Am Gutted - Damp coming in thru the roof

[jayjay]

It was stored in a garage.... now I know why.

The roof is leaking. It's been stood on my drive for three days. It was a lovely day today, thought I'd go out, take some photos and generally find out how things work.

Then I noticed large damp patch right across the front where the pop top joins the front side, and two damp patches at the back at the corners either side of the door. Got the stepladder out to inspect on the outside, I think someone has at some point in the past actually got on the roof and sort of pushed it in or something. Maybe stood or sat on! Just my luck.

Doesn't look to be too big a job to fix though, although I'm going to need some help. Going to get one of my sons to help me put a tarp over it unless I can at least stop the ingress from the outside tomorrow (promising to be a fine dry day) with sealer.

I knew I should have gone with my gut instinct and walked away.

I just hope it can be fixed or that's £900 of scrap I have on the drive.

attached some pictures of the inside for you.

I've also taken some pictures of the damp, but it doesn't show very well, so I'll have to picture edit them before I can add them.

So here's a pic of me that's a dunces cap and I couldn't be kicking myself any harder than you could! Bleughhhh!!!!!

[Graham]

Oh no!

Can't you get back to him and tell him what happened? You ought to have some way of getting recompense.

Maybe it won't be too big a job for you and your son's to put right. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[glenw]

I'm not surprised you're gutted, Jay, we feel for you. Hopefully it won't be a massive job to get it sorted

[wheelmon]

This must have been a nasty shock jayjay.

A tarpaulin will keep more rain off but it needs to be dried out under cover before a permanent repair can be done. In the meantime there is a silicon sealant that works even when wet - I got some from Screwfix and it really does work! It was called "Vallance - All Weather Sealant". I'm sure one of the big diy stores will have it, or something similar. I used it on my leaking shed roof last winter when the weather was really bad and it lasted through till the dry weather. It would certainly do a temporary fix.

Good luck with the repair and please don't let it put you off your cosy van.

Keith

[glenw]

I'm sure you already know this Jayjay, but if not there is a Kip caravan club based in Holland, the website is

http://www.kipcaravanclub.nl/kcc-home.html

it is all in dutch but Google will auto translate for you. Maybe you could contact them to see if there is any advice they could give you??

On the left side of the home page, there is a section that really looses its meaning in translation

[jayjay]

UPDATE: Not as bad as it seems apparantly! The water is coming in thru the hinged bit, the roof is actually a sealed unit! My ex-hubby called around earlier and says it 'should be' easily repairable. With a sealant such as sikaflex or similar until the spring, when the hinge can be explored more fully. I have to put a tarp over it until such a time as the temp sealer can be used.

Sold as seen, Graham! I feel like taking him to court, nothing important was 'as described'.

Glen - been in touch and emailed for a copy of the manual/user instructions if they can find any - both in English and translated into Dutch, if they can understand the translation - as you say, it's not perfect!!

Wheelmon - can't find the all weater sealant with the brand name Vallance on the screwfix site - can you or anyone else recommend another I can get hold of quickly - would B&Q have an all weather sealant? I've been surfing for what seems like hours now - there are so many I'm more confused than ever over which one I need!

Soooo..... don't you think I'm brave admitting to buying (yet another) pup!

To recap, the things mostly wrong are merely niggles (- just getting this into perspective here LOL) and easily dealt with - might cost a bit, but easily dealt with just the same.
The roof can be fixed, the damp can be fixed.

And now I'm going to go and lie down..... mar brain urts.

[glenw]

vallance all weather is on ebay if that helps, 200324684862.

screwfix sell 'the works' all weather sealant.

http://www.screwfix.com/prods/92565/...ve-Clear-290ml

maybe something like this will be better, we just bought a fridge from the company, they were very helpful.

http://www.mailspeedmarine.com/seala...3-224689.bhtml

[Dabs]

Hope its an easy fix for you Jay Jay,it looks really smart nice one!!

Am I right in thinking the roof goes up to give headroom??

Dabs

[jayjay]

Hope its an easy fix for you Jay Jay,it looks really smart nice one!!

Am I right in thinking the roof goes up to give headroom??

