Viking Repairs - Ply or chipboard?

[Allanw]

Hi All,

Just picked up my Super Viking Pop Top!

The slide out bed parts have been a bit damp at some point, and the chipboard / particle board has swelled a bit around some of the edges .

It is 15/16mm board, and I am thinking about replacing it with marine ply (untreated, but waterproof glue) and painting it all.

I have tried to Google the weight diffrence, but it is hard to find weights per sheet! What I have found suggests ply in a bit lighter, and stronger - is that right?

Stronger is good, becuase I'm not a little man! 6'1" and 120KG (like an All Black... but a different shape )

I want to replace ALL the chip board with ply, including the "hole" linings, and the hatches.

Also the chipboard in the roof where the struts srew in are knackered too, so I'm puting ply in there. I'm aslo strengthening the roof up a bit, and adding an extra hinge

Thanks for any advice or opinions on the matter

Allan.

[Titus A Duxass]

Plywood is the best option, the weight difference is not that much.
I would be looking for some high quality plywood like Baltic Birch multiplex.

[Allanw]

Cheers for that - I was hoping t was OK, but it's always good to get advice from the experts

We pretty much just have Pine here (New Zealand) at an afforable cost - anything "foreign" gets expensive. I can get 18mm structural ply for NZ$69 a sheet (33 pound or 38 euro - ish). I think the slightly thicker stuff will be OK, but I have an uncle with a thicknesser if I have to trim it down a couple of mm.

The widest unsupported span is about 1200mm - so the 18mm should cope OK.

Cheers!
Allan.

[Oldiebut goodie]

I doubt they get much Baltic timber down there!(they grow their own for plywood)
Ecoply would do - there is no need to go to the expense and weight of marine ply.

I bought two sheets of 18mm WBP (weather and boil proof) ply myself yesterday they are bloody heavy. I would seriously consider the amount of weight that you are putting 'up top' if you are thinking of using 18mm there.

[Allanw]

Hello "Oldie",

I haven't been able to find 15mm so far - the original chipboard is 15mm.

I suppose I should keep hunting until I find it - it's probably just that bit lighter than 18mm

Thanks for your input!

Allan.

[Oldiebut goodie]

We don't have any size between 12mm and 18mm in the UK - I should have thought you were the same.
Belay that - in OZ they say they have 15mm :
Ecoply 15mm is product code 15-30-5 here. It gives the weight per sq.m also.
Just need a stockist in NZ now. just change au to nz for their nz web site. Would have thought that your nearest Bunnings (if you have one) would stock it.

[Allanw]

We don't have any size between 12mm and 18mm in the UK - I should have thought you were the same.
Belay that - in OZ they say they have 15mm :
Ecoply 15mm is product code 15-30-5 here. It gives the weight per sq.m also.
Just need a stockist in NZ now. just change au to nz for their nz web site. Would have thought that your nearest Bunnings (if you have one) would stock it.

HA! Thanks a BUNCH! you're doing ALL my work for me I am finishing work at lunch time today, and going to Bunnings, where I get trade, on the Hospital account.

If they don't have it, I'll get the 18mm and amaybe thickness one side to tidy it up, and shave the other side to size

Thanks a lot

[Allanw]

You guys are Leg-Ends!

I went to Bunnings, they had 15mm ply, but only in treated - that's OK, I'm going to paint it anyway - not too big a deal. It will fit everything with mods, and seems to be a similar weight to the chipboard

I finished work at 1130, so raced off and got 3 sheets of ply, some hammerite for the frames and some sealer for the ply! And a circular saw! - good excuse to buy one

So I have cleaned up the frames, painted them, and cut all the panels.

More will have to wait - I think I have tonsilitis , and it's my Boy's first birthday party tomorrow

Thanks again!

[Allanw]

OK..... So I didn't have tonsilitis! I had Hand, Foot and Mouth... got over it now, but have dark spots in my vision that will clear up over the next 5 weeks according to the Opthamologist

So I'm dropping the roof off to my Uncle Brian to have the fibreglass redone, and have the nasty chipboard replaced in the structural parts.

I'm hoping I can do a few bits and peices this weekend, but I think I'll leave the circular saw until I can see properly!

I have to get new hinges and struts sent from the UK (Just trying to arrange someone in the UK I can send them to and have them forward them to me). Once I get the "boat" on top, I can start fitting brackets and hide them away under the roof when we are using the van

Thans again for the help!