How To Make Over Your Caravan

How do you renovate a caravan, and which Selleys products do each job?

A caravan makeover breaks into eight stages: clean the exterior, make the van watertight, redo the interior, paint, refresh the awnings, relay the floor, and then the fun parts — accessories and linen. Of those, one matters more than all the rest combined.

Keeping water out is the whole job. Kylie Wiffen of "Honey I Bought A Caravan", who renovated a 40-plus-year-old van she named Sunny, found rotten framing and mould when she stripped hers back. Her advice after that experience is blunt: "Keeping the water out is SO IMPORTANT and maintenance is the key." Everything else on this list is cosmetic. The sealing is not.

1. Give the exterior a complete once-over

Start with a proper wash. Get the hose out and give the exterior a good wash with soapy water so the paintwork shines.

Selleys Sugar Soap removes dirt and stubborn grime from surfaces, and it works just as well on the interior. Follow the dilution rates on the bottle and use a broom or brush to scrub the stubborn dirt.

Get the dilution right, because there are two different products. Selleys Original Sugar Soap (750 mL, makes up to 30 litres) is diluted at half a cup into half a bucket — 5 litres — of water. Original Sugar Soap Super Concentrate (1 L, makes up to 80 litres) is diluted at half a cup into a full 10 litre bucket. Both can be used neat on stubborn or in-ground marks with a non-scratch scouring sponge or cloth.

Two cautions from the data sheet that apply directly to a van: wipe sugar soap off aluminium and brass surfaces immediately, and rinse it well off glass before it dries. A caravan is full of both. Test an inconspicuous area first for compatibility and colourfastness on anything you are unsure of.

2. Make sure the van is watertight

If there is rot, the framing has to come out and be replaced — Kylie's family replaced theirs with new treated pine. After that it is about maintaining the seals: "It's a 40-plus year-old van, so leaks are going to happen, so the key is maintaining the water-tight seals."

Selleys Roof and Gutter Silicone is the product for this. It is UV and weather resistant and suits sealing around most building surfaces. If the existing seals are old, you will need to remove them and start again rather than sealing over the top.

Roof & Gutter Silicone in numbers

Technology	Neutral-cure 100% silicone, moisture curing
Tooling time	5 minutes
Skin time	5–10 minutes
Tack-free time	30 minutes
Curing rate	2 mm / 24 hours
Joint movement	±25%
Elongation at break	330% (ASTM D412)
Application temperature	+5°C to +30°C
Service temperature	-60°C to +150°C

Indicative data only, not intended for preparation of specifications.

The ±25% joint movement and 330% elongation are what make this suitable for a van. A caravan flexes constantly on the road and expands and contracts through a temperature range no house ever sees; a rigid sealant would crack within a season. A neutral cure also means no acetic acid released as it cures, which matters around aluminium panels and painted surfaces.

The 5 minute tooling time is short. Work in lengths you can tool inside it, using a clean spatula dipped in soapy water. For joints, the optimum width-to-depth ratio is 2:1, with a minimum width and depth of 5 mm.

Its limitations: it is not paintable — and if you are painting the panel, allow the paint to dry at least 7 days before sealing on top. Do not apply below +5°C or above +40°C. It is not recommended for continuous submersion or below-waterline use. Avoid contact with materials containing high levels of plasticisers, such as rubber and bituminous substrates, and it is not for use on polyethylene, polypropylene or PTFE. Selleys recommends applying a sample to the intended area first to confirm appearance, finish and performance.

Check the van year-round for leaks and deal with them immediately. That is the maintenance habit that saves the frame.

New wall linings

For new walls, Kylie used 3 mm plywood fixed to the new framing with Selleys Liquid Nails, making sure the van was well ventilated while doing it. Liquid Nails Original is solvent based, so ventilation is not optional in a confined van. It has an open time of 20–30 minutes, is repositionable for up to 20 minutes after fitting, bridges gaps up to 9 mm and cures in 24 hours, continuing to strengthen over 2–3 days. Use it with mechanical fasteners in high-stress applications, and never as the sole bonding agent for structural bonding.

3. Give the interior a summery makeover

Around the kitchen sink, silicone keeps water out of the benchtop. Selleys No Mould suits this because of its mould-inhibiting properties, and it comes in a tube format that is easy to use without a caulking gun.

No Mould's published figures are a skin time of 20 minutes, a cure rate of 2 mm per 24 hours, joint movement of ±25% (ISO 9047) and elongation of approximately 400% (ASTM D412 modified). Tool the bead within 5 to 10 minutes with a spatula dipped in water with a little detergent in it, and clean up excess with mineral turps before the product skins.

No Mould's limitations matter in a van kitchen: it is not paintable, so finish any painting seven days before sealing. It is not suitable for aquariums, for contact with food or drinking water, for permanent water immersion, or on metals other than aluminium and stainless steel. Check what your sink and benchtop trim are made of before you seal.

For wall storage — spice racks, towel holders — Selleys Hold Up is the adhesive. Apply it in long vertical beads about 5 cm apart, press firmly so it spreads, adjust within 15 minutes, and leave it at least 48 hours before loading. It holds up to 240 kg/m² from the tube or 360 kg/m² from the cartridge on vertical surfaces.

