Caravan renovation

[VickiD]

around the air con, middle of vanhatch in bedroom areahatch at front of van

Hello

I am starting a caravan renovation. The van is a 1990 Evernew. It was mostly gutted when I bought it. I would like to replace the ceiling, but I would rather not pull all the walls out. Is it possible to do this? Do you have recommendations for removing the ceiling? Do you have any recommendations of what type of panelling to replace it with?

Thank you

Vicki

"@vickis.van" on insta

Community manager's note: Check out How to renovate a caravan for expert advice.

[MitchellMc]

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

[VickiD]

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

[VickiD]

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

[EricL]

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

[VickiD]

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

[EricL]

Hi @VickiD

That's a good plan, keep focused and don't let it get you down. I suggest drawing a plan, an idea of what you want it to look like. You can then anticipate where the power points need to be and where the plumbing needs to go. Disassembly is part and parcel of renovation, you can't avoid it, even the professionals fall into this trap. They forget that this part needed to go in first, alas the cabinet has been installed.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your caravan prepped and ready.

Eric