revonating a 1976 viscount caravan

[lykke2018]

Gday guys we are looking for an information or help with renovating our van

[twocutekelpies]

What sort of help/info are you looking for? Any photos, specific problems areas you want to address?

My advice is to those about to embark on a full renovation, before you rip in, pull everything out and chuck it in a skip or on the fire, think ahead a bit and do a little research and planning. (I've copied this from a post I wrote on facebook in the Viscount Owners group and the Fix it or Renovate that caravan group)

Some points to consider

- original wall panels make great templates for new ones, try to take them out carefully if you can, especially those curvy bits. (and keep an eye out for info written on the back of them, eg build dates or the guy's name who built it)

- asbestos has been found in vans up until the late 80s so if in doubt, cover it up (eg original floor) or take precautions. (also known to be in original sealants)

- caravans were originally built from the inside out, ie cabinetry was fastened to the frame and lining from outside before the cladding was put in, factor this in when rebuilding as I'm sure most of you wont be doing it this way again

- consider weight, keep your builds close to original or lose your payload unless you upgrade your undercarriage

- 240v electrics must be done by a qualified electrician (some may allow you to run your own cabling but you need to work it out with them before doing anything)

- gas should be fitted by a qualified gas fitter also

- feel free to ask lots of questions along the way, there's plenty of members who have been down this road and seen the hurdles you can face. (this applies to this and the VV forum also )

- and I'll add a new one, don't assume that just because you can't see any water damage that she's watertight, best to reseal anyway so all your hard work inside isn't undone in the first heavy rain