# Help!!! I need to rebuild my motorhome!



## 99795 (Jun 25, 2006)

Hi, I am a newbie and need all the help I can get. I have just bought a motorhome('89 Swift Kontiki Capri), and was totally and utterly done! :evil: They told me it had a small amount of damp that I could fix, but it turns out it is more like a right off  Instead of writing off £4000, as the local caravan repair centre won't touch it and I can't get my money back, I now need to rebuild the motorhome myself. Where is the best place to buy the internal wall & ceiling boards, and for the timber frame of the motorhome is special wood used? HELP!!!!!! 8O


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

I can't help with useful advice Bundy but welcome to MHF and sorry to hear about your problems. Someone will be along soon I'm sure who can tell you what you need to know.

G

(Have you tried this site:

http://www.sbmcc.co.uk/

the Self Build Motorcaravanners Club)


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi Bundy
I want to start off by saying that we all feel sorry for you however, you say that it is a write off as your local caravan repair centre won't touch it, and you can't get your money back....
Have you tried more than one repairer? Why are you not able to get your money back? If you bought this from a private individual you may still have some protection under the law, and you should maybe consult the Citizens Advice Bureau and if it is a dealer then maybe Trading Standards.
If all of the above fails then I think you have a major job on your hands and unless you are certain that you are competent to carry out the required work to a safe standard then I think your only alternative is to seek professional help from carpenters in the first instance, to make sure that the structure is sound and then it should be fairly straightforward for a competent DIYer to fix the rest of it back together, but please don't assume that you will be able to get this done cheaply or quickly.
Sorry I have not been able to bring you good news or point you towards a repairer, maybe someone else will be able to do that soon, but I wanted to say what bad luck mate and we hope that you manage to salvage the situation.
Please keep coming back to ask your questions and I know that there is enough experience on this site to help you, but you will need the patience of a saint.....

Good luck

Keith


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## 99795 (Jun 25, 2006)

Thanks Grizzly!  Will have a look at the site!


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## 99795 (Jun 25, 2006)

Hi, Keith. Thanks for replying to our post. We bought the camper as a private sale and have already spoken to the guy who says we can throw whatever we like at him but we are not getting our money back! I am quite good at carpentry, so don't mind having a go. We took the panels off this afternoon and the wood frame is totally sodden, so will definately have to be replaced. Hopefully it will all come good in the end after a lot of hard work, I just need to try and find suppliers now and get started!


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi Bundy
I think that when you pull all the rotten panels off and get to see the frame you will find that it will not be anything really special. I am not a carpenter so I cannot advise you an wood mate but I think it will be treated softwood of some kind. The insulation will probably all be rotten as well and will need replacing, try using Rockwool as you can get that in sheets and cut it to fit. Don't forget to replace the waterproof membrane between the inner and outer skin or the dampness will start again quickly...
The internal wallboard that is used can be obtained from any reputable caravan repairer, although it may not be possible to obtain an exact match so be aware of that when you start cutting out the damp bits, try if possible to cut it to where a wall or other fitting will be when you replace them or where a piece of soft furnishing will be to help to hide the old to new panel join.
Try to not damage any of the outer skin panels, usually aluminium, as these will cost loads to replace, if possible try to do the work from the inside.
Remember to use fire resistant materials wherever possible and also check the floor very carefully before you start, as it will be easier to replace the floor panels when all the internal furniture is removed than afterwards and the floor is probably the place that you will need to start from....
I hope this helps, good luck....

Keith


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Ouch.

Sorry - nothing useful to add, except sympathies, and good wishes for the work ahead.

G


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi bundy

its a tough one but once you get going maybe not as hard as you think , 
its not quite the same thing as yours but i had to strip out a front and luton overcab back to the fibreglass shell to find a leak then replace the pine framework , treat it and refit some of the stuff i dried out indoors then re -upholster the luton area . that was about 4 days graft so not a wasted summer . best thing to do is get it stripped and find and seal the leak thats the hard bit .very best of luck with it and very worst of luck to the thug who sold you it . what goes round comes round :wink:


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## G2EWS (May 1, 2006)

Hi Bundy,

Bad news, sorry to hear of your troubles.

I do feel that you should be looking at a legal re-dress before you go head long into the repair.

Never mind what the seller says, the law is what matters. He may of course not be able to repay you. In debt, no money etc etc. However, you really should take the advice about the Citizens Advice. It will do you no harm to contact them.

I don't suppose you paid on credit card? I did and got my money back same day, but my story is slightly different the MH was stolen.


Good luck

Chris


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## olley (May 1, 2005)

Hi Bundy I believe the wood used for the framing may have been Ramin, its a very stable hardwood, straight grained, easy to work and relatively cheap, its main drawback is if it gets damp, it very quickly rots.

Olley


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## damondunc (Feb 14, 2006)

*motorhome rebuild*

Hi Bundy

sorry to hear of your plight, talk about being thrown in at the deep end.One consulation --your not going to miss out much as regards summer, i think it's been and gone.
If it helps *www.olearymotorhomes.co.uk* they sell all things for a rebuild, wallboards, fittings etc. They are at Beverly Yorkshire
01482 868632 / 07860 449303

Build your own motorcaravan by John Wickersham £18 published by Haynes will probably be helpful.

Good Luck Why do,nt you make a journal, photo's & scribbles from start to finish it may help others 
Duncan


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## plumbill (May 6, 2006)

*motorhome rebuild*

Hi Bundy That is a good idea from Duncan . Then we can all praise you for the good work you have done. You will also be in a good position to help others somewhere along the line with the same problem, meantime good luck with the task. It will im sure be worth it in the end. Willie.


