Coming back to this video months after my repair just to say thank you. Had an almost identical issue in my Bailey Pageant. Your video helped me get this done over a long weekend and it’s been watertight ever since!
Thanks for your kind words Reece. I replaced the Bailey Pageant (still dry) with a brand new Swift caravan in 2021 and I've had far more trouble with it than I ever had with the Pageant. The Swift went back to the factory in the first year of ownership under warranty for a replacement floor and it's had more work done under warranty for damp problems. The dealer treats me like a pest. I despair.
Just completed full front window repair on my bailey pageant bordeaux 2007. Ripped out all the wallboard and framework. Cleaned everything with white spirit and methylated spirit. Refixed new timber framework from B&Q ( they had the exact size 25mm needed). Ordered new 30mm window seals from seals direct and 3mm ashton wall board from Magnum Motorhomes. Pre drilled hingebar holes in plastic shell and used plastic compound and trex tape to deal with fractures in the outer shell. Used sikaflex 522 for hinge bar and wallboard. I would never of attempted tis daunting task if it hadnt been for Robs video. Thank you sir. 👍 Just got to sort the blasted roof light leak now!
Thanks for a brilliant video, I was gutted when we found our Bailey Senator leaking at the front windows. The problem was just as you show, and described. Got the build spec from Bailey for the interior panelling. All the dealers I tried said the panelling was obsolete, but Halesowen Caravans keep this panelling in stock and has many others, he is not a fan of Bailey caravans. The seals came form Seals Direct, and then the adhesives we found locally. I found the timber rails are 25mm square, this is available for B&Q of all places, less waist full than cutting it out of 3x2” plained. It was a big job and time consuming, but your video showed me the way and took the fear factor out of the job. Again many thanks.
Thanks for your video mate. Just sorted mine out over the last three days, really helpful to know the steps in advance. Even the opening photos helped to prepare me for the full horror of the wood rot in mine!!
Absolutely bloody brilliant - just found our Pageant to be in a very similar state. Your video has significantly raised my dampened spirits. Thanks for posting
@@kwackman Rob - couldn't be happier with my repairs and I can truthfully say I would not have had a clue where to start without your help. Now I've got some free time, I might try to do a slideshow myself. I'm convinced the van is better now than it ever was. Many thanks again
Rob - I finally got around to making my own contribution - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-t578vrZMUHI.html Thanks again for the inspiration!
Well done on a superb repair, it looks quite a but worse than mine was. I am so pleased to have inspired you to go ahead with it and thank you for the credits you have included in your RU-vid video.
Hello Rob just completing the same repair. However for others in the same boat patched behind the window rail screw holes with 2 mm ABS stuck in place with ABS solvent weld that plumbers use on waste pipe fittings. Also used the same stuff on the outside rubbing it into the cracks to seal them. Use throw away gloves for this ABS solvent not good on skin. Then drilled mounting holes through patches and screwed window rail into place. Works a treat. Thanks for the video and also shame on you Bailey probably saved about a minute on caravan build🙄
Hi Rob, great videos. Do you mind me asking if you had to replace the wood on top of the windows by the cupboards? If so did you find a way of getting to the screws? Many thanks Debbie
I had a new front fitted under warranty on my Bailey Ranger, repair done at dealer I bought it from. They did the same as Bailey, screwed without drilling holes. Had to have it repaired at a so called repair specialist, crap job. Now doing it myself. A
Nice job. I need to tackle a leak on the front of our 2 berth ABI. Seeing this has given me a bit of a confidence boost. First thing is to find where the leak is getting in I suppose. Cheers for the tips.
I have a 2006 Bailey Pageant Provence with the exact same problem. Have been quoted £2,340 (includes 27 hours labour!) to repair so I am going to follow your excellent post and attempt it myself!Some questions:* Where do you get the 23mm window insert strip?* What is the mastic you use to seal round the window rubbers (on the outside).Not sure if the shelf (above gas locker) has some rot but all will become evident in due course.Am so pleased to see your video and now feel much happier thinking I can make it good again - we love our Pageant Provence!Many thanks.(Expect more questions in due course!)
