Damp issue with new van

Nov 1, 2021
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Hi everyone. We are new on here but not new to caravanning. We have recently bought a Lunar Lexon 640RS 2008 van. We were misled by the previous owner about an issue in the bathroom. He told us that the previous owners had travelled with the toilet flush compartment full of flusher which then stained the wall surrounding the toilet so had covered the area with some different paper. We stupidly believed him but on further investigation (once we had actually bought the van) we discovered that the paper was hiding evidence of damp 😭 But the area was dry. We went away in the van for a couple of nights (found more issues 😥). We didn’t refill the flusher compartment as there was a small amount of flusher still in and we didn’t want to get the wall wet again if that had caused the damp. Does anyone have experience of damp around their toilet? I’ve done some research and the flusher locker door seal seems to crop up. My partner is quite handy so we’re intending to sort it ourselves. Any advise would be gratefully received 👍🏻
 

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Damian

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Mar 14, 2005
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Wow !!!what a mess.
The damage that is visible on the pictures is just the tip of the iceberg and is not due to a single spillage , it has been going on for a long time.

The actual source of the ingress must be determined and that means stripping out the damaged wallboard and any rotten wood behind it.

Once the source has been found, that needs resealing and then rebuild inside with new wood where needed and new wallboard .

Not a job for the faint of heart, and can be very expensive to fix.
 
Nov 1, 2021
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Wow !!!what a mess.
The damage that is visible on the pictures is just the tip of the iceberg and is not due to a single spillage , it has been going on for a long time.

The actual source of the ingress must be determined and that means stripping out the damaged wallboard and any rotten wood behind it.

Once the source has been found, that needs resealing and then rebuild inside with new wood where needed and new wallboard .

Not a job for the faint of heart, and can be very expensive to fix.
I know, we were gutted when we discovered the damage and felt foolish for taking the seller’s word.
 

Damian

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Mar 14, 2005
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Was just wondering if you may have a case against the seller if it was described as "damp free".

No, a private sale does not fall under the consumer rights umbrella,it is very much "buyer beware " and up to the buyer to make all necessary checks before buying.

It is easy with hindsight to say "you should have got a mobile engineer to check it out before buying "

That is too late, now it is a case of what to do now?,
 
Jan 19, 2002
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Removing the toilet is answered in this thread:
How can I remove a Thetford c200cw toilet? = Answered | Mend Vehicles, Caravans/Motorhomes (howtomendit.com)
If you have the installation manual that would of course help too.
As it seems to spread out from the top behind the loo the filler may be the source of this long term damp problem.
Damian is spot on (of course!) - a laborious job eliminating and replacing any wood battens that have softened with damp and then rebuilding the inside.
As the loo is in the extreme rear corner of the van you haven't been blessed with very easy access. Doable but difficult!
Good luck and if you need help with other problems always worth seeking advice on here!
 
Jul 18, 2017
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Ok Damien....understood.
I thought I read somewhere "goods not as described".
I'm maybe thinking of a trade seller.🤔
If advert stated damp free then the buyer can use the Misrepresentation Act 1967, but first they need to get a report from a reputable AWS technician. They then may have strong grounds for a claim, but suggest that the take advice from Which Legal Services whether it is worth pursuing.
We had a 2004 Lunar 640 TI and then a 2010 Lunar Delta TI. The latter suffered from damp around the toilet area. It was and is a known problem.
Sadly what also happens is the screws holding the framework rust and the rust interacts with the aluminium side and causes corrosion. Unfortunately I no longer have the pictures of our issue.
I strongly suggest that OP contacts an Approved Workshop Scheme technician to do a damp report and also to give them a cost to repair. If the cost is under £1000 then it is worth getting fixed as they are nice caravans. The other area to check the area under the front windows as it leaks from the rail above the front windows.
 
