Holidaying in a caravan, campervan or motorhome is one of the most popular British holidays with 4.3 million people choosing a caravan holiday in 2022 alone. Ownership of a caravan or motorhome comes with the inevitable burden of maintenance and upkeep. There are some very common problems facing the caravan owner and replacement of these parts is often very costly and sometimes impossible due to the age of the caravan. This guide is to help those owners to choose an adhesive to help them to repair rather than replace saving you significant cost in the process. Often people are nervous of undertaking these repairs themselves, however we have tried to ensure that our products are very user friendly and come with detailed hints and tips to help guide you through the process. We are also always available to speak to should you have any particular questions that you don’t feel we have answered.
Types of repair:
Window delamination
This is a very common problem with caravan, motorhome and even narrow boat windows. Delamination, often seen as a cloudy or foggy appearance between the layers of the window, can occurs when the adhesive holding the two panes together breaks down allowing moisture to seep in between the layers. This bond delamination can happen for a variety of reasons, including age, exposure to extreme temperatures or exposure to UV. Generally these windows are made from acrylic or polycarbonate. You’ll often find the type of material is etched in to the window it often reads polyplastic. It’s important to check this as our adhesive is specific to the type of plastic being bonded.
To create a strong and clear bond we would recommend using one of our acrylic adhesives (cement). They are specifically formulated for use on caravan/motorhome windows where the aesthetics of the window are important. They work by chemically softening the surfaces allowing them to fuse together as it dries. This creates a strong bond that will generally outlast the window itself.
There are generally two types of delamination, a partial delamination where only a section of the window requires resealing and a full delamination where the two panes have completely separated.
For a partial delamination we would recommend using our acrylic adhesive WC105. This comes in a two sizes and is easy to apply using the squeezy bottle provided. We would always recommend taking the window out of the frame to complete any repair but it is essential to have the window horizontal if this cannot be achieved.
For a full delamination we would recommend using our acrylic adhesive S1227, this is a two part, single use adhesive (cement) that offers the user a long working time than the WC105 which makes it particularly suitable for getting round a large window.
For a detailed breakdown of how to repair a delaminated window please see our dedicated blog created by one of our customers with a step by step guide.
Window cracks
A crack in an acrylic window can be caused by a sudden impact or overstress on a particular area. Often the crack is only in a single pane of the window and is hairline. These cracks can propagate if left untreated so it’s important to regularly check your windows and take action as soon as possible if a crack is found. If the impact has been severe then a section of the window may have come off completely. It is important to collect all the pieces and retain them as filling a hole is much harder than reattaching a section that has come away.
Some companies will tell you that a cracked window needs to be replaced. However so long as the crack is sealed and no longer propagates then there is no need to go to the costly expense of replacing the window.
For a hairline crack we would recommend using our product acrylic adhesive WC102. This is a very thin liquid adhesive cement which you can gently run into the crack using the bottle and dosing tip provided. There is no gap fill capability with this adhesive cement so for a wider crack or to reattach a section that has come away we would suggest the WC105. This is more viscous than the WC102 and as such will be able to fill small gaps, it can be layered to help fill larger gaps aswell provided that sufficient time is allowed between layers for the original application to have dried.
Caravan floor repair
Sometimes with the age of the caravan or motorhome the floor can become spongy and bubbled. What is happening is that within the sandwich construction of the flooring the top layer of ply has come away from the styrofoam layer and become delaminated. Delamination is more likely to occur in areas with higher foot traffic, like the kitchen or doorway. This can be rectified by drilling holes in the flooring at 200mm centres and using a syringe to inject adhesive into the holes. Before mixing and injecting the adhesive, mask any seams or joints to minimise seepage. Dowels are then used to seal the holes and weights applied to the floor until cured. We would recommend using our product floor repair kit A8136 which is sufficient adhesive mixture to allow repair of 4 square meters of flooring.
Caravan wall panel repair
The walls of a caravan are of a sandwich type construction with an outer skin of the caravan through to the internal wallpapered wall of the caravan. These panels face the possibility of damage from both external forces, hitting the external facia to accidents inside the caravan often caused by damp or moisture ingress. As several of these wall panels contain wiring or pipes running through them replacement of the whole panel is a monumental undertaking and not something to be done lightly. However due to their sandwich nature it is possible to replace layers within the panel bringing it back to it’s former glory. The difficulty is that as the panel itself isn’t removable you need an adhesive that doesn’t slump when applied on the vertical plane. This is where our wall panel repair kit A5045 comes in. It’s such a thick, viscous adhesive that you have to apply it to the surface with a trowel. But when you do it stays there awaiting the new wall panel to be put into place. Most adhesives required some form of pressure to ensure a good bond but this adhesive has an instant grab so that the wall panel will hold in position until the adhesive dries.
Dent repair
Reversing of any vehicle is full of hazards but especially when that vehicle is being towed. Dents and dings in the bodywork are all too common place as posts and fences are accidentally clipped while manoeuvring these large vehicles. Replacement panels are very expensive and often involve large areas having to be replaced when only a small area has been damaged. For years mechanics have been using adhesive to help remove dents from cars and vans. There is no reason why this same method shouldn’t be used on caravans and motorhomes. It’s so easy to do and the glue will not remove any paint, it just peels off when it has been used. We would recommend using our paintless dent remover kit which contains the hotmelt adhesive, tabs and dent remover T bar so all you need is a glue gun and away you go. It’s so easy, you can watch our video to see just how easy it is to do and how good the results were.
We hope we have proven that it is possible to undertake caravan/motorhome repairs yourself reducing the costs that full replacement or hiring a professional repair company would incur. Providing that you have the right adhesive and tools for the job all of the tasks listed above become easy to accomplish. We also have a friebndly team on hand to provide advice and recommendations. If you’re dealing with a damaged caravan and need support, please do get in contact with us at Bondrite today.