My wallboard (arrived today) measures 6mm thick. I need to measure the outer skin plastic and take into account the thickness of the mastic to then determine how thick the wood reinforcing frame needs to be so that the total is 34/35mm? Do you recall your similar measurements? BTW, I found the 23mm window insert strip with the window seal supplier so ignore that question.
2:56 " .. used two overlapping strips over the full length of the outside of window rail attachment area .." Two strips overlapped to the width of the caravan? Or two full width strips overlapped to make the tape effectively wider (or thicker)?
Thank you so much for the video. It has given me the courage to start repairing it myself. Currently, I am in the process of removing the rotten wood, but my caravan is in much worse condition than yours. So, the timber above the window on my caravan is already rotten, but yours still looks good in video 0:57. I was worried that the shelf might fall down if I cut the timber above the window out completely, as the shelf might be screwed to the timber behind it for support. Is there any way to rectify this without taking the timber out, or do I have to remove the rotten timber entirely? Thanks heaps.
Hi Rob, You have confirmed my suspicions about this problem, Bailey have not seen the issue of not drilling a hole but just screwing through the plastic and splitting it, SHAME ON YOU BAILEY!! I have the same problem but my Caravan its a 2005 Pageant Provence, I bought it in 2009 and the rot is worse than yours as it is now 2018. I am now doing the same repair as you have but I used 3/4 ply the main shelf has rotted also. Weight is no issue as it is about the same as my wife's handbag on the front seat, but I did need a narrower window seal rubber, this has worked out fine :-) all happy now, BUT BAILEY how much time do you save in production by not drilling first EH ?
Excellent work there! If I suspect my Senator built in 2004 has the same flaw, how would I best go about preventing that from developing in mime? So far no issue, but its been in a garage, and now I have it outside... Should I just take out the windows and remove the plate over the holes and tape over it and put it all back together , wiil that give me a good nights sleep???
Hi @2hands_and_a_brain917, I would definitely do what you suggest. It's always better to prevent water ingress in the first place than have to deal with the aftermath later. Good luck.
Hi, I think I have a similar problem on my 2006 Bailey Senator INDIANA as the front window runners have just came loose at the top of their own volition. I have yet to investigate fully. Can you advise what tools I may need specialist or otherwise My van is in Spain so any help is great. Thanks. Great video too.
Really helpful… just wish you could come and do mine!! The shelf below my windows has got a patch that is soft with damp.. should I take that out too? Any idea how I get to it?!
I’m wondering if you can help me currently re fitting windows for our abi sunstar caravan we have to order window rubber at 35mm We have window stays and catches and the windows and rail also I’ve noticed some window rubber rubbers come as a meter length of a c shaped rubber which laps onto and around the window frames like your video then I noticed some have a rubber tubing attached to them so you know why? What’s the difference? Thank you
Have the same problem. Could i ask how did you remove the second (hidden) screw on the interior curtail. No screwdriver seems to be short enough and correctly angled to unscrew these ridiculously positioned screws.
Thomas Logan. No screwdriver is short enough so I used a screwdriver 'bit' from a multi tool. Find a spanner that is slightly too big for the hexagon on the 'bit'. Grind one down if necessary until you can hammer the 'bit' into the spanner until it is gripped extremely tightly. Be prepared for a lengthy process of turning the awkwardly positioned screw a quarter of a turn at a time until it's out. Good luck.
If you're lucky (well, unlucky) then your wallboard will be so rotten and soft the screws will just pull out. If not then maybe just decide if your time is worth it and, if not, sacrifice the caps and snap them off! Replacements are £1.34 from leisureshopdirect but I don't expect you'll be replacing the silly second screw. (Make sure to order left or right cap.)
