May 22, 2025
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Our Bailey is brand new but water is seeping from an interior trim under the front window. The dealer has replaced the window rubber which had a kink in it but the problem remains. Water tests with hose did not produce seeping, however light overnight rain did! Any ideas?
 

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Jun 20, 2005
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Welcome to the Forum Marilyn. Very sorry to hear you are having water ingress issues with a new caravan
Identifying the point of water ingress entry is not easy.
The large panoramic window if not correctly fitted can be hard to seal against the "rubber" section.
It is not uncommon for new seals to be defective. The seals on mine come with a built in sealant mastic which sets once installed. This sealant can be faulty.

Back to the Dealer for more attention.

Remember the Law is on your side. How long have you had the Bailey ?
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 is your best friend. Plenty on here about that and the solutions open to you if the Dealer doesn't fix the problem.
 
Jan 20, 2023
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With the use of GRP materials it's easier for water to come in from somewhere else and run down to another place without leaving a trail of it's route. As above, it could well be a panoramic window (or somewhere else) and the water is just collecting against the front window seal. I suspect the dealer just used a hosepipe around the window that he replaced the seal on, assuming that was the culprit, a better bet would be to hose the caravan down from above and have someone inside looking for where the water's journey starts.
 
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Nov 11, 2009
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Following on from Dusty’s advice I would read the Which site where there is excellent advice on CRA 2015. Don’t let the dealer fob you off, be aware of your rights and keep a record of your communication with the dealer, the repairs attempted etc.
 
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Jan 3, 2012
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Hi Marilyn Welcome to forum sorry to hear of water ingress on a new caravan I would take it back to the dealer and have further tests done until you happy with the results good luck .
 
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May 22, 2025
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Thanks for the welcome! Just a timeline of my problem
10th March Caravan bought
10th April caravan delivered
Caravan sat in garden while we plan trips
18th April leak noticed
21st April dealer collects caravan for repair
19th May caravan returned after having window rubber replaced
21st May leak noticed
22nd May dealer collects caravan again
So far, caravan has been up and down the M3 and sat in my garden!
I know the dealer is trying his best to effect a good repair but I am not convinced the kink in the window rubber was the problem. Could it be the grab rails? Their position on the front coincides with where the leak is inside. Why is water bubbling upwards from behind a trim? Surely water tracks downwards?
So many questions, no flipping answers so far.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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Thanks for the welcome! Just a timeline of my problem
10th March Caravan bought
10th April caravan delivered
Caravan sat in garden while we plan trips
18th April leak noticed
21st April dealer collects caravan for repair
19th May caravan returned after having window rubber replaced
21st May leak noticed
22nd May dealer collects caravan again
So far, caravan has been up and down the M3 and sat in my garden!
I know the dealer is trying his best to effect a good repair but I am not convinced the kink in the window rubber was the problem. Could it be the grab rails? Their position on the front coincides with where the leak is inside. Why is water bubbling upwards from behind a trim? Surely water tracks downwards?
So many questions, no flipping answers so far.
That's a very sad saga for a new caravan. Water has an uncanny ability to travel from areas where least think.
This is the Dealers second chance to remedy the problem.

It's your call.
You may wish to put the Dealer on notice that if the problem is not permanently resolved then under CRA 2015 you will reject the Bailey and demand a full refund.
Buckman on here is our resident expert on CRA.
Lets hope the Dealer sorts it out!
 
Mar 14, 2005
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You need to decide if your prepared to live with a caravan that has resisted one repair, which within the law has happened within the first month of your ownership, and you are entitled to formally reject the caravan back to the seller (dealer not manufacturer) for a full refund backed by the Consumer Rights Act.
 
May 22, 2025
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Thanks guys - my conversation with the dealer has been exactly along these lines. “You get one more chance but I reserve the right to request a refund” They have been apologetic and are trying to fix things for us. I just hope it’s a simple fix as I absolutely love the caravan. We’ve only ever had secondhand ones before, this is our first brand new.
 
