Originally I posted this question (or at least thought I posted this question) under the heading "Houston we have a problem". After a very uncharacteristic silence (for this forum) for a couple of days, I searched for the original posting and couldn't find it. Not sure what happened there and if it is still out there somewhere, apologies for the duplication.
The issue is this. For a while our lovely electric steps on our Ace Siena have appeared a little wonky, giving way slightly on one side. Initially I put this down to wear in the mechanism but finally got around to looking underneath properly and regretted that immediately. What I found is (I hope) illustrated by the attached pictures but is basically that water seems to have been getting in down the hinge side of the habitation door and softened the plywood floor in one corner. The 'give' in the steps is actually the corner of the frame and the floor flexing together. From inside, once the zinky little plastic tray for the door mat is unscrewed you can see that the floor has dropped in this corner.
I have a super star laminator (boat repairer par excellence) coming to look the problem but I am not confident he will want to take it on as a lot of dismantling seems likely - i.e. it looks to me like the whole of the habitation door and frame will need to be removed along with the steps (obvs) and a bulkhead behind the passenger seat.
So, the question is - does anyone know anyone (preferably in the Hampshire area) who undertakes repairs like this. Another question, but more philosophical the anything else, is who thought that wooden floors were a good idea . . . . I am left wondering what other damp patches there might be hidden behind fuel and water tanks etc, etc,
The issue is this. For a while our lovely electric steps on our Ace Siena have appeared a little wonky, giving way slightly on one side. Initially I put this down to wear in the mechanism but finally got around to looking underneath properly and regretted that immediately. What I found is (I hope) illustrated by the attached pictures but is basically that water seems to have been getting in down the hinge side of the habitation door and softened the plywood floor in one corner. The 'give' in the steps is actually the corner of the frame and the floor flexing together. From inside, once the zinky little plastic tray for the door mat is unscrewed you can see that the floor has dropped in this corner.
I have a super star laminator (boat repairer par excellence) coming to look the problem but I am not confident he will want to take it on as a lot of dismantling seems likely - i.e. it looks to me like the whole of the habitation door and frame will need to be removed along with the steps (obvs) and a bulkhead behind the passenger seat.
So, the question is - does anyone know anyone (preferably in the Hampshire area) who undertakes repairs like this. Another question, but more philosophical the anything else, is who thought that wooden floors were a good idea . . . . I am left wondering what other damp patches there might be hidden behind fuel and water tanks etc, etc,