Dabs

Hi Dabs! It is a really smart, neat little van, everything is in the right place (whether all working or not is another story!) Loads of storage space, including a wardrobe/shelving and 6 underseat storage places - and a boot on the front which houses leisure battery and gas cylinder...

Yes, it poptops up from the back and has a system similar to that of a car boot which just makes it go up very easily, not sure what it's called, not gas struts, but struts of a kind. It makes the back of the van headroom approx 6ft high, but with the roof down, it's only 4ft 8" approx and very easy to tow as very little wind resistance. My dad said he couldn't feel it on the back of his car and the revs didn't go up at all. However, you can only walk so far down to the front end before you have to start stooping, at which point it's better to sit thee down! The front is very sloping as well, which explains this easy tow milarkey - it also helps with wind resistance.

I hope it will be an easy fix too, keep your fingers crossed! Off to B&Q etc, tomorrow in the hope I can get some good sealant as it will be quicker than waiting for some to arrive by post. I bought some today from the local shop, but I'm taking it back tomorrow as it turned out to be indoor sealer, for baths and stuff, and now (thanks to Glen & Wheelmon) I know I need all weather stuff. So wish me luck.

You never know, that might just fix the problem altogether. Probably not, but I can't help being an eternal optomist!

This 'doing it up' business might turn out to be a long saga, but hey, it will keep everyone amused during the winter when there's not much else to do! And at least I won't be asking how/what's wrong with an engine any more... that's in the car!

Edited to add the outside pics for Dabs! - nope won't let me, see my other post for the outside Dabs entitled I have finally bought a Kip van!

[lunnie]

JayJay, if you didnt have a project you would be bored you enjoy a challenge and you ALWAYS succeed

Your van looks great, I have been thinking of towing, to save the cost of 2 vehicles for one person, really shouldnt have the two!!!

But I will look forward to hearing your journal it is always funny.

All the best for Christmas and New Yearxx

[gadgetman]

Gutted for you JayJay, my heart goes out for you, how disapointed you must have been after your search for kip, then when you sleep on it and have a closer look things are not quite so bad, I'm sure all will be well in the end infact I know it will, you will see to that, wish you lived near me and Rob (Nu Venture), we would help..........

[jayjay]

Thanks Lunnie and Bryan.

Well I didn't expect a project quite this size - all I thought was that I'd have to refurbish the seats, curtains and flooring.... ah well.

i have emailed the chap who sold it to me explaining the prob and how it was advertised as 'no damp whatsoever' and suggesting he makes me a refund of £200 at least to effect repairs. I could take him to court, but it's expensive and I might not win anyway. Don't have money for the principle of the thing or I would. What's the betting I don't get a reply???

Was laughing yesterday = I finally found the fresh water carrier - it's there on the wall - that little thing with a tap! You undo it via a catch and fill thru the top then reattach to the wall, at least there isn't a pump there to go wrong eh? Can see me needing a jerry can as well for water as it can't hold more than approx 1 gallon... it would be hard to reattach full up with water anyway if it was any bigger, but I think I'd be refilling that at least 2 or three times a day.

And the little gas heater, well, that's another story. It think it needs condeming.

[jayjay]

Here's some pictures of the damp, not very good so I don't know if you'll be able to see how bad it is from them. Have ordered Sikaflex to fix, just have to wait for delivery. I was going to dash off to B&Q but thought I'd better get the right stuff rather than a compromise and after much reviewing of products, went for the one they all use!

[jayjay]

...then when you sleep on it and have a closer look things are not quite so bad...

I slept on it and it's worse! LOL!

[jayjay]

Oh no!

Can't you get back to him and tell him what happened? You ought to have some way of getting recompense.

Tried it but no... the phrase 'hell will freeze over' comes to mind with his reply, although he didn't actually say that. Apparantly he only bought it 6 weeks ago and has never been camping in it. The bloke he bought it from told him there had been a leak but it had been sealed.

So I shall just fix it. As Lunnie rightly pointed out, I'm at my best when I have problems to solve. Where there's a will there's a way. Anyway, I never expect life to be easy! LOL!

One of my fave sayings is, 'if you want a quiet life, you'll probably only get it when your in a box, 6ft under'... because life isn't like that.