Nov 2, 2021
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Hi everyone. We are new on here but not new to caravanning. We have recently bought a Lunar Lexon 640RS 2008 van. We were misled by the previous owner about an issue in the bathroom. He told us that the previous owners had travelled with the toilet flush compartment full of flusher which then stained the wall surrounding the toilet so had covered the area with some different paper. We stupidly believed him but on further investigation (once we had actually bought the van) we discovered that the paper was hiding evidence of damp 😭 But the area was dry. We went away in the van for a couple of nights (found more issues 😥). We didn’t refill the flusher compartment as there was a small amount of flusher still in and we didn’t want to get the wall wet again if that had caused the damp. Does anyone have experience of damp around their toilet? I’ve done some research and the flusher locker door seal seems to crop up. My partner is quite handy so we’re intending to sort it ourselves. Any advise would be gratefully received 👍🏻
welcome to the forum the damp issue is like what i had previously but I got it sorted how is it now?
 
Nov 1, 2021
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Was just wondering if you may have a case against the seller if it was described as "damp free".
[/QUOTE
welcome to the forum the damp issue is like what i had previously but I got it sorted how is it now?
Hi and thank you. Glad you got yours sorted. The van is in storage and we can only go there at the weekend. We’re going next weekend to try and take the toilet out to find the source of the damp .
 
Nov 1, 2021
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If advert stated damp free then the buyer can use the Misrepresentation Act 1967, but first they need to get a report from a reputable AWS technician. They then may have strong grounds for a claim, but suggest that the take advice from Which Legal Services whether it is worth pursuing.
We had a 2004 Lunar 640 TI and then a 2010 Lunar Delta TI. The latter suffered from damp around the toilet area. It was and is a known problem.
Sadly what also happens is the screws holding the framework rust and the rust interacts with the aluminium side and causes corrosion. Unfortunately I no longer have the pictures of our issue.
I strongly suggest that OP contacts an Approved Workshop Scheme technician to do a damp report and also to give them a cost to repair. If the cost is under £1000 then it is worth getting fixed as they are nice caravans. The other area to check the area under the front windows as it leaks from the rail above the front windows.
Hi there. The seller stated that the van was in very good condition …
 
May 7, 2012
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The statement that it was in very good condition is obviously untrue, but at the same time the explanation for the damage is so unlikely that it might reasonably be said to put you on warning that something was wrong. The fact the seller said that it was in good condition and assuming your statement that the seller lied about how the damage occurred is accepted it would normally give you a basis for a claim against him. Whilst buyer beware is involved in private sales, any untruth on the part of the seller can negate this.
In practice you should go back to the seller and point out what he said is not true and you want your money back, but I doubt this would be effective, as he sounds like a rogue. There is a risk in proceeding because of the extent of the damage and I suspect he might be one of those individuals who knows how to get past legal damages although you might need to check that out. If you paid below £10,000 then you can use the small claims procedure which is cheap to do, but it is by no means the best case, although probably a good one, and sometimes even the threat will get them to pay something as that repair is not going to be cheap. On the other hand he may be practised at this and know how to avoid payment.
 
Nov 11, 2009
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I had small claims court that I lost when I bought Renault 16 years ago. It had been recently MoT'd but not long after I bought it some areas of side sill started to come away. They had been very well cosmetically "repaired". I took advice about the MoT centers testing but checking every few inches of body structure wasn't, a requirement. I took the seller to the SCC but lost. The court I think believed me as his claim for costs wasn't accepted. The basis for my losing was that when I bought the car I was on my own, and I had asked about body repairs and the seller has said there were none. But his wife was with him at the time. I court he produced a signed affidavit from his wife that I had not asked about body repairs. They lied, I lost. But justice was served eventually.
 
Jul 18, 2017
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But his wife was with him at the time. I court he produced a signed affidavit from his wife that I had not asked about body repairs. They lied, I lost. But justice was served eventually.
I have always been under the impression that a spouse could not be used as a witness in a court for obvious reasons?
 
Nov 4, 2020
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Did the van not smell in that area - I suspect that maybe water left in flush unit in freezing conditions and causing a crack - anyway it’s not good that someone did that too you , I hope you did not pay top whack for the van …..
 

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