How to renovate a caravan?

[brilliance]

  

[Jason]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @brilliance. We are pleased to have you join us and look forward to reading about all your projects and plans for around the house and garden - and your caravan!

Could you please tell members how we can assist you? Do you want advice about how best to paint your caravan's trim? We would be happy to help, but members always provide much more specific and helpful advice if you can provide plenty of information about your goals for a project and what you might be struggling with. 

Many thanks,

Jason

[brilliance]

Hi, I have brought a 25 ft oxford caravan which I am going to put next to the one I currently live in I have to move my garden to fit it in. I have been into Bunnings and priced everything I need. I am going to attend your workshop at Mount. I need to learn how to use the tools, drills, and saws. where do I start? I am going to completely gut it and it has about 10 water leaks. This will be my first job with the caravan. What do I need and where do I start..roof? 

Thank you. Judy

[MitchellMc]

Thanks so much for providing some additional information on your project, @brilliance. It certainly sounds like you have your work cut out for you, and I'm sure you'll love every moment of it. 

The roof is always an excellent place to start, especially if there are active leaks. At the very least, you'll need to cover the roof with a tarp to give you some grace. Next, you'll need to identify where the water from the leaks has been sitting and determine the extent of decay in those areas. Once you know where the leaks are and the damage they've done, you'll be much better placed to decide how much of the interior needs to be removed and replaced.

Attending an in-store D.I.Y. session is a great place to learn how to use tools. I'd also encourage you to have a read of Essential hand tools for D.I.Y. beginners, Essential power tools for D.I.Y. beginners and beyond, and What tools do you recommend for a beginner?. Of course, if you haven't already come across it, check out @Peggers excellent series on How to renovate a caravan and our Top 10 caravan renovations for inspiration.

Sometimes the best place to start is by picking up some tools and giving them a go. Find a section of rot that needs to go and start removing it until you start hitting solid timber again. You can then cut timber and screw it back into place to rebuild the area. 

I'm sure our members will be keen to assist with any specific questions you have. When you decide on a place to start, let us know and upload some more pictures so we can provide some advice.

Mitchell