# Re-sealing Prevention or Cure



## riverboat2001

Our new 1997 Swift Royale 630 is our pride and joy and it is in a really nice condition. It passed a habitation inspection with only one issue that we knew about in advance.

Having read horror stories and scary ones at that, about the perils of damp in a motorhome we want to get it right first time.

As it's over ten years old we would like some advise on re-sealing it (well employing someone to do it)

The idea is that by getting it done now we should ensure no major problems for the life of the van.

Or could it actually cause more problems?


Do you think the cost of getting it done would be prohibitive?

I'm sure a lot of experienced motorhomers will have a lot of strong views on this, but please be gentle with us!

Just trying to ensure years of damp free motorhoming.


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## teal

Few years ago i was quoted £300 per side.


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## inkey-2008

I always think better the devil you know. If you like the van and if it did not have a problem would you change it.

You could buy a right old banger

Andy


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## cabby

I would say that the cost would be as you say, bloody expensive. :roll: I would rather carry on and have damp checks done each year or twice yearly and wait until it seems neccessary to have it done. I would imagine that your year has the wrap around corners as apposed to the metal beading style.only the roof joints and door should need to have a constant check on plus the rubbers around the windows which will deteriorate in time.

cabby


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## riverboat2001

Well, at the risk of getting shouted down, i could find £700 for the right company to do the job.

Obviously i realise i would have to travel to find the right company and take suggestions about these from this forum.

Cabby Thanks very much you have been very helpful replying to our posts, i think your experience with this van is invaluable.


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## Autoquest

We have a spot of damp in our 3 year old van, the ingress point is a strip across the roof that joins the GRP front to the aluminium roof. My judgement was that the strip was 99% sound and any repair might not be... I sealed the whole strip with a thick aluminium tape and have been watertight ever since. No warranty issues, no trips to and from the dealer and I didn't lose my van for three months. Repairing the interior wall took a little longer...


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## bognormike

the main thing to be sure about is that there's no damp bits hidden away, thne you can get all the seals done. It is a fairly simple task to clear out & re-do the main bits with new sealant - simple but time consuming! I have replaced the sealant between the roof & front section on our Pilote, which is the obvious place where any leaks could get started - it was a matter of cutting back the old stuff with a stanley knife, and various trimming tools, then cleaning rigorously with white spirit, followed by a new bead of Sikaflex 512 along the join (do successive layers if it's a big step. 
I would also check all the other joins, including locker doors.


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## riverboat2001

Heres a couple of pictures for info


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## DTPCHEMICALS

Purchase a damp meter from Maplins. Test the usual places for damp. Door, window frames and all the corners top and bottom, around roof lights. Make a record of your readings.
Check them again in 3 months time.

My father inlaw worked at Bawtry caravans and he used to be dismayed at the number of people that took caravans in for re sealing. He used to tell me to look at the mastic seals for any signs of cracking. Remove the black rubbeplastic trim filler, slacken the screws securing the aluminium trim and clean and re seal only of required. Tighten screws and replace rubbeplastic trim.
A couple of days job for diy job.

Dave p


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## riverboat2001

I had already ordered a damp meter, got to go and collect it from post office. So i will then start taking my own readings regularly , and writing them in my little book!


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## cabby

My father inlaw worked at Bawtry caravans and he used to be dismayed at the number of people that took caravans in for re sealing. He used to tell me to look at the mastic seals for any signs of cracking. Remove the black rubbeplastic trim filler, slacken the screws securing the aluminium trim and clean and re seal only of required. Tighten screws and replace rubbeplastic trim. 
A couple of days job for diy job.

Yes have to agree with this comment, but we sometimes found it neccessary to replace the screws with ones a fraction longer.
Having seen pics now of your van riverboat, disregard my comment about the wrap around edges.
Whatever you do try not to take the ally trim right off as it will bend out of shape and become useless.just do a little at a time.
the sealant I used to use was on a roll, I expect Dave P can advise what to use now.

cabby


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## Carl_n_Flo

I am with Dave on this one - check, check and check again over time to see if the readings vary (make a note of the weather at the time the readings were done - can possibly affect the readings slightly).