4. Think about a fresh coat of paint

Prepare the walls before you paint. The three-step approach is: wash the walls with sugar soap, fill any dings or dents, then fill the gaps with Selleys No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose. Gaps look poor and they let cold air through.

No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose is water-based with a skin time of 20 minutes and a movement capability of ±15% (ISO 9046). To avoid paint cracking, apply it to gaps no larger than 5 mm deep and 10 mm wide, at temperatures above 10°C. Allow around 30 minutes before painting with water-based paint, and 24–48 hours before painting with oil-based paints. It is not suitable for permanent water immersion or constantly damp areas, and it is not for gaps between tongue-and-groove boards or weatherboards — use No More Gaps Exterior for those.

5. Refresh awnings and annexes

Awnings keep temperatures down in summer and extend your living space outdoors. Second-hand ones usually need a serious clean.

Scrub them with Selleys Sugar Soap in a weak, diluted solution — half a cup into half a bucket, or five litres, of water — using a broom or brush. Hose off afterwards with plenty of water before it dries, and test on a small inconspicuous patch first. That rinsing step is not optional: the data sheet notes that surfaces such as floors, baths and shower recesses must be rinsed well after use, and awning fabric is no different.

6. Pay some attention to your floors

A thorough overhaul usually means relaying the vinyl flooring, which is a reasonable weekend job. Selleys Kwik Grip Horizontal is suited to bonding flat surfaces together, and it is heat resistant to 130°C and water resistant, which suits van life.

Choose a good quality vinyl floor covering and test on an offcut first — very soft or thin sheeting can be damaged by the solvents in Kwik Grip, and the product documentation does not specifically confirm suitability for every vinyl, so pre-testing or checking with the flooring manufacturer is the safe path.

Make sure the Kwik Grip becomes properly touch dry on both surfaces before you bring them together. That may take up to 40 minutes depending on conditions. It is worth the wait — a contact adhesive brought together too wet never reaches full strength. Full strength is achieved in 24 hours.

Kwik Grip Horizontal is not suitable for rough or ill-fitting surfaces, or for polyethylene or polypropylene, and not all plastics are suitable — test before you commit. Use it only in a well-ventilated area.

7 and 8. Accessories and linen

The finishing touches are personal rather than technical. Kylie packs inflatables and colour, and found vintage lawn chairs on marketplace sites that are "a firm favourite with guests because they bring back memories". Her bed linen leans to vintage soft florals from op shops and online stores. There is nothing to seal, glue or fill here — just make it somewhere you want to be.

Common questions about renovating a caravan

What is the most important part of a caravan renovation?

Keeping water out. Water leaks cause the wood rot and mould that turn a cosmetic job into a rebuild. Check the van year-round and stop leaks immediately.

Which sealant should I use on the exterior seals?

Selleys Roof and Gutter Silicone — a neutral-cure 100% silicone that is UV and weather resistant, with ±25% joint movement and a service temperature range of -60°C to +150°C.

Can I seal over the old sealant?

No. If the seals are old you will need to replace them and start again. Remove all existing sealant before resealing.

Can I paint over Roof and Gutter Silicone?

No, it is not paintable. If you are painting the surface, allow the paint to dry at least 7 days before applying the sealant on top.

How long do I have to smooth the bead?

Roof and Gutter Silicone has a 5 minute tooling time and skins in 5–10 minutes. Work in short lengths and tool with a spatula dipped in soapy water.

What should I use around the kitchen sink?

Selleys No Mould, for its mould-inhibiting properties and its easy-to-use tube format. Note that it is not suitable for contact with food or drinking water, or for permanent water immersion, and not on metals other than aluminium and stainless steel.

How do I dilute sugar soap?

Original Sugar Soap: half a cup into half a bucket (5 litres) of water. Original Sugar Soap Super Concentrate: half a cup into a full 10 litre bucket. Use neat on stubborn marks.

Will sugar soap damage anything on the van?

Wipe it off aluminium and brass immediately, and rinse it off glass before it dries. Test an inconspicuous area for compatibility and colourfastness on fabrics and finishes.

How do I fix new wall lining to the frame?

Selleys Liquid Nails, with the van well ventilated. It bridges gaps up to 9 mm, is repositionable for up to 20 minutes and cures in 24 hours. Use mechanical fasteners as well in high-stress applications.

How long before I can put things on a shelf I have glued up?

At least 48 hours with Hold Up, and longer in cold or dry conditions or where both surfaces are non-porous.

Can I glue vinyl flooring straight down?

Test on an offcut first — very soft or thin sheeting can be damaged by the solvents in Kwik Grip. Let the adhesive become properly touch dry on both surfaces, which can take up to 40 minutes, before bringing them together. Full strength is reached in 24 hours.

What gap filler should I use inside the van?

No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose for gaps up to 5 mm deep and 10 mm wide, applied above 10°C. Allow 30 minutes before water-based paint and 24–48 hours before oil-based paint.