New used caravan advice please.

[redjeff1980]

Hi Everyone,

I have been searching for a caravan for some time and come across A LOT of unscrupulous untrustworthy people who have tried to sell some right lemons of caravans. I have just recently viewed another caravan but had to travel 2 hours, the reason was because the owner owns and runs a caravan park so I thought he would at least be genuine....and he is. The issue is the caravan has damp, I went for trustworthy over common sense and although the owner did say a damp meter had not been used, I thought I would chance it. The owner is a very nice guy and I completely believe he was none the wiser, so it was a shock to him as well im sure.
Anyway, the caravan is an elddis 1999 tornado 4 birth originally £2450 with a new awning (£600) and hook up lead. The damp is quite considerable in numerous areas, we believe the water has got in around external sockets. From the inside you would not be able to tell it has damp, it has been well cared for. There are a few dinks on the external side panels, the floor has delaminated, a dent on the roof, a crack on the bottom of the bumper and no service history.
Although these things sound bad, the caravan does look pretty decent for the year but when you have damp, these other issues just add to the problems. I am more than capable of resealing the caravan so damp does not re-enter, and also repairing any rot but is it worth it?
The owner has lowered the price to £1600, though to repair the caravan full I would expect the cost to rise to more than that due to the cost of materials.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Redjeff,

The big problem with damp issues, is what you can see is only a part of the problem, Until you have exposed all the affected material you won't know how much repair work is actually involved, and thus how much the price should be reduced.

Regardless of how genuine a seller may be, if there is undefined damp, This last week I have seen a Hobby caravan which was in a repair shop for a damp repair. From the suspicion that it only affected an area under a water tank, when it was being stripped down, the damp had totally rotted a 3 meter of floor to wall junction on one side, and had spread across the width of the caravan. From an estimated £600 job it was growing by the minute and looks like its more like a £1500 to £2000. The extent could only become apparent when the lino was removed. The owner was considering if it was worth continuing.

The caravan you are looking at is 15 years old, I do wonder if even at £1600 it represents good value, but that is really up to you.

However, a caravan that has been properly repaired can be a perfectly good proposition.

 

[Dustydog]

Walk away .There are plenty more dry ones out there.

 

[paws]

Hi redjeff, like a lot of folks I'd rather have a dry caravan rather than a damp one...

I've often heard damp in a caravan being compared with rust in a car...
neither is desirable, and both can sometimes finish up being terminal, but there are lots of folks around who drive older cars that are a bit rusty, just as there are some folks with caravans who either don't know their vans are damp or who after considerable thought, research and reflection are relatively relaxed about it .....or have treated it!

Most cars and caravans that are 16 years or so old are not necessarily in Concours d'Elegance condition without a great deal of time and effort being expended. so perhaps it's maybe a case of trying to formulate an opinion on the rationale for purchase, bearing in mind it's condition and the likelihood of an adverse caravanning experience, cost of remedial work, resale value etc etc.

There's lots of things to take into consideration, so it might be wise to weigh up the pros and cons carefully before coming to a firm decision.

Whatever you decide, Good Luck and of course
Happy Caravanning
Regards
paws

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Yes, stay away from damp caravans. They are like icebergs, one ninth showing and the rest unseen.

 

[Jo-AnneFairway5402010]

Stay away from it. More trouble than it's worth and that's only the bits u can see.
Craig's just serviced his 2nd cousins caravan no damp it in and it's 15 years old. So they are out there.
Please take our advice x

 

[sgtangel]

Redjeff, I have to agree with the majority on this one.... We bought a 1993 van last year, which was meant to be "bone dry" and unfortunately it wasn`t .... at all
We have subsequently spent a fair amount of money, doing the work ourself, to try and improve the condition, and we have succeeded.........but to knowingly take something like that on board, I wouldnt consider it, unless you have the facilities - workshop / tools / knowledge etc to strip out and replace the floor, walls etc, and the time to do the work.

I know its frustrating to find a nice van and then to consider walking away due to it having some minor faults, but damp isnt minor, so walk away, and I am sure the perfect van for you will be right around the corner.....