Only do the work if necessary.....it is a pain to do the job well, but can be done. I have done it recently on a 1978 Bedford Pioneer - the most difficult part was getting the old, rusty screws out. The wooden frame was shot - it had to be done!!!!

The method is explained very well in the Haynes book 'The Motorcaravan Manual'.

Cheers
Carl


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## riverboat2001

As i said guys, DIY is not an option to us, we can't really get a ladder next to the van on our drive, and i know something would go wrong.

If any work was going to be done, it wouldn't be until September anyway. And would have to be carried out by the professionals.


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## DTPCHEMICALS

Look for a small caravan repair workshop. They will be busy though.
If you are anywhere near north nottinghamshire south yorkshire look for Coopers at Harworth, a small familly firm.

WWW.cooperscaravans.co.uk

Have a look round their web site.
They do work for all the local caravan dealers.

Dave p


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## grout20

Hi riverboat,

We've the same MH as yourselves (Royale 630, 1996) and it's *OUR* pride and joy too!  

We've had the same chap do the annual "Habitation Service" including full damp check everywhere - roof, lockers top and bottom, door, windows etc, - for the 4 years we've had her.

Two years ago he found damp at the front bottom edge of the dinette window. I have a damp meter which I sometimes use but had missed this .... but when he showed me, both the meter and I screamed, in stereo, rather loudly.... 8O 8O 

It was the window seal. He replaced the old grey window seal with a new black one (couldn't get grey) and bone dry since. £90 all in I recall.

Anyway ... rambling a bit here .... just to say if you are near Stevenage, Herts, I'd thoroughly recommend this chap to you.

He serviced our caravans (yes,... I know..... :roll: ) for 15 years before that, including a complete reseal one side. He is meticulous and is always in great demand. Has no premises though, which may be a problem if you are far away.

Don't forget to have your windows checked, and if you do want contact details just let me know.

He is looking to "wind down" a bit but worth asking. I'll be panicking if/when he retires....

Look after that Royale...!

cheers
john

Oh, and compliments on the *EXCELLENT *choice of MH !!


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## DTPCHEMICALS

Hi cabby, funnily enough I have a roll of Kelseal Glasticord which he used to use.
I think it was cleaner than the cartridge guns on a long stretch
The biggest reseal jobs he had was when showers started t be fitted. 
He also advocated that I never use a powerwash around the window frames.

Dave p


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## CLS

To have a motorhome fully resealed using a quality translucent sealant you should,nt be paying more than £200

Mark


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## DTPCHEMICALS

I agree. And that inclues new trim screws and two cups of tea.
In fact I can spot another business venture here. :lol: 

Dave p


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## Carl_n_Flo

CLS said:


> To have a motorhome fully resealed using a quality translucent sealant you should,nt be paying more than £200
> 
> Mark


Thats fine if no problems are found once the trims have been removed and cleaned up. Nine times out of ten, trim removal and re-sealing goes hand in hand with other remedial work required (rotten timber replacement.....)

It took me over 2 hours just to remove the trims from one side of the Pioneer - taking it steady so as not to bend them. Add in cleaning up the trim and the body work brought the time to 4 hours. Double that for 2 sides - 8 hours. Re-fitting took 1 1/2 hours per side with new sealant tape and screws. Total time 11 hours working (not including breaks - and this was just dealing with the trims, not the rotten timber...). At £25/hour (a fair price methinks) this would equate to £275 - just for the trims alone....

I dont think £25/hour is asking too much - others may disagree....

Just my experience...
Carl


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## riverboat2001

Wow, thanks for all the replies and info, nowhere near as expensive as i thought (obviously as long as there is nothnig major found anyway.)

I appears that my other half today phoned two local workshops, and they have both told him to just keep checking the readings and just take instant action if they change.

So my friends once again you advice has been correct.

As a newbie to this, it does seem rather strange that you're better off leaving it alone!

Grout20, i'm in Watford area, so not too far away from your man.

I would imagine that putting new seals around the windows is a job that we could manage. 

I do think the door seals could do with checking. And perhaps the Firdge vents to as i won't be able to check behind them

How do you find the Royale then?

Any hints or tips to pass on, or anything to be wary of?

Quite exited to find another owner.....


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## DTPCHEMICALS

Carl £25 an hour.  

Fitters up here are on about £10 an hour.

