the screws that should hold the luton up had disintegrated and the weight I had up there had pushed it down. So I set about replacing the timbers ( I forgot to mention I use tanalised timber less chance of rotting ) . I beefed it up to with more timbers than had been used originally but used lighter boards, the aluminium is now better supported and no longer bows down. The only problem I have now is the cab roof is rusty and needs repainting thinking maybe a behind the radiator roller.
The rear corner toilet side had come apart, when I first had it I just tried to rescrew it with larger screws, I soon realised the timbers was rotten
Finished toilet compartment
Lift up sink was a neccesity to be able to use the loo
Because its lined with plastic sheets the sealent on joins makes it very easy to wash out.
The luton repaired, it was touching the cab roof before the repair.
The front luton window loads of sealant, will need to remove it and reseal it in properly when I get time.
