Conway Cardinal Folding Camper
Floor Repair
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Conway Cardinal Folding Camper
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In April 2006 we purchased a Conway Cardinal Folding Camper. What we did not realise was that the floor was rotten. This page is presented to help others who may suffer a similar problem and may be able to use help.
The floor of the trailer is on 12mm marine ply, covered inside by linoleum. Now lino is good at keeping damp off a floor - but conversely if damp gets under the lino it will soak into the wood and will never dry out because of the impermeability of the lino. In consequence, the floor will rot beneath the lino.
Therefore, if you do get your floor flooded and suspect penetration beneath the linoleum floor covering, cut out the lino - particularly inside the cupboards, where such cutting will not show anyway. This will give the wood beneath a chance to breathe and, if you do this soon enough, no further action may be needed!
In our case, we really do not know how the water penetrated. Water splashing from the road wheels is a possibility. But this should not, we feel, penetrate through the wood and lie beneath the floor covering.
Another possibility is that it penetrated down the telescopic roof supports. These are supplied with canvas covers and, if these covers are not present, there is a possibility of water wicking down into the joints of the supports. From these, it would run onto the floor. In our case, these covers looked like they had never been used. But it is difficult to see how enough water could have penetrated via this route!
If the trailer roof was erected without the bed platforms being extended and the canvas being properly fitted, large amounts of water could enter here.
Or water could have penetrated via an open door.
We will probably never know how, but it seems fairly clear that the inside got somewhat flooded so that water seeped under the cupboards and through the screw holes in the floor covering. From there, it wicked into the wood floor and, not being able to dry out, the floor started to rot. Which is where we came in!
Thus the whole weigh of the roof is in practise transferred through to the winch, which in turn is securely bolted to the 12mm plywood floor. So of the floor rots - the winch bolts are pulled straight through the floor. This is what had happened in our case.
Because the springs' guides are difficult to move (and this might interfere with the geometry) it is necessary to use two plates on top of the wood - though as these plates aren't bearing pressure (the winch is pulling, not pushing) they are really on;y keeping the bits of disintegrated plywood in place so may not be necessary.
Underneath, one angle is screwed to the trailer's chassis and a thick aluminium pate clamps the floor and the winch feet to the flat bits of the chassis, so winch tension is transferred directly to the chassis.
These photos are as taken, unsorted and unprocessed. I hope they are helpful.
The winch unbolted from the cupboard. The rotten flooring is clearly visible.
Winch removed. The plumber's spring inside its quadrant guide can be seen together with the main cable's pulley.
First aluminium plate positioned
View of winch, with first aluminium plate
View of winch, with first aluminium plate
View of winch, with first aluminium plate
Winch in position with both top plates
Winch in position with both top plates
Winch in position with both top plates
Cover plates in position
Underneath aluminium angle
Underneath aluminium angle with end cover in place
Underneath aluminium angle with end cover in place
Main ally plate beneath winch
Main ally plate beneath winch
Main ally plate beneath winch
© 2006-7 RJT
