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Subject Topic: Damp