oh dear we have a leak......................

[lauramumof3]

Just had a lovely weekend away, and yesterday when i was tiding a few things away in the right rear overhead locker i noticed a few black drips investigated further and felt it was slightly squishy cold and damp

went futher down the wall and yes it was all the way down to the floor! really peeved and disapointed. Its a bailey ranger 2006. And the leak has come from yes you guessed it the awning rail. something we never knew to check on so its probably been leaking about a year. We are pretty new to caravaning (5 years) and i suppose these things can be prevented with experience. When i think back i asked my husband why does our caravan get so much condensation? must have been the leak.
Do you do regular checks and resealing on the awning rails?
Also would a caravan cover help in the winter months? Are they worth investing in?
thanks xx

 

[Damian]

I doubt very much if the awning rail is the cause, it is most likely to be the roof strap which covers the join between the back panel and roof, possibly combined with a split back panel.

 

[Bri2]

As Damian has sugested, get your steps out and check for stress fractures, on the corners where the last screws are,where the top joining rail holds the back and front panels in place. Check both front and back while your at it. I had a Ranger, 2004 which had to have a front panel replaced under warranty just 18mnts old. It had gone again with a small fracture on the back when I traded it in. I have seen numerious fractures on these panels when noseying around dealers stock and mainly on Rangers. Wonder why Bailey have gone totaly away from Plastic front and back panels!!!!!!!!!!!

Bri

 

[lauramumof3]

ok will do, someone has been to look at it and given us a quote done damp check everywhere else and seems fine. just rear corner.
Do you think the awning will have caused it? in strong winds?
you can actually see where its come in but i will tell my husband to check your suggestions out too.

do you think that a cover will help prevent such damage?

 

[Parksy]

Hi Laura
Unfortunately a caravan cover would do nothing to prevent water ingress or stress fracturing of GRP panels.
There are some good tips with pictures of D-I-Y damp repairs Here unless a dealer can carry out a repair that makes economic sense.
Good Luck

 

[ValA.]

A breathable caravan cover will keep the rain off the van whilst it's not being used- and therefore keep water out of any potential areas of water ingress - but it's not a subtitute for repairing the problem!!! You need to find the source of the problem and deal with it. Our cover is breathable and keeps the van completely rain-proof - the van is just as clean and dry when we 'unwrap' it, as it was when we put it away. However, we're still vigilant about checking seals, and replacing anything which looks as if it might potentially be a problem - remembering to seal around all the screw holes as you replace the awning rails, or other sealing strips.

 

[lauramumof3]

i know that its not going to repair the problem we have that in hand. I am just meaning as you say it will keep the water and also snow melting on the area from coming in.
And yes we will be inspecting seals regularly. These things come from experience also i suppose we are a busy family there is always something for me and my husband to do he works long hours and things just get forgotten about. We simply didnt notice a problem if you arent in the caravan all winter it gonna happen- and its on the drive so we should really keep a better eye on it. hey ho!

 

[Trevormc]

I like to have my van serviced every year with a damp test included.

I am fortunate enough to have a mobile service man who lives close by. When I first used him he found problems that a dealer had not done properly the year before, so I have used him since.

Trevor