 

[Parksy]

..............The owner has lowered the price to £1600, though to repair the caravan full I would expect the cost to rise to more than that due to the cost of materials.

The damp caravan is worth nothing more than scrap value and should be advertised as for spares or repair, so walk away unless the owner is prepared to sell it to you for £100
You'd be taking on a project, not buying a caravan

 

[JonnyG]

did i not read an article on here about how inaccurate damp meters are? now i am not suggesting the OP should not walk away but whatever i read did say something that most damp meters wil give damp reading on the driest of vans....

 

[redjeff1980]

Thanks very much everybody for all your replies. Funnily enough the decision has been made for us as negotiation has gone too far for the seller, though it seems this damp issue is one that is serious enough for people to walk without any negotiation.
Is it unreasonable to suggest I can purchase a damp free caravan for a year 1999?

 

[ProfJohnL]

There are damp meters and there are damp meters, but even the best ones in the wrong hands can give misleading results. It knowing how to use them properly, and then how to interpret the results.

 

[Sproket]

Thanks very much everybody for all your replies. Funnily enough the decision has been made for us as negotiation has gone too far for the seller, though it seems this damp issue is one that is serious enough for people to walk without any negotiation.
Is it unreasonable to suggest I can purchase a damp free caravan for a year 1999?

The biggest problem you are going to find on a van of that age is that all of the mastic will have aged and lost it's elasticity and dried out... been there and re-sealed all of mine.... right from the awning rails to the window frames including locker doors and cassette door, then there's the fridge vents and the inlets for power and water.... if there has been any sort of opening made into the skin including the lights and hand rails there is that possibility of water getting in, look carefully around the roof lights for the same problem.

Just make sure that you check all around the outside looking carefully at everything where there is a mastic joint, some vans have joint strips across the front and back they have screws that are sat under a plastic infill that corrode and let the water slowly find its way in, as for the inside you need to look under every seat / bed looking closely for anything discolored at the floor to wall joint, same goes for around the windows, and at roof level, if they won't let you have a good rumage around ask your self why !! .....

There will be some vans out there that have had lots of re-sealing work done but to what standard ....

You could always get a mobile caravan engineer to check it out for you ...

 

[Parksy]

Many caravans will be advertised as being 'damp free', 'dry as a bone' and other misleading adjectives and the year of manufacture is not nearly as important as the overall condition when you inspect the caravan for sale. Never ever buy a caravan withought thoroughly inspecting it, it's surprising how many first timers make this basic mistake :S
The Caravan Buyers Guide will give good advice on what to look for in a used tourer and a spot of homework using the various parts of the online guide will help you to avoid many of the pitfalls for buyers.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Thanks very much everybody for all your replies. Funnily enough the decision has been made for us as negotiation has gone too far for the seller, though it seems this damp issue is one that is serious enough for people to walk without any negotiation.
Is it unreasonable to suggest I can purchase a damp free caravan for a year 1999?

Hi.

It's not going to be the same in every case where damp has been found, it all depends on how much of the caravan is affected, but the big problem is you don't know how much is affected until its been properly investigated. I think someone has already made the iceberg analogy, and caravans are a bit like the titanic - none of them are unsinkable.

So based on the extensive experience of forumites, and magazine readers, unexplored damp is about as metaphorically dangerous as going into a cannibal infested jungle.

It certainly is a matter that will frighten off most purchasers without negotiation.

As a buyer you really hold all the cards, so use them. Even a 16 year old caravan is quite an investment, so don't jump at the first one you see without doing as much homework as possible. If you think you have found a good one, the investment in a mobile engineer to inspect the caravan would money well spent if it flags up damp issues which will almost certainly cost you a lot more to put right.

 

[Raywood]

did i not read an article on here about how inaccurate damp meters are? now i am not suggesting the OP should not walk away but whatever i read did say something that most damp meters wil give damp reading on the driest of vans....

The accuracy depends on the quality of the unit but if it shows damp I would move on and not take the risk. A damp reading of up to 20% is regarded as normal though as the wood does have a moisture content.