Is there any specific caravan makes or models that are particularly bad when it comes to damp?
If your caravan does have damp, will it dry out?
If your caravan does have damp, will it dry out?
Which caravans are worst for damp?
- Thread starter smd
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- caravan damp damp models
When I was looking at purchasing , my first caravan, I was told to stay clear of The Leaky Lunars, maybe it was an unfounded, as almost all brands have their leaking and damp problems.
I assume from your question your looking for some sort of guarantee that if buy a particular make of caravan it will remain leak free - Sorry no can do.
As Hutch has already suggested every caravan make seems to have some history of of leaking caravans.
As Roger suggests yes, they will dry out if treated properly, BUT that does not mean they wont need extensive repairs or be worth attempting to repair.
It all depends on how badly they have been affected.
Generally the advice is if you are looking for a second hand caravan, and its got any evidence of active damp - walk away.
As Hutch has already suggested every caravan make seems to have some history of of leaking caravans.
As Roger suggests yes, they will dry out if treated properly, BUT that does not mean they wont need extensive repairs or be worth attempting to repair.
It all depends on how badly they have been affected.
Generally the advice is if you are looking for a second hand caravan, and its got any evidence of active damp - walk away.
Any caravan, new or old, a service history and damp report are best. My caravan gets serviced anywhere between Feburary and Late May.
Depending on availability. Of service times. Ours stays under cover when not out, so I would expext a good report as we do less than 12 % all round.
Given that the first 6 years it had intensive touring in France maybe 8 k miles a year. It is still great. A good one. Fingers crossed for Next months Service report.
Depending on availability. Of service times. Ours stays under cover when not out, so I would expext a good report as we do less than 12 % all round.
Given that the first 6 years it had intensive touring in France maybe 8 k miles a year. It is still great. A good one. Fingers crossed for Next months Service report.
I was also told to stay away from a leaky lunar by my caravan repairer but he recommended the caravan i have now a Abbey they are sound and so far for a 14 year old caravan it is Damp free
Let's put it this way; which don't get damaged if they do leak; those that don't have wood in them. From what I can see only Swift are totally wood free. Adria and Elddis have wood frames though supposedly sealed and we love our Elddis, Bailey have wood floors, but nothing else and no plastic front or rear that is crack prone, but floor do rot and I'm not totally sure re Coachman. So there you go. Problem being we've seen lots of Swifts-worry about internal build quality and have friends who've had them and had issues!!! So you take your choice!
Mel
Moderator
Exactly as Jezzer B says; you pay your money and takes your choice.
Adria have a reputation for less damp, but that may be an urban myth. Freedom vans are tiny but have a different construction and are also reportedly better.
Your better option is to do your research on the after sales reputation of the dealership and the T’s and C’s of the warranty because if it does leak, you are in their hands.
mel
Adria have a reputation for less damp, but that may be an urban myth. Freedom vans are tiny but have a different construction and are also reportedly better.
Your better option is to do your research on the after sales reputation of the dealership and the T’s and C’s of the warranty because if it does leak, you are in their hands.
mel
It is difficult to be precise as there are no recent published details. The magazine annual survey did publish tis once but that was a one off some years back so is probably of little use now and most makes get reports of this. Given the companies involved ae all selling different numbers of caravans even trying to say who has most from reported problems is difficult. If buying second hand Lunar also used a wooden frame.
If you look at the overall satisfaction level of purchasers then in the surveys Adria and Coachman are consistently top, with Swift and Bailey in between and Eldiss and Lunar. The satisfaction levels will include other problems, so are not a direct comparison.
Possibly you could look at the construction as only Eldiss do use a wooden frame which could rot if damp got in and remained for some time undiscovered and at the other extreme Swift us a composite frame and wood free floor, so a leak should cause less damage.
If you look at the overall satisfaction level of purchasers then in the surveys Adria and Coachman are consistently top, with Swift and Bailey in between and Eldiss and Lunar. The satisfaction levels will include other problems, so are not a direct comparison.
Possibly you could look at the construction as only Eldiss do use a wooden frame which could rot if damp got in and remained for some time undiscovered and at the other extreme Swift us a composite frame and wood free floor, so a leak should cause less damage.
Sadly even if one brand or model does have a better than average history of staying damp free, its only an average, and that means they will have some that are very poor and other that may be better than average. The only consistent thing you can establish is that all models are inconsistent, and whilst one caravan coming of the production line might stay as dry as a bone for life, the very next one might be mobile swimming pool.
I have seen no caravan manufacturer that has really taken steps to improve the consistency of their production with significant verifiable results.
All manufacturers are much of a muchness in terms of damp sealing, you may be lucky or not, so there is little difference between them so just find the caravan layout and style you like and go with it.
