Leak advice

[gottagetaway]

Hi All, I don't know which forum to post this one in, so if I ought to put it under another one, please advise. We are looking at buying a Bailey Pageant Series 5 2007 for 5K, clean condition, but the only problem is it has had a leak in the roof by the trim. Apparantly this has been fixed though it is currently measuring 54% damp, (everywhere else is 8%) and we are not sure if that means it is still leaking, or that it was not properly dried out when it was repaired. Being new to caravaning, does anyone have any advice as to : A - How bothered should we be about this leak that is measuring 54% damp (whatever that actually means) though is apparantly fixed - ie would you think that means it is not fixed?B - Once a caravan has a leak, can it ever be truly fixed, or will it always be a weak spot? If it can be fixed, how costly can we expect it to be?C - Is this fairly normal? - Particularly with this model? Is it a glitch? Are we expecting too much to buy a caravn up to 10 years old for 5K with no damp/leaks?D - Would you go with the purchase, or would you steer clear? Many thanks for all your help.

 

[Gagakev]

Are you buying from dealer or is it a private sale?
I would be cautious either way, if private have they took your mind off another area which could be worse?
By the trim do you mean the awning rail if so this is fairly easy to remedy.
54% is very high, (18% and below is acceptable) when was it fixed, how long ago?
Did you do the damp testyourself or were you told ? (In which case the seller is being quite open)
There are decent vans out there and if you are in no hurry I would keep looking,
Good luck

 

[RogerL]

If it's still got 54% moisture, the leak hasn't been fixed IMO.
With that sort of reading it's only worth about £1500 - so walk away and find another.

 

[Surfer]

If it's still got 54% moisture, the leak hasn't been fixed IMO.
With that sort of reading it's only worth about £1500 - so walk away and find another.

I agree with Roger as that is a very high reading and could cost a fortune to fix.

 

[TonyG]

Run away, and keep running, there will be plenty of bargins about after christmas

 

[otherclive]

Series 5 had a problem with stress cracks in the seal trim area that runs across the van on both the front and rear transverse seals. It was a manufacturing defect. I had my front replaced in year 2 and back in year 3. Fortunately both were picked up early with damp levels well below yours. The dealer carried out the repairs and thus far I have had no problems with damp occurring. My advice would be to walk away. There are plenty of vans out there to choose from and you should start off with a damp free van. Generally the S 5 were good reliable vans so if you can get one that has had its transverse seals and panels sorted it would be a good starting point. £5000 seems a bit low for a 2007 is it private. I would go for a dealer supplied may cost a bit more but you have SOGA on your side.

 

[gottagetaway]

Hi All, Many thanks for your replies and very useful and clear advice.It is a private sale from a friend who has only had it 6 months and knows very little about caravans and only used it twice. He bought it privately on a whim, and is sadly selling it due to family breakdown, so the reasons for sale are genuine. I don't think he isn't telling us anything, as I don't think he knows anything!! We went round it thoroughly with a friend with a damp meter ourselves, so again we are confident that the only spot of that read was where the leak had been. However, we weren't sure whether the read would represent some residual damp or an inadequate repair, but it sounds a unanimous vote from you guys, who are the experts, that we should be wary.It's a shame as price wise it suited us perfectly, and it is in every other way clean and a great layout. But we are not in a hurry so yes we can carry on looking for now.Ah well, fingers crossed for something better! Thanks again

 

[gottagetaway]

PS It was repaired about 3 months ago

 

[otherclive]

On our S5 the Bailey dealer dried the van out before both repairs even though the level of moisture was lower than yours even before the repair. However the cracking of the front and rear panels in way of the transverse roof trims required both panels to be replaced. It wasn't just a repair to the transverse seals. So if your friends van is suffering from the same problem that affected ours it would be unlikely that its panel will have been replaced as part of the repair. So any work to re seal the trim would have doubtful longevity. You made the right decision.

 

[Surfer]

Generally when buying from a friend that is when the friendship finishes so beware if the person is a close friend. Why not get a mobile technician out to inspect it as the cost should be no more than about £60 - £70 and then every one is happy if you go ahead with the purchase.