If you have a leaking hatch cover or any other spot that is allowing unwanted water into your VAN Think twice before taking it to an a repairer who specializes in such repairs in the Port Macquarie Area , unless you want to sacrifice a good part of a fortnights pension payment .
Mate took his van in to have a very small hatch cover resealed.... Wait For It $350,00 later for a job quoted as an hour that blew out to two hours between other jobs in the shop.
Task Preparation
Remove Existing Hatch ?????? very doubtful that Happened
Clean all surfaces about 25 mm around cover
Reposition Hatch Cover (depending on item one)
Reseal Hatch Cover
Water Test Hosed Roof ??????? Doubtful
Total $302.50
Materials
Silicone White $28.38 Not Stikiflex
Consumables $22.00 Two Lengths of rag
Environmental Levy $5.50
Total 55.88 incl GST
Grand total $358.38
If my maths are right that's $151.23 per hour labour . Little over the top I think but am I out of touch with tradie rates and I use the term Tradie loosely
grahos said
09:34 PM Oct 25, 2015
They must have needed money in a hurry,they were not owned by an accountant were they?
macka17 said
07:19 PM May 29, 2016
Sorry for bringing this up.
But a lot of people starting out in caravans Do NOT know about certain Maint that has to be done on a regular basis.
Apart from servicing running gear. Lights etc. If you looking at travelling in and keeping for a while.
Window frames should be resealed, depending on the roads you travel on (Bitumin.Gravel. Corrugations)
probably every 5 yrs max. I've done some, when off road. every yr.
Inside wheel arches . You should check and silastic now, round the folds and corners.
Just think about the stones. Crap, and Water that gets blasted under there. Every time you on the road.
Do all the Aluminium Sheet overlaps and round corners.
Get a Stanley Knife or single edged razor blade.
Dig gently into and down all seams and under joins. down sides of body and corners.
Rub with Acetone. Then get a wet cloth or rubber glove on your fingers and with small hole in end of silastic tube nozzle.
Apply the silastic. Wiping along and pushing iNTO the joins with wet finger.
Leave for a while then with plenty of patience. Wipe rub scrape excess silastic off.
With the roof.
I used to reseal all seams and surrounding edges after digging old stuff out.
EVERY 2 yrs if you travel a lot.
Back in '60's I fully repaintedand sealed above and under van Every yr.
But it spent most of it's time behind an old Land Rover Ser1 then 2a dragging round Motorways. Pipeline
easements and in farm paddocks (where the first 2 of my kids were brought up till school age.)
I also, the last couple of vans.
Got a 6 (4 x 2) ltr pack of reflective. Heat proof paint. (white).
Scrub or spray clean the roof.(Gerni)
Then using roller. apply several thick coats over complete roof. putting extra coats over all seams and round vents/hatches etc.
That really seals roof for donkeys (yrs).
Just keep eye on it for any flexing along seams.
Yrs ago we used Chlorinated Rubber. or Pool Paint to seal the roof.
Cheaper and just as effective.
But not heat reflective..
If you do or get done these little jobs over the yr. It's not too hard.
And you won't be replacing interior panels and/or framework in the future.
When in a town look for Broons Hire etc.
2 x 9 ft tressles and 1 or 2. 8-10ft planks/boards. Cost me $25 for 2 days last time
but of flat ground and away you go.
That's how I put panels on roof too. SAFELY.....
I've had Caravans, and lived in them for quite a few yrs. Since '63.
Never had a leaky roof. (couple of windows and 1 corner.) but never had to replace/repair anything.
Oh I also get under each van when new, to me.
And painted completely Ply flooring and chassis rails with Black mastic paint they sell for under wheel arches etc.
And if you have a fully galved UNDER floor sheeting. Drill a few holes in it.
It absorbs and leaks water into between floor timber and galv sheet.
Rotting out the ply floor under your feet. Give it spots to drain.seep out.
I've repaired a few.
Even doing several of these jobs. will help your van. But roof and vertical sheeting outside corners are a must.