Jun 20, 2005
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Thanks for that Marilyn. Lets hope they can fix it properly this time. Please let us know the final outcome.
At least the Dealer knows you are fully aware of your legal rights. U hope this experience doesn't spoil your enjoyment. Just a shame the manufacturers can't get it right first time!
 
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Jul 18, 2017
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Thanks guys - my conversation with the dealer has been exactly along these lines. “You get one more chance but I reserve the right to request a refund” They have been apologetic and are trying to fix things for us. I just hope it’s a simple fix as I absolutely love the caravan. We’ve only ever had secondhand ones before, this is our first brand new.
We had similar issues with our caravan and rejected it after 11 months as technically it was still within the 30 day window. We got a refund plus compensation. Our caravan was bought using a hire purchase and it was the finance house that ws responsible for sorting out the issues as they were the supplier.
 
Mar 14, 2005
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Thanks guys - my conversation with the dealer has been exactly along these lines. “You get one more chance but I reserve the right to request a refund” They have been apologetic and are trying to fix things for us. I just hope it’s a simple fix as I absolutely love the caravan. We’ve only ever had secondhand ones before, this is our first brand new.
It's so good to read of a consumer who does know of his rights, and is using them. And of a dealer who also seems to understand the law. I sure these factors will help to get you the outcome your entitled to.

As Buckman has pointed out, if you have used finance to help purchase the caravan, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act may also come to your aid, as it makes the finance company jointly responsible and liable for the sale of faulty goods

I do urge you to keep records, preferable original documented evidence of who said what and when, just in case you have to take the case to court. Face to face and Telephone conversations are often the most troublesome, so I suggest you use emails or letters, and ask for written conformation of any verbal promises etc.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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As Buckman has pointed out, if you have used finance to help purchase the caravan, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act may also come to your aid, as it makes the finance company jointly responsible and liable for the sale of faulty goods
CRA 2015 applies to finance company. It is my understanding that S75 applies to using only a credit card to pay a deposit or in full. S75(a) applies if using a credit card and finance however then you have two finance companies involved and it starts to get complicated. Best is to stick to CRA 2015 as the finance house is the supplier.
 
Jan 20, 2023
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It's refreshing to hear that a dealer is trying hard to keep the customer happy, but at the end of the day a caravan is an expensive investment and you need to be 100% confident that it actually keeps water on the outside!

Part of my job sees me investigating High Voltage cable failures and a fair number are down to water getting into the cable joint where the water has travelled for several metres, getting past a large number of obstacles and barriers until it gets to it's final area of destruction. This shows that although you are seeing water in one area it could well be coming in somewhere further away as has been mentioned by others.
 
Jul 18, 2017
15,248
4,702
50,935
It's refreshing to hear that a dealer is trying hard to keep the customer happy, but at the end of the day a caravan is an expensive investment and you need to be 100% confident that it actually keeps water on the outside!

Part of my job sees me investigating High Voltage cable failures and a fair number are down to water getting into the cable joint where the water has travelled for several metres, getting past a large number of obstacles and barriers until it gets to it's final area of destruction. This shows that although you are seeing water in one area it could well be coming in somewhere further away as has been mentioned by others.
In South Africa they have helicopters flying along the power lines and they spray the isolators. It also allows them to check more pylons in an hour than physically climbing up the towers.
 
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Nov 6, 2005
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In South Africa they have helicopters flying along the power lines and they spray the isolators. It also allows them to check more pylons in an hour than physically climbing up the towers.
Power companies in the UK use helicopters and thermal imaging cameras to inspect power lines.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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Drones are increasingly being used for such tasks; cheaper than helicopters too.
No idea about that in SA, but our friend did the power line checks and cleaning and they were very well paid as it was a very dangerous job flying down gorges etc. I think he retired several years before us and their home was fully paid up.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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HERE COMES FRED! can you lot not keep on topic!
The thread got to #16 before a meander crept in. Bit like a pub discussion. If it stayed dead on theme it would enter boredom zone as a goodly number of members have been round the topics N times, where N is increasing with time 😂
 
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