Possible damp at floor level

[howdenbiker]

I went to look at a Coachman today, 2005. It looked in very good condition until I noticed something odd around the bottom of the locker doors under the front seats. The bottom part of the frame, onto which the hinges are fixed have swollen very badly (offside) and the upright to the nearside frame has also swollen. I am thinking it there has been a leak from the boiler or a pipe rather than damp from outside? It feels dry now although the wood (MDF) is very spongy. Has anyone else seen anything like this?

 

[Hutch]

That looks very ominous, especially that high up. Get a damp meter and do plenty of checks all around.

 

[RogerL]

Walk away - there's plenty of others for sale.

 

[ProfJohnL]

As Roger L suggests, the evidence is the wood has been exposed to substantial amounts of water, and the swelling shows how much weaker the the wood has become. Even if it measures as dry now, its still weakened it. Now consider what it may have done to wood you cannot see. Walk Away.