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

I think anyone facing the realisation that an MH needed to be rebuilt would be very much like you were at first : HELP!

When you succeed in rebuilding your van (with the help of some of the very knowledgable and friendly people on here) a pictorial description of what you found and what you did would make the job so much less frightening for others following on behind.

It might also allow people, who might be on an extremely tight budget, to buy and tackle the renovation of something they would not otherwise have the confidence to do.

If that makes sense :roll:


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## antnjac (May 12, 2005)

Hi Bundy, many caravaners have also had this problem, do a "google" on "Wizards caravan rebuild" his website shows how he has overcome this problem and also some links which may help.
Good Luck , Tony.


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## 99795 (Jun 25, 2006)

Hi All, the rebuild has commenced! Thanks for all your messages it is good to know I'm not alone!  Have taken the interior boards out and it looks as if the leak originated from a badly fitted skylight. The wooden frame work wasn't just damp it was saturated and fell apart in our hands. It is not looking as scary as I thought, so I am quite confident to continue! Will keep you updated.


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## damondunc (Feb 14, 2006)

*REBUILD*

Hi Bundy

Glad to hear things are not as bad as at first feared,hope things go well for you and keep us posted.
Are you keeping a photographic / written journal ?

Duncan


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## geraldandannie (Jun 4, 2006)

Hi, Bundy

Glad things aren't too catastrophic. Quite often the potentially big projects turn out to be straightforward, once you start. "Every journey starts with a single step" and all that.

Incidentally, that site that Antnjac mentioned is:

** HERE **

I love reading these accounts. 

Gerald


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## plumbill (May 6, 2006)

*motorhome rebuild*

Hi Brundy Glad to here that. It must have given you good heart to carry on with the work whenever you found the source. All the best with the rebuild Willie.


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## boatyard (May 1, 2005)

Hi Bundy

I had the same trouble on a caravan, the worst bit is pulling it apart not knowing when you are going to reach a solid bit, but once on the rebuild it is fairly staightforward and keeps you out of the way of the missus.
Just a thought on the insulation, the glass wool type can collect condensation ( seen it rot interior of boats ) I would favour rigid board like celotex, if you get it the same thickness as the battens and use adhesive it makes the whole thing much stronger, good luck

Stuart


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## 99795 (Jun 25, 2006)

Hi All,
I have taken pictures so far, can I post them on this forum :?: I am purchasing the wood today so that I can start building up the frame again, so the fun and journal will start on the weekend!


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## 97993 (Mar 5, 2006)

Its all down hill from here
Ps Top Tip Take two asprin in the morning and if you hit your thumb with the hammer it wont hurt half as much :lol: 
Good luck Geo


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi Bundy
Glad to hear that the van is not as scary as you thought... The scariest time is knowing there is a BIG problem but not knowing how big or where to start. I admire you for having the courage and fortitude to have made a start and as you progress you will have the pleasure of knowing that the van is going to be better constructed and stronger than when it left the factory :lol: :lol: 
Great advice from boatyard and Geo and if I can offer any advice please feel free to ask mate. One thing I would say is to carefully think about the final layout that you want and any extra sockets and the like, because it will be easier to plan and fit these things while the skin is off, and if you so desired you could alter the entire layout (within reason :lol: :lol: ) to maybe suit you better or fix problems with the original design / layout.....

Wishing you all the best mate and cannot wait to see / hear the reports. If you PM a mod, say artona maybe, they will be able to help you create an album so you can upload your pics... One bit of advice I will give is that you consider subscribing to this wealth of help and information so that you do not run out of posts :wink: :wink: :wink: 

Keith


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## vicdicdoc (May 14, 2005)

Back in the 70's I bought an old caravan [for £20] that had been 'stored' in a farm shed for well over 10 years & had to practically rebuild it - a bit of a task but done it over the winter period - maybe not to concurs condition but we had some good holidays out of it, so look on the bright side - aim for perfection but don't worry if you don't achieve it, Best of luck & hope to see you at one of the 'meets' when you've completed it.


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## 99795 (Jun 25, 2006)

Hi again! pulled some more rotten wood out and have noticed there are small pin size holes in the aluminium outer panels. What is the best thing to use to seal these?? :?


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## 88927 (May 10, 2005)

Hi Bundy
My first thought is that what you are seeing is aluminiums equivalent of rust 8O 8O 8O Aluminium, like steel will corrode and if it has been in a wet environment for a prolonged period of time and especially if there was a different metal in the vicinity then it can suffer from an electrolytic action that basically dissolves the aluminium. I would suspect that the only real way to cure this is to replace the panel.... however it may be possible to have the panel skimmed in a plastic filler type material. Do remember though that if the panel is filled with plastic then the repaired area will need to be sealed so as not to allow moisture anywhere near the area otherwise the plastic will just expand and show where the repair has been carried out. That being said, with all the repairs that you are carrying out, it would seem obvious to me that the panel areas will be dry on the inside in the future.....
I would be inclined to speak to a bodywork specialist, even better if you can find someone who is used to working with aluminium vehicles, and get their opinion and a quote...

Hope this helps

Keith


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## 88726 (May 9, 2005)

hi bundy

it's a bit of a shot in the dark but you may be able to solder over the holes from inside if theyre small and you can find the correct flux to solder to aluminium , practice on a coke can ! 
if it's big holes forget it mate!

just an idea , please dont reply as youve only 4 posts left , save them !
best of luck !


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