The 15th International Portafold & Ansfold Gathering) (i.e. 2024)

Our annual gathering will be returning to the Newbury Retrofestival.

So put the dates 9th, 10th & 11th of August 2024 in your diary now and get those dates booked off work early.

Show Address: Newbury Showground, Priors Court, Hermitage, Thatcham, West Berkshire, RG18 9QZ

Don't book direct with the show organisers it will cost you more money, just contact me (07771544419) to get your pitch saved.

Portafold floor

Any questions about maintenance or the restoration of your Portafold or Ansfold.
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bubble
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue, 12 Jun 2012, 6:06 pm
Location: Woodbridge, Suffolk

Portafold floor

Post by bubble » Tue, 19 Jun 2012, 5:35 pm

Hi can anyone tell me how the floor is made up in the Portafold are they double skin if so can they delaminate and how can you fix it please.Thanks Lynne.

txfsealord
Posts: 178
Joined: Sat, 05 May 2007, 9:24 pm
Location: Pulborough, West Sussex

Re: Portafold floor

Post by txfsealord » Tue, 19 Jun 2012, 6:18 pm

Hi Lynne,

The Portafold floor is double-skinned. The upper panel, complete with its corrugations, is the lowest part of the upper hull moulding; that's the part with the holes for the locker-lids plus all the hinge-stiffeners for the folding sides & ends. It includes most of the outer end walls as well, down as far as the seams along the outsides & across each outer end.

The lower floor is formed by the main hull-moulding, the bit with the wheelarches in. On an Ansfold, there's a chunk of 3/4" plywood in between the 2 mouldings to stiffen the floor & spread the loads imparted by the axle, A-frame mountings & inboard ends of the corner-jacks. As the Portafold has a corrugated floor, this plywood may be thinner than it is on my flat-floored Ansfold. There has to be plywood between upper & lower hull-mouldings for the drawbar, axle mounts & jack-ends, whatever its thickness.

There isn't anywhere you can see the wood directly, unless you un-bolt some of the original fixings for the chassis components & look in the bolt-holes. Matting was laid-up over the ends in the lockers as required during the build. So, these hand-laid areas are the only places where the hull can 'de-laminate'. If water has accumulated in the lockers in the past, the plywood can, & sadly often does, rot which gives rise to a soggy-feeling, creaking floor. Without separating upper & lower hull-mouldings, there's no way of gaining access to the wood to replace it but there are a variety of palliative repairs which can be done to improve matters.

I hope this is helpful,

Steve Lord

bubble
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue, 12 Jun 2012, 6:06 pm
Location: Woodbridge, Suffolk

Re: Portafold floor

Post by bubble » Tue, 19 Jun 2012, 7:26 pm

Hi thanks for that, we have a slight noise and looking underneath you can not see the floor move when somebody Walks inside but having never been in a Portafold before I am not sure how much movement to expect when you walk on it, both of us are big and so maybe this is why it creaks. Today we have got some underlay and a thick carpet so maybe once these are fitted it will feel different. I think we will need to look at others to know what if anything is wrong. Thanks again. Lynne & Gary

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Admin
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Re: Portafold floor

Post by Admin » Tue, 19 Jun 2012, 8:01 pm

bubble wrote:...I think we will need to look at others to know what if anything is wrong...
Well, if you want to see no fewer than 40 other Portafolds and Ansfolds then you know where to come...

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=462

Completely free, lots of great company, loads of entertainment, just let me know... :thumbup:
Matthew
portafold.co.uk
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Wanted: Any original Portafold, Ansfold or Mini-Motel brochures, adverts or magazine articles.
Also, any chassis numbers for the above caravans!

bubble
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue, 12 Jun 2012, 6:06 pm
Location: Woodbridge, Suffolk

Re: Portafold floor

Post by bubble » Tue, 19 Jun 2012, 8:32 pm

Thanks Matthew yes we will be there.

txfsealord
Posts: 178
Joined: Sat, 05 May 2007, 9:24 pm
Location: Pulborough, West Sussex

Re: Portafold floor

Post by txfsealord » Wed, 20 Jun 2012, 1:47 pm

Hi Lynne, I'm a sub-11-stone weakling & when moving about in any Portafold/Ansfold I'm normally aware of a bit of movement somewhere in its floor. I'd venture to assume (& it is only an assumption) that upper & lower hull-panels were both bonded to the plywood during the van's manufacture. The combination of passage of years, wear & tear plus the British climate makes 'em come unstuck in varying degrees. Not something to worry about, I'd say, if you can't see flexing in the underside when someone's moving about in there.

Steve Lord

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