Plus watching windows. You don't find many that don't leak there after a while.
If you have a leaking hatch cover or any other spot that is allowing unwanted water into your VAN Think twice before taking it to an a repairer who specializes in such repairs in the Port Macquarie Area , unless you want to sacrifice a good part of a fortnights pension payment .
Mate took his van in to have a very small hatch cover resealed.... Wait For It $350,00 later for a job quoted as an hour that blew out to two hours between other jobs in the shop.
Task Preparation
Remove Existing Hatch ?????? very doubtful that Happened
Clean all surfaces about 25 mm around cover
Reposition Hatch Cover (depending on item one)
Reseal Hatch Cover
Water Test Hosed Roof ??????? Doubtful
Total $302.50
Materials
Silicone White $28.38 Not Stikiflex
Consumables $22.00 Two Lengths of rag
Environmental Levy $5.50
Total 55.88 incl GST
Grand total $358.38
If my maths are right that's $151.23 per hour labour . Little over the top I think but am I out of touch with tradie rates and I use the term Tradie loosely
But a lot of people starting out in caravans Do NOT know about certain Maint that has to be done on a regular basis.
Apart from servicing running gear. Lights etc. If you looking at travelling in and keeping for a while.
Window frames should be resealed, depending on the roads you travel on (Bitumin.Gravel. Corrugations)
probably every 5 yrs max. I've done some, when off road. every yr.
Inside wheel arches . You should check and silastic now, round the folds and corners.
Just think about the stones. Crap, and Water that gets blasted under there. Every time you on the road.
Do all the Aluminium Sheet overlaps and round corners.
Get a Stanley Knife or single edged razor blade.
Dig gently into and down all seams and under joins. down sides of body and corners.
Rub with Acetone. Then get a wet cloth or rubber glove on your fingers and with small hole in end of silastic tube nozzle.
Apply the silastic. Wiping along and pushing iNTO the joins with wet finger.
Leave for a while then with plenty of patience. Wipe rub scrape excess silastic off.
With the roof.
I used to reseal all seams and surrounding edges after digging old stuff out.
EVERY 2 yrs if you travel a lot.
Back in '60's I fully repaintedand sealed above and under van Every yr.
But it spent most of it's time behind an old Land Rover Ser1 then 2a dragging round Motorways. Pipeline
easements and in farm paddocks (where the first 2 of my kids were brought up till school age.)
I also, the last couple of vans.
Got a 6 (4 x 2) ltr pack of reflective. Heat proof paint. (white).
Scrub or spray clean the roof.(Gerni)
Then using roller. apply several thick coats over complete roof. putting extra coats over all seams and round vents/hatches etc.
That really seals roof for donkeys (yrs).
Just keep eye on it for any flexing along seams.
Yrs ago we used Chlorinated Rubber. or Pool Paint to seal the roof.
Cheaper and just as effective.
But not heat reflective..
If you do or get done these little jobs over the yr. It's not too hard.
And you won't be replacing interior panels and/or framework in the future.
When in a town look for Broons Hire etc.
2 x 9 ft tressles and 1 or 2. 8-10ft planks/boards. Cost me $25 for 2 days last time
but of flat ground and away you go.
That's how I put panels on roof too. SAFELY.....
I've had Caravans, and lived in them for quite a few yrs. Since '63.
Never had a leaky roof. (couple of windows and 1 corner.) but never had to replace/repair anything.
Oh I also get under each van when new, to me.
And painted completely Ply flooring and chassis rails with Black mastic paint they sell for under wheel arches etc.
And if you have a fully galved UNDER floor sheeting. Drill a few holes in it.
It absorbs and leaks water into between floor timber and galv sheet.
Rotting out the ply floor under your feet. Give it spots to drain.seep out.
I've repaired a few.
Even doing several of these jobs. will help your van. But roof and vertical sheeting outside corners are a must.
Plus watching windows. You don't find many that don't leak there after a while.
Have fun.