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| WORDS AND IMAGES : MAX TAYLOR
DIY DISASTERS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM .
They say there are two certainties in life : death and taxes . Unless you ’ ve sipped from the fountain of youth and made a secret deal with the ATO , there ’ s no avoiding them . There ’ s also no avoiding the occasional repair bill , be it for a TV , stereo , vehicle or , yes , an RV . You can have a crack at your own taxes , but you might end up making a costly mistake .
Ian Broomfield .
10 gorv . com . au
The same goes for vehicle and van repair . Unless you ’ re particularly handy , there are few RV repair jobs that you should do yourself , in your driveway or garage . Skinned knuckles and blood boiling with frustration might be the least of your problems should you get it wrong . We spent the day with Ian Broomfield of specialist RV repairer Northern RV , Vic , for the lowdown and came away with four repair jobs best left to the professionals .
1 . REPLACING ALUMINIUM
They say the top sheet of aluminium is the worst place to damage a van ’ s wall . Some might tell you that this means replacing the aluminium for the entire wall , such is the difficulty of the task .
A specialty repairer , however , should be able to replace just the damaged sheet ( s ). But it ’ s not as easy as simply sliding the damaged sheet out and sliding in a new one , according to Ian . Aluminium cladding has its benefits but it is also easy to damage if not handled with care . The potential to inadvertently damage good sheets when attempting to replace one scratched or dented sheet is great . Furthermore , specific cutting tools should be used , otherwise joins will not be flush and this could lead to leaks . Speaking of leaks , if the J-mould isn ’ t re-fitted correctly , expect plenty of them . And then there ’ s the potential for damage if the new aluminium sheet ( s ) aren ’ t fitted together correctly . Under tow , they could