Dave p


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## riverboat2001

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> Carl £25 an hour.
> 
> Fitters up here are on about £10 an hour.
> 
> Dave p


That's incredibly cheap, i was expecting at least £40ph for a workshop.

£25 ph is a bargain for "Down South"


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## Carl_n_Flo

It is what I would charge as a service to friends on this site (and others - Bedford Owners Club...) who brought their van to me.....

My trouble is that I work in another line of buisness altogether at the moment (architecture), so time is tight.

I am seriously considering, though, jacking it all in and heading down the route of motorhome repair and restoration (as I have mentioned on here before a year or so ago - along with the classic motorcaravan hire).

Just got to pluck up the courage to do it...........
Carl


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## DTPCHEMICALS

My career was changed 24 years ago Carl.
I was made redundant. After two days moping and in shock I borrowed £1200 from the bank to start my own business.
It has been brilliant until the last two years.
Retired a couple of weeks ago and started back last week as son in law landed a brilliant job with a Swedish company.

If we are forced into a situation sometimes it is better than planning it.

All the best 
Dave p


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## Carl_n_Flo

It has come close to redundancy over the last couple of years on a few occasions Dave, but each time the owners have professed their 'fervent desire' (their words) to keep me on (been with them for 12 years now). But each time, I have either had a drop in salary (30% to date) or loss of position and benefits....

It gets very wearing after a while.........
C


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## DTPCHEMICALS

There lies the trouble Carl. 
12 years service = redundancy pay.
You would take it no doubt. Your employers would rather you didn`t.

Dave p


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## Carl_n_Flo

Very true Dave, very true....

Although, even though my salary is 'not inconsiderable' my employers, when dealing with the redundancy of my colleagues, would only pay out the 'statutory maximum' - which is far short of what I would get if it just related to salary x years of service......

I will see what happens over the next 8 months or so....
C


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## riverboat2001

Just to give you an idea of price.

I asked a very simple plain question.

Ballpark figure to remove clean and relseal roof and side joining strips.

To be fair it was a rough guide over the phone so you have to take that into consideration:

appx 8 hours per side @ £45 ph

The problem here is twofold, i think because this guy does insurance work that raises the price. 

But more importantly the traditional North South divide that meant people in the South earnt more and therefore paid more has slowly eroded, but whilst this might be evident in our pay packets, it doesn't seem to have filtered down to Suppliers/ Service providers.


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## Carl_n_Flo

8 hours per side??? I know your 630 is bigger than the Pioneer I was working on, but 8 hours seems a tad long to me!!!!!

With the age of your van, I wouldnt expect too much in the way of difficulty in removing the screws - the hardest part of the job would be removing the trim from the (relatively) fresh sealant (as opposed to the dried out stuff I was working with).

If all it was was a re-seal, and no remedial work was required underneath, one day of 8 to 10 hours should be plenty....
cheers
Carl


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## DTPCHEMICALS

As we say up here "he`s pulling your plonker"

If there is no evidence of damp leave well alone.

dave p


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## riverboat2001

DTPCHEMICALS said:


> As we say up here "he`s pulling your plonker"
> 
> If there is no evidence of damp leave well alone.
> 
> dave p


Yep, it will be left alone, was just giving you some ideas about here, perhaps as a female i might be at a disadvantage, but that's a whole different issue.

Meant to include a link to the company

http://www.motorhome.co.uk/index.html

As i said no axe to grind, just a rough guide.
In fact the loacl motorhome servicers use them for any external work.

Down in London there really isn't a great choice if you want a few bit's and peices done.

For example i want some extra power sockets and that sort of thing done, i won't get them fitted for £25 ph down here.

It's difficult to sort it out while i wait further away, as i have two dogs thatcome everywhere with us and can be a bit of a pain!

ps

http://www.donsons.co.uk/services.htm
charge £45 ph too


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## DTPCHEMICALS

www.mobilecaravanengineers.co.uk

Try these. They come to your home to do the work.

They might not "lift your leg" :lol:

Dave p


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## riverboat2001

Yep just got off the phone to my nearest one on there, Cara -medic. He won't come this far south and doesn't have any premises to go to.
I'm in the WD3 area if anyone is interested.
Carl if you do think about setting up in this industry you wouldn't have any competition down here !


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