Background
My Mother's caravan was one of the last types to be manufactured without integrated down pipes and instead the rain water gathered in the guttering was deposited off both open ends. As a result of building the decking the water would cascade down onto the decking and then hopefully run off down to ground level. However all that water cascading down onto the wood would simply splash around and cause a great deal of damage over time. I needed to install a system that would dispose of the water in a controlled way.
I decided to use 40mm plastic waste pipe to provide the drainage from the caravan roof. I wanted the option to be able to dismantle the system for maintenance and repair so a combination of push fit and solvent weld joints were used. By carefully squeezing the end of the aluminium gutter it could easily be inserted into the 40mm waste pipe providing a firm hold.
|
The pipes and joints were measured to arrange for the down pipe to pass down the side of the caravan between the side window and the angled window. A plumb line was used to locate the centre hole on the decking surface which was then cut to provide an opening for the pipe and it's wooden support. The cut exposed surfaces were treated with preservative.
|
The wooden support pole was secured to the decking frame below the decking surface. Aluminium brackets were made to allow the standard pipe fixing brackets to be used to fix the pipe to the support pole.
This picture shows the aluminium mounting brackets that were made in more detail at the elbow joint of the down pipe.
|
This picture shows the complete lower mounting of the down pipe just before the decking surface planks were put back in place.
The down pipe is turned through 90 degrees under the decking surface taking the water out from under the deck. At the trellis fence the pipe turns again down to the ground and then exits via a section of pipe via a hole in the trellis. The water exits onto a pile of large rocks hidden beneath a large bush which helps disperse the water without it causing serious erosion of the soil
|