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Gutted!  We have only had it for a month and we have to take it back to the dealer 100 miles round trip away to get it fixed under warranty.

It always smelt funny in the bathroom right from the start. a kind of damp chemical smell and we were told it was just where it has been stored without use.

The damp is in the bathroom, by the toilet, we think its something to do with the cassettet  It has lots of marks like drawing pin pricks (roughly 30) around the damp area, do you think that this is from the damp test metre that the dealer did? Therefore knowing full well that there was damp before selling it to us.

Once this has been fixed is this something that won't happen again as our warranty is only for 3 months?

Any advice greatly received as we are new to caravanning and am beginning to feel a bit put off.

Hi!

A damp meter is a small unit which is put against walls and slowly (like ironing) slid around suspected damp area. If damp is located the meter will beep.

If damp is located the dealer should re-seal it for you within the warrantee period - if he refuses he has sold you a pig in a poke. Ask for your money back or get another dealer to check for damp, do repair and bill the first cowboy. Warn the first dealer of your intentions so that he has a choice.

Hope this helps, don't be put off, stand your ground and you will learn to love caravanning. Good luck!

You don't mention what type of 'van it is, or its age, some people have said that all 'vans over 10 years old have damp to some degree, and there is a good reason that the manufacturers only give a 5 or 6 year water ingress warranty! 

I suspect that the pin holes are where someone tested for damp at some time.....maybe the reason that a previous owner traded in.

What really matters here is whether the dealer actually claimed that the 'van was damp free at the time of sale.  If he did, Trading standards or the small calims court would run him all the way, but it would be very difficult to prove unless it is in writing......check out the dealers ads from the time that you bought the 'van.

Personally I would go back and ask for a refund, but if you go through with the repair, make sure that it is done properly......as the short timescale of the warranty will not leave you much time to check it out if it is just patched up.

As a last resort you could attempt to do a repait like mine, on the link below!

Good luck