Purchased a Freedom caravan last year with the hope that it would last me many years now that Ive retired.The van is about four years old .Giving it a good clean after the winter months I discovered three small areas that have cracks that resemble spiders webs on the roof.I phoned the main importer of these vans in Stafford for advice who assured me the roof will not leak due to the way it is constructed. Has any other owner come across this, should I be concerned?
Are these marks on the top of the paint or through it.
Bird lime is very corrosive ( dodo) will eat into paint finishes , as will other contaminants and this can also look like cracks to the untrained eye. I'm not sure what paint covering your caravan would be.
Some times a little heat with a heat gun will remove this type of Mark in some paint finishes, but be careful , melted plastic doesn't look or smell to good and the potential leak might be the least of your worry.
------------- Thank you Donnod123
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Coleman Evolva (might have more than one shhhh)
And now a VW T25 high top.
Tilley Titan
Tilley Trio
Cobb BBQ
Got a few spider cracks as you put it on my van been there for years they say their caused by "Flexing"as the van is moved.Nothing to worry about as far as im concerned.
Am I right in believing Freedom caravans are made of fibreglass?
I used to mess about in boats and one of the problems with fibreglass hulled boats is that if they get a hard knock the smooth outer shell of the fibreglass can crack leaving a star shape. This can give access to the inner fibreglass core which is porous like a sponge and soaks up water by 'osmosis'. If this freezes it expands and can seriously damage the entire shell...boats have been known to become holed and sink.
Without wishing to frighten you to death it might be as well to have it checked out and maybe fill the cracks with a fibreglass paste to seal it if indeed it is cracked and not just the paintwork as suggested.
Freedom 'vans are all glassfibre, the colour is in the gel coat, they are not painted. The cracks are in the gel coat, this is the coloured top layer over the glass fibre mat. The only way to fix them is score 'v's in the cracks, refill with pigmented resin & then smooth down & polish with rubbing down compound. Alternatively as pointed out, just leave them, they look unsightly but won't do any harm.
Suggest also that you keep on eye on the roof lining as like you we own a four year old and one month caravan and our head lining has come away, not impressed at all!
Quote: Originally posted by michell8 on 16/3/2014
Freedom 'vans are all glassfibre, the colour is in the gel coat, they are not painted. The cracks are in the gel coat, this is the coloured top layer over the glass fibre mat. The only way to fix them is score 'v's in the cracks, refill with pigmented resin & then smooth down & polish with rubbing down compound. Alternatively as pointed out, just leave them, they look unsightly but won't do any harm.
I quite agree they will not leak just look unsightly.
It really is a skilled job to repair them without them ending up looking no better.
As michell says you have to fill them with gellcoat of the correct colour and mixed with the right amount of catalist or else when it sets the colour will differ and stand out like a sore thumb, if it was me I would leave them alone or else find some one skilled in fibre glass repairs to do it or guide you along.
I have a Pino Pi Caravan ,made of fibreglass it has spider crack marks around the handles, it is 3 years old. I do feel a bit anxious, as I had a Freedom caravan some years ago and had damp ingress, after I had bought it second hand, being a assured that there was no damp. I got it repaired by a caravan engineer but it was costly and it came from stress fractures in the grab handles. Both these caravans are marketed as being damp proof and having a long life because of their construction!
Jo.
its just cracks in the very hard gel coat..its caused by flexing. ignore the boat comparison caravans may get rained on but dont sit in water all the time..
its basically cosmetic and wont leak or fall apart..
I have a freedom caravan that has spider cracks in the roof and the roof is leaking in places quite a lot and damp to the touch. roof lining is off (it fell down!) It is an oldie 1995 I think it is too late in the year to try to fix it as I have nowhere to bring it in..so going to cover the roof with a tarp any help for the best! any help would be appreciated please.
Hi,
Been reading this post,although I would not recommend this as a long term fix (but it might be).
I had a leak in my conservatory roof and no way could I fix it.
I was recommended a spray on coating which has done the trick.
You can get it on Amazon.
It's called Rescue 911.
Might be worth a punt.
Regards,
Greg