Fiat Ducato 1999 construction question (1 Viewer)

[kammcm]

I have a 1999 fiat Ducato van and am considering ceiling replacement following major leak issue. Without ripping everything down I'm trying to first work out what is actually holding the ceiling in place! The seams on the outside of the van look like in this picture. This goes up the back and along the roof and from what I can make out the screws in this seam are screwed down into the tops of the wall panels. I cannot see what holds the ceiling panel onto the wall panels though - or how the ceiling is supported overall. Can anyone try to describe it to me please - so I can make a plan how to replace without first destroying it? Thanks

 

[TheBig1]

The roof like the walls are constructed with outer skin, insulation and in your case a frame of thin battens glued to the outside. The 3mm inner ply skin is glued to the insulation (and wood)

If it is just stained try painting first. If not delaminated you could glue on a new sheet of ply over the original

 

[kammcm]

Thanks for the reply, unfortunately we are well past the just repainting stage . Just to clarify- in the attached photo the red marks are solid framework and the the yellow is a thin hardboard type layer that was behind polystyrene. (Behind that is the aluminium). In the original construction was all of this glued onto the aluminium roof skin itself? So nothing ( apart from the external sealing strip ) connects the ceiling structure to the wall structure? Thanks again!

 

[CAB96]

There should be more insulation stuck to the underside of the steel roof, or else it risks developing condensation.

 

[Jez1966]

There should be more insulation stuck to the underside of the steel roof, or else it risks developing condensation.

It's 1999 construction...

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[CAB96]

It a 1999 construction...

True!

 

[Jez1966]

Sadly, I think your deconstruction is answering your own questions.

 

[Jez1966]

Ducato is the van chassis, the coachbuild will be someone else.

 

[kammcm]

Thanks for the replies. The ceiling has since been removed! No loss, it was soaked and had been for some time. There has been some corrosion of the aluminium from the wet. Found some pinholes which I've sealed from the outside. Trying to figure out if there's anything I can paint on the inside to strengthen/protect it, or if an elastomeric coat on the outside would be a good idea.
Next problem is best way to reconstruct the ceiling to avoid condensation, insulate well, and preferably use small panels that could be more easily removed for future checking of conditions behind it!
Any tips very welcome!

 

[kammcm]

Ducato is the van chassis, I presume the coachbuild is someone else.

Yes, You're right , autoroller is on the van so think that's it?

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[Jez1966]

Yes, You're right , autoroller is on the van so think that's it?

Note you only get 5 free posts..
So Autoroller are the "Manufacturer", they take a Fiat Ducato chassis and build a motorhome on it.
THAT motorhome will be one of a number Autoroller produced at that time, so it's a Autoroller ???

 

[TheBig1]

look for tanking paint. It contains rubber fibres and forms a watertight skin when painted on the outside, spanning pinholes etc

 

[TheBig1]

when the internal timber is dry, treat it with a decent rot preventer and fungicide before starting to rebuild the roof

 

[68c]

Did much the same job on our 1998 Swift 500. Stripped everything out, and like you, found many tiny pinpricks.
Cleaned up with cellolose thinners and alloy wheel corrosion control chemicsl. Used self adhesive alloy tape over the holes and repainted the inner surface.
Dug out all the rotten wood around the edges and bonded in new using polyuerathane gap filling glue.
Bonded in new wooden beams using treated house roof tile battens from B&Q by using temporary 'pit props'.
Fitted new insulation panels using one inch Celotex, better than polystyrene as easier to work with , the plastic skin allows you to use a contact adhesive. Finally new wallboard from O'Learys. Be thorough sealing around the wallboard edges to ensure a good vapour seal.
Lastly overpainted the roof in EDPM rubber.