Your thoughts please

[Timbo1]

Picked up my Coachman tonight after its service today and am horrified to find "Damp found below the three front windows. Meter readings between 18.1% to 21.3%" on the Caravan Damp Report. The van will be three years old in March 2011.

Guidance notes say "Readings between 15-20% - may require further investigation when compared with the average of all readings taken. Consideration should be given to rechecking the area in three months. Readings greater than 20% will identify areas needing remedial work. There may be early signs of water ingress or evidence of moisture. Again, consideration should be given to rechecking the area in three months".

The workshop suggested I wait three months and have it checked again but I insisted they put in for a warranty claim on my behalf. Am I being OTT? I really don't want to wait three months and for it to have deteriorated further. What worries me is I would hate to use a van that has an inherent "damp smell".

Do you think I may be obliged to wait three months for further readings? What rights do I have? Its always been serviced and has a seven year water ingress warranty. This is my first van I've had from new, the most expensive van I've bought and the only van to have had damp.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

 

[Damian]

A lot depends on when they did the damp check, and the current very damp atmosphere and the ability of the operative to interpret the readings correctly.
If the van was not acclimatised properly then higher readings would not be uncommon, also if the readings were taken after all the internal inspection and testing was done, there would be higher readings as the simple fact that someone has had the gas cooker on to test it will produce water vapour in addition to their breath and it will condense on the coldest part of the van, the front window area.

I would suggest a re test in about a month to see if it is just a one off incident and then see what happens.
I think it far too soon to press a warranty claim and feel that you will be disappointed with the reply you get.

It is standard industry practice to use the 3 month time scale for re testing.

 

[Reg]

It might be worth having a read of this............

http://www.cabdirect.org/abstracts/20013004327.html
From a quick reading it would seem that the temperature needs to be at 20 C before an accurate reading can be obtained. My humble opinion/interpretation is that they are measuring the ambient dampness and any test taken at this time of year is potentially inaccurate. I would have thought that a drastic rise would need to be recorded before action needed to be taken.
I stress that this is only an opinion.

 

[Surfer]

Doesn't a Coachman have a 6 year water ingress warranty? Either way you are still covered by the Sale of Goods Act which covers it for 6 years anyway.

 

[Parksy]

Hi Timbo
I can understand how you must feel, to think that your hard won,expensively bought and from brand new three year old caravan is 'damp' would horrify and shock anyone.
As Damian pointed out however, all might not be as it seems!

Worst case scenario - you will return in three months time to find that this damp is a reality and is taking hold.
In that case your dealer will arrange to do the work, it will be done professionally to a very high standard and your caravan will then be bone dry for years afterwards.
The dealer wouldn't do anything if the work was done in one months time that they wouldn't do if the work became necessary in three months time.
The front of your caravan wouldn't be riddled with damp, you'd have noticed it yourself before now if it had been in an advanced state.
A damp test in three months time is standard procedure, if your caravan is damp then after three months it will have taken hold sufficiently to be identifiable so that it can be put right.
I know that this will be a worrying and uncertain time for you, remember that either way you will end up with a dry, fit for purpose caravan and fingers crossed that this reading is a false alarm because of seasonal ambient conditions.

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi timbo
nah dont bother too much just now at this time of year when the weather is cold and damp. All vans show damp readings at this time of year wait untill it dries up a bit 3 months sound about right mid to end of may.

PS. been out and done a quick damp test on my own van this morning with the DIY kit, reading moisture content of 9% near the windows. and dont forget mine is kept "IN A GARAGE" not outside
colin

 

[wombat1]

Tim
I too have a Coachman, 4 years old now.
At the service a few weeks ago, damp was found in/near/aound the front panel (~50%, v.high, not condensation at that level). The cause was traced to a fine crack extending from the front rain channel to the middle of the front window. Wasn't there last time I used the van (October 2010, I would have spotted it when washing), possibly caused by an existing stress point and then thermal cycling ( a blxxdy cold December).
Remedy a new front panel, to be repaired by Coachman themselves in Hull due to they won't pay the dealer enough to do the warranty work. Just waiting for Coachman to confirm the date, they have acknowledged they are going to do the repair.
Bad luck on my part, but at least Coachman have acknowledged the warranty repair without any haggling at all within a two week period.
When I bough the van (from new, my first) I heard stories about damp but thought that only affected very old vans, not Coachmans that were a few years old - I know now different, and the problem isn't limited to Coachman, all makers seem to suffer a bit. Now I know why Bailey made such a maketing ploy of wingless horses!
I would like to know if German made vans suffer as much as British made vans for damp ingress/panel cracking.
Looking forward to any replies - sorry for hijacking your post Timbo (from another Timbo),.
Wombat

 

[Timbo1]

Hiya,
Just thought I'd let you know that East Coast Leisure have now called to confirm they have been given the go ahead to have the works done. Just goes to show - if you don't ask you don't get! We didn't have to have any re-test or wait three months etc. Van will be going to them in the week and be back to perfection for the start of the season - Hooray!