Found some rot, now what?!

[Maluisarot]

Giving the garage a good hoover out I noticed the very corner of the floor is ever so slightly spongy for across a 4" radius from the corner. The corner itself is very soft and I can push my finger into the board with very little effort across an area the size of a 10p and it's definitely damp to the feel.

Disappointing discovery to say the last but what do I do to rectify now?

Step one is going to be to monitor the area each time it rains and find where the water is coming from.

I did have a leak from a window above the spot, not sure how long it had been an issue but none of the wallboard was affected. It's definitely not still leaking as it's been about 6 months and I've been checking the mattress for signs of it getting wet again.

Would anyone expect the water that had been leaking in six months precious to have dried out by now and therefore the source of the damp is water getting in elsewhere?

I think it's probably just the sealant between the wall panels and floor panel must be worn and spray from the road has been creeping its way in?

It seems like a huge effort to remove the affected area and I would imagine the joint patching in a new peice would be a vulnerability going forward. Would it be more hassle than its worth?

My first thought was wood hardener. My second though was would this melt the insulation. After a bit of reading, it would seem that would be the case. However, after a bit more searching I've found a "solvent free" wood hardener - has anyone used this and what do people think about giving it a go?

I think as long as I can dry it and fix the affected area I can then seal the entire underside where the wall panels meets the floor and that would stop any future issues.

If anyone has any first hand experience or advice it would be hugely welcome.

Peace and love

 

[Swifter]

Could it just be poor design having a timber floor and timber outer edging strips of wood.
It could be just road spray over the years that’s caused it or down behind the trim as you say, or a combination of both.

Our van is fully sealed in that rear bumper trim area with a rubber seal all the way along.

Seems one hell of a coincidence that the rot just so happens to be exactly where the trim is clearly not fitted correctly to the back panel . That said , the general consensus is that the problem isn’t the trim so I will wait for others to advise further

 

[Badknee]

Our van is fully sealed in that rear bumper trim area though with a rubber seal all the way along.

The Swift has a seal all the way round it but it wasn’t “glued” to the side or rear bumper panel, it had gone hard over time and water was just running passed it. Now totally sealed from the roof down.

 

[Badknee]

Seems one hell of a coincidence that the rot just so happens to be exactly where the trim is clearly not fitted correctly to the back panel . That said , the general consensus is that the problem isn’t the trim so I will wait for others to advise further

Correct, I would take that panel off to have a looksee. Repair any rot damage and seal it up on replacement.

 

[AXO66]

We have been told by a Chausson approved workshop that the joint between the floor panel and rear floor is a known weakness.

Our 2016 registered Chausson has just had a damp check and first signs of the problem .
Under warranty we had rear mud flaps fitted and additional sealant on the join .

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[Maluisarot]

We have been told by a Chausson approved workshop that the joint between the floor panel and rear floor is a known weakness.

Our 2016 registered Chausson has just had a damp check and first signs of the problem .
Under warranty we had rear mud flaps fitted and additional sealant on the join .

Do you know how long the chausson warranty lasts? Ours is a 2013. Cheers

 

[AXO66]

Ours is 7 years , but have picked up that it used to be 5 years . So you might just outside it .

Suggest you contact a Chausson dealer to confirm your stays . Rivers Motorhome hire based near Stratford on Avon are independent and incredibly helpful.and worth a call to discuss solutions.

 

[Maluisarot]

Thanks AX! Unfortunately even 7 years would have made the cut off in 2020.

Having checked under the van there's a few places around the van where the floor is a tiny bit soft where it meets the wall panels.

I'm going to give the whole exterior and underside a thorough clean today then use sika 522 sealant all round where the plastic side and rear bumpers meet the wall panels so any future rain runs down the walls and can't get behind the plastic trims.

Hopefully the underside will then begin to dry out and I can look at some way of sealing the wall to floor joints in a couple of months...the weather (and more so the temperature) really isn't going to be on my side though


Has anyone here used DEKAPHON 9735? Is it any good and does it do what it says on the tin? Any alternatives you'd recommend instead?

Cheers!