Hi mate I've hot the same on my elldis sunseaker what are sizes of wood you used battonts and sheet of ply and are all caravan window rubbers the same ben
Hi Ben. The only caravan I've ever repaired is a the one in the video so I'm sorry to say I have no idea about your Sunseeker. I was in the same situation as you (ten years ago) when I did the repair and I had to remove all of the damaged material then measure it all up myself in order to source the new stuff. Most timber merchants will cut the wooden batons to size once you have scoped out the extent of the damage. You could take a sample of wood to the timber merchant once you've removed it. Good luck.
Hi Rob, I am busy with the same job now on my 2005 Pageant. I want to check on something. The wooden frame you mentioned are not bonded to the outer shell of the caravan. Is that correct? Did you glue and screw the frame together before mounting the wallboard? Thanks
Hi, To answer your questions I've had to have another look at the pictures because I couldn't remember. Now that I've refreshed my memory it appears that I screwed each new timber to the existing (un-rotten) frame, no glue. I then used sikaflex 512 and staples to attach the wallboard which, when fastened and set, forms part of the integral structure. I didn't bond the wooden frame to the outer shell because it wasn't bonded in the first place and the reason for this, I assumed, would be to allow for expansion and contraction of individual materials with individual properties. I'm pleased to say after 5 years my damp test meter shows absolutely no damp readings around the repaired area or anywhere else in the caravan for that matter.
This repair was originally posted with more pictures here >>>>> www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=31&TopicID=331271&PagePosition=1&ThreadPage=5
Hi...just found your video. Got a similar problem on a different van. Not quite as bad as yours. How long did it take you from start to finish. How did you stop water getting in while repairing and waiting on parts etc...cheers.
Hi Mark, If you look closely at the pictures you will see that I used a large polythene sheet. I used duct tape to stick the polythene to the roof, sides and across the gas locker lid and I peeled it up when I needed access. I think it took about two weeks in total, that's including working 4-on 4-off twelve-hour shifts at my day job (as an aerospace engineer) and also includes waiting for parts and materials...Cheers!
What did you use to keep the inside dry during this? I’ve got a week off in May to sort mine that has leaked s bit. So need to do virtually the same repair. (2003 Elddis leaking through screws in window rail)
Rob, how long did this take you? You mention below that the new window frames are screwed to the existing frame. How have you done that with the verticals top and bottom - screws at 45 degrees?
Hi Paul, I think it took about two weeks in total, that's including working 4-on 4-off twelve-hour shifts at my day job (as an aerospace engineer, now retired) and also includes waiting for parts and materials. In answer to your original questions, the wooden frame is part of the structure in conjunction with the wallboard, the polystyrene and the outer plastic frontal moulding. Although the wood, wallboard and polystyrene are bonded together, the outer plastic moulding is not bonded to anything. To answer your most recent question I think I must have screwed through the verticals at an angle but I think I bonded them with wood glue in addition where I was able to. It was September 2015 when I actually carried out the repair so I am struggling to remember in detail.
Hi, My blind has just fallen off ! wood behind all soft and sqwidgy. we have had water leaking in for a while but until recently could not find where it was coming from, seem to have solved it by taping across the top of the window hinge rail. QUESTION - is the rotten wood part of the structure of the van or just there to give something to screw into? I am considering just botching. l
The wood is part of the structure in conjunction with the wallboard, the polystyrene and the outer plastic frontal moulding. Although the wood, wallboard and polystyrene are bonded together, the outer plastic moulding is not bonded to anything.
Thank you for your reply, so I will have to replace the rotten wood to keep the integrity of the van. Thank you for making this video, I now understand where the water is coming from, I have spent ages sealing around the windows to no avail,
I'm doing this repair this weekend. Started last weekend getting all rotten wood out and then, during evenings through the week, getting ready. (Cleaning the window rail etc.) This weekend I have rebuild the wooden window frames, put all the polystyrene insulation in place and got the wall board glued and stapled in place. Adhesive is now curing. I think it's fair to say you will need a few specialist tools .. certainly a 'multi-function tool' (e.g. Bosch PMF) to cut out the rotten wood.
Try Seals + Direct at www.sealsdirect.co.uk. They also supply a tool CST4335 to insert the cover strip into the rubber. See their RU-vid video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-5kthfMx2IFA.html