You know the saying we have 'Don't Look Up' There should be a saying for traveller owners 'Don't Prod Yer Wood' Well I did 
I spotted a bit of mould in the corner of the rear door frame and thought I'd do a quick repair, dig out the rot and graft in a new piece of wood, easy - oops
I ended up with this
The only bit of the ladder section that goes across the back was still solid, the rest was just mush
What was left of the cover panel
The bottom of the rear pillars was actually quite good after I'd chiselled out what was left of the cross pieces, and a bit more in an attempt to isolate the rot,
but how to get new section in?
I decided on a jigsaw approach (the puzzle not the power tool) At £60 ish for a new one I baulked at buying one to chop up in case it all went horribly wrong - so off to B&Q I went and bought some timber that happened to be the right size and set about constructing a kit of parts. Got a nice discount too because they're closing the store down
Here it is measured, cut and glued with just the final joints to secure.
And after many fitting sessions and liberal application of Cuprinol 5 Star it's in place.
All joints are good and strong all held together with epoxy.
after a good sloshing of Osmo oil
I opted to get a new metal panel as I didn't have enough sheet available to make one, bit of an overkill with the packaging though
All painted up and held on with stainless counter sunk screws instead of the original nails, didn't bother drilling more holes for the two coach bolts that usually hold it in place - I don't think it will fall off in a hurry.
Finished
I know it's not ash and probably wont last another forty years but with all the Cuprinol it's had it should last ten, I recon the rest of the wood will need replacing before then
I spotted a bit of mould in the corner of the rear door frame and thought I'd do a quick repair, dig out the rot and graft in a new piece of wood, easy - oops
I ended up with this
The only bit of the ladder section that goes across the back was still solid, the rest was just mush
What was left of the cover panel
The bottom of the rear pillars was actually quite good after I'd chiselled out what was left of the cross pieces, and a bit more in an attempt to isolate the rot,
but how to get new section in?
I decided on a jigsaw approach (the puzzle not the power tool) At £60 ish for a new one I baulked at buying one to chop up in case it all went horribly wrong - so off to B&Q I went and bought some timber that happened to be the right size and set about constructing a kit of parts. Got a nice discount too because they're closing the store down
Here it is measured, cut and glued with just the final joints to secure.
And after many fitting sessions and liberal application of Cuprinol 5 Star it's in place.
All joints are good and strong all held together with epoxy.
after a good sloshing of Osmo oil
I opted to get a new metal panel as I didn't have enough sheet available to make one, bit of an overkill with the packaging though
All painted up and held on with stainless counter sunk screws instead of the original nails, didn't bother drilling more holes for the two coach bolts that usually hold it in place - I don't think it will fall off in a hurry.
Finished
I know it's not ash and probably wont last another forty years but with all the Cuprinol it's had it should last ten, I recon the rest of the wood will need replacing before then
