i recently went to look at a caravan with a wet room bathroom and the door into the bathroom was not shutting properly. The seller told me it was the cold air in the winter that does this and that it would go back to normal size with a little heat. Is this likely? It was a compass omega 556 year 2007. Is it likely to be water from the bathroom that has swoll the door?
Advice on swollen bathroom door in caravan
- Thread starter Sandra_374373165
- Start date
Sandra, I doubt it very much, I had what sounds like the same problem with my 2006 Abbey and had the door changed. When we sold it last year the replacement door was the same.
Kevin
Kevin
sandra we have sterling topaz new last year the shower room door swelled with the cold weather and was ok when the weather warmed up so should be ok
i have come across it on several occasions on elddis and compass with rear washrooms, and it has been the same. tight in winter and ok as soon as it is warm. i can only attribute it to a lot of moisture in the caravan making the door or even the frame surrounding swell.
Sandra, don't be too concerned. I left my washroom door open a little one winter thinking air would circulate better. On visiting the van I found the door would not shut and was sticking in the frame. I left it and come the warmer weather all was OK. I guess the wood absorbs moisture and swells slightly. Ron
What an indictment of the UK caravan industry.
Surely even a coat of polyurethane, when the door was dry would have helped to prevent moisture take-up.
Are UK caravans only for warm, dry, summer usage?
Surely even a coat of polyurethane, when the door was dry would have helped to prevent moisture take-up.
Are UK caravans only for warm, dry, summer usage?
I have an Elddis Odyssey with a rear washroom. The toilet door was difficult to close and open. The problem didn't go away with warmer weather so I had a closer look with a view to curing it once and for all. I found that at the bottom of the wall by the doorframe, on the side adjacent to the shower door there was a small plastic cover, and after levering this off carefully, I found the device which is used to fix the bottom of the frame to the caravan floor. With the movement of the van, this had become slack thus allowing the doorframe to shift slightly but just enough to affect the closure of the door. I slackened off the locking device to free the panel from the floor and then made up a piece of wood slighlty wider than the bottom width of the door frame. I carefully knocked this into place to push the doorframe back into its original place and secured it into position using the turnlock device. Just to be on the safe side I also placed a screw into the floor in the corner of the doorframe to make sure there was no further movement possible.The screw was covered with one of those plastic countersink washers with a clip on cover so that it is not noticeable. The door now closes perfectly. Hope this helps.
As someone who has suffered from this in the past (Compass) I agree 100% with Rod. Why do we put up with such unfit for purpose issues in this day and age and current new van prices.
Can you imagine the uproar if car's developed such problems.
Jeremy Clarkson is much reviled in caravan circles but what a difference he could make if he switched from motors to vans.
Can you imagine the uproar if car's developed such problems.
Jeremy Clarkson is much reviled in caravan circles but what a difference he could make if he switched from motors to vans.
This has nothing at all to do with the door absorbing moisture!
Its simply differing materials expanding or contracting at different rates due to temperature.
As soon as the van is warmed up to a comfortable living temp the door will fit fine again. Its nothing to worry about.
Its simply differing materials expanding or contracting at different rates due to temperature.
As soon as the van is warmed up to a comfortable living temp the door will fit fine again. Its nothing to worry about.
Gads! what a mitigating excuse.
Who is it that selects the materials with such differing temperature co-efficients?
Who is it that selects the materials with such differing temperature co-efficients?
The engineer who corectly puts thermal expansion rates at the bottom of the list & light weight, ease of manufacture, cost etc at the top. The vans are fitted out & their furniture used at room temp. When in use this "issue" does not exist. What the heck does it matter if a door catches it's frame on a cold day in storage????? Sure they could be made better but then they'd be more expensive & heavier.
I'm with Rod on this one.I think that caravans are heavy enough and are certainly expensive enough already. The caravan industry should surely be able to make a bathroom door work in whatever climate in this day and age!. I would expect my bathroom door and every thing else to work correctly for the money they cost.
I think if Joe public were to shout a bit louder the caravan industry would take note and get it's act together to provide us with a better end product.
Nidge
I think if Joe public were to shout a bit louder the caravan industry would take note and get it's act together to provide us with a better end product.
Nidge
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