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 Topic: Advice and help for Old Leaky
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02/1/2017 at 2:13am
Location: West Yorkshire
Outfit: Bessacarr Cameo 625 2011
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I hope you are prepared! Damp is like an iceberg - 90% of it you can't see, so you could be in for a lot of work
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02/1/2017 at 5:50pm
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Sellers have all sorts of ideas as to what older caravans are worth. This time of year for a run of mill 'white box' UK built caravan of the popular makes you should get a good one for £1000 or somewhat less for around mid 90s vintage.
For that money there is no need to buy a project. You should get one that is reasonably sound & complete but budget for a chassis service if not recently done & new tyres if existing ones are over around 5yrs old.
Ebay is probably your best bet & you want one from a private seller. Avoid the many 'amatuer dealers' that flog cheap caravans on there. They are easy enough to spot.
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02/1/2017 at 10:19pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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Our caravan cost us £500 off ebay 3 years ago, and we have now had 3 good years with it. We have probably spent close to another £400 to £500 on it since, including a chassis service, 2 new tyres, and a few bits and pieces including a replacement for a cracked front window.
I am sure there is probably some damp somewhere in it, as most of that age have some hidden away. However, there is none that is obvious, and certainly none that has given us any problems. We consider that we had got our money's worth after the first year, and that every year from then on is a bonus. If for some reason we had to scrap it tomorrow I would simply look for another one around the same price.
If you are thinking of going down this route, don't leave it too long as prices start to go up with the approach of spring. As Opensauce says, sellers have their own ideas of what these "oldies" are worth. The question is, what is it worth to you? Don't think one on sale for £1,000, or even £2,000 is going to be any better than one for £500. Ours is better than some we looked at, which were advertised for 3 times what we paid. DO NOT bid for anything without having a really good look at it first. Many advertised as "in excellent condition, damp-free" (or similar) are little better than scrap.
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Best Regards,
Colin
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03/1/2017 at 8:02am
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There does seem some evidence that older German caravans do seem more solid so if you see one come up on ebay then definitely worth a look. What makes an older caravan beyond redemption is damp that has remained unrepaired for years & has been allowed to spread.
New caravans are generally serviced annually so any damp is caught & rectified. As caravans get older, maybe 10 yrs or more the annual services might tend to go by the board & caravan might get little use so just gets generally neglected.
Not all caravans though. Some that are 20yrs old or more will have been regularly used by same owner for yrs who has serviced & maintained it to a good standard. This is what you are looking for. It could be any make. For a caravan of 20yrs old or more it is all about the individual caravan not the make.
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03/1/2017 at 4:07pm
Location: West Yorkshire
Outfit: Bessacarr Cameo 625 2011
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Quote: Originally posted by Opensauce on 03/1/2017
There does seem some evidence that older German caravans do seem more solid so if you see one come up on ebay then definitely worth a look. What makes an older caravan beyond redemption is damp that has remained unrepaired for years & has been allowed to spread.
New caravans are generally serviced annually so any damp is caught & rectified. As caravans get older, maybe 10 yrs or more the annual services might tend to go by the board & caravan might get little use so just gets generally neglected.
Not all caravans though. Some that are 20yrs old or more will have been regularly used by same owner for yrs who has serviced & maintained it to a good standard. This is what you are looking for. It could be any make. For a caravan of 20yrs old or more it is all about the individual caravan not the make.
Good post! Agree completely. Looks like there's a good chance you'll be buying privately, so don't believe anything you are told, check for yourself. There are horror stories every season of people caught out with rot boxes, sadly.
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03/1/2017 at 4:59pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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Quote: Originally posted by chrisn7 on 03/1/2017
Quote: Originally posted by Opensauce on 03/1/2017
There does seem some evidence that older German caravans do seem more solid so if you see one come up on ebay then definitely worth a look. What makes an older caravan beyond redemption is damp that has remained unrepaired for years & has been allowed to spread.
New caravans are generally serviced annually so any damp is caught & rectified. As caravans get older, maybe 10 yrs or more the annual services might tend to go by the board & caravan might get little use so just gets generally neglected.
Not all caravans though. Some that are 20yrs old or more will have been regularly used by same owner for yrs who has serviced & maintained it to a good standard. This is what you are looking for. It could be any make. For a caravan of 20yrs old or more it is all about the individual caravan not the make.
Good post! Agree completely. Looks like there's a good chance you'll be buying privately, so don't believe anything you are told, check for yourself. There are horror stories every season of people caught out with rot boxes, sadly.
Yes, and not all of them are oldies it would seem. I have seen posts on here and in other places where people have bought caravans only a few years old, and they have been in apparently far worse condition than mine. Even some brand new ones don't seem to be guaranteed problem-free. My principle is either buy new (if you can afford it) or buy for a sum you can afford to lose if it all goes wrong in a year's time, but look very carefully and buy the best you can buy for what you are prepared to pay. Don't worry about age if its out of warranty, but judge on condition.
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Best Regards,
Colin
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03/1/2017 at 6:16pm
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Also worth mentioning for anybody looking for an older caravan. Google 'age of caravan' this will tell you how to find year of manufacture of most UK built caravans from the serial number(aka cris number)found on body & also etched into windows. It not unsual to see caravans on ebay that I recognise as listed as incorrect year & generally in seller's favour by a few yrs, ie '93 listed as a '97 or such like.
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03/1/2017 at 7:18pm
Location: West country
Outfit: Mondeo
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The problem is no matter how well a caravan is made, there are dozens of holes in the shell, all of which are sealed with sealant. The holes are, lights, access doors for battery cassette toilet , water , electric connections, windows, awning rails, joins in panels and so it goes on.
The sealant doesn't last forever.
If the leak is detected early before the timbers etc become damaged it's a relatively cheap repair to reseal.
If it goes undetected, the timbers rot and it's really little more than scrap value or a major project for someone to repair.
Some vans seem to have a history of end panels cracking where they are highly stressed due to large window openings etc. These will leak and be very expensive to repair. It seems it can happen to most makes at some time.
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