Just as an aside I'd suggest buying closer to home rather than further afield just in case you have to make return visits to the dealer for warranty work. - often what might appears to be a good deal isn't if something starts to go wrong.
I have seen no caravan manufacturer that has really taken steps to improve the consistency of their production with significant verifiable results.
All manufacturers are much of a muchness in terms of damp sealing, you may be lucky or not, so there is little difference between them so just find the caravan layout and style you like and go with it.
Just as an aside I'd suggest buying closer to home rather than further afield just in case you have to make return visits to the dealer for warranty work. - often what might appears to be a good deal isn't if something starts to go wrong.
Yes, I agree with the buying nearer to home point. Many people have been caught out by having to go back to the selling dealer, often a days driving away, as the local dealer will not do the job if they did not sell the caravan.
Strange as there are a number of complaints about water ingress on German caravans like Hobby, Hymer etc. We don't hear so much about issues on foreign caravans as they are a very tiny market, but Youtube has a number of video regarding issues. Worth a dig and a look.
My 2005 Hymer is still 100% watertight, lived outside all its life without a cover.
They are not a 'very tiny market' in Europe, they are the market.
A 'number' of Youtube videos and this is evidence of similar problems plague the German caravan market?
And yet, the UK caravan press and forums are filled year after with endless horror stories of new and nearly new UK built caravans that leak like a wet sponge.
Foreign caravans are a very tiny market in the UK - why is that?
Parksy
Moderator
I assume you are talking of UK domestic manufacturers?
The only known significant issue with the older Hymers was water collecting and causing damp damage to the rear floor lip where the rear bumper connected - quickly fixed and sorted under warranty at the time. Now fully eliminated by the fitting of a fibreglass floor that can't rot.
The design hasn't changed in 20 years - its improved incrementally, but a 2022 Nova Light is the same pressed aluminium/PUAL shell body as a 2004 Nova - which suggests its a fundamentally 'if it aint broke, don't fix it' sound design.
And this is a common thing across the German in particular caravan industry - Designs stay in production for very long, decade or more, runs - incrementally improving and eliminating any faults unlike the UK market where we seem to get a new design from every manufacturer every year promising 'we've make it waterproof this time, honest'.
UK market want's 6-7m caravans with huge bathrooms and very low tow weights and pathetic payloads.
You build a 6+ m caravans that tips in at 1500kg MTPLM , and its going to be VERY flimsy construction.
My little 3.9m Hymer tips in at 1500kg MTPLM - guess why its so solidly engineered?
Every review of a Hymer I've seen in the UK press bemoans its high MTPLM - well, if its built to last, it will weigh a lot.
I have to admit the Hymers I have been in seem to be very well built but I cannot afford the tow car needed and with cars getting lighter with almost every new model weight saving is going to be needed just to allow people to tow them. What is needed is for the UK makers to up their standards which might cost a bit more at the construction stage but should be recovered later in lower warranty claims.
Yes, Hymer group have taken this aboard and hence the Nova Light range.
Same time proven body, but a substantial weight saving by using lighter poplar ply for the furniture instead of the old birch ply that did indeed weigh a tonne! The 470 Light weighs the same as my old school Nova 390
But unfortunately, the UK makers are locked into the biggest caravan possible under 1500kg MTPLM trap.
So the UK market is dominated by huge very lightly built caravans with payloads as low as 116Kg!
You can have a 6-7m caravan at that weight point, but you wont get a durable caravan at that weight point.
Its no good the public throwing their hands up in horror at the problems - they keep demanding huge caravans at implausibly low weights and prices.
Warrantee claims? Why should they worry? They have a strangle hold on the UK caravan media with their adverts that ensure its a no no to bad mouth badly built UK makes. A quick way to be banned on a forum who's name I wont mention is to bad mouth one of their mainstream advertisers.
Money talks and quality walks.
Yes I was, and I should have made that clear. BUT I have seen caravans from other European manufacturers including German made products that have been as badly affected as some of the UK models, So its not all sweetness and cake over there.
Hymer have own Elddis for a couple for years, but have done nothing to improve the brand? Zero, squat!
My 2012 Sprite used poplar ply as I obtained dome drawings from Swift re the rear bed and bunk areas.
Nothing wrong with poplar ply, its a strong hardwood. But there is a surprising amount of hardboard and softwood ply about - not good. Its light, its cheap, but its neither mechanically durable, or damp resistant.
I love our caravan; Elddis; simply could not would not want to buy a European made caravan. We loved our Bailey and our Avondale before that; we have no issues with build quality and of course there are lots of fault with the kit they have inside; namely European brands of fridge, heating etc etc. all of which are in European made caravans , often as extras. Increasingly in spite of all of the parts, assembly in the UK supports UK workers and industry and I like to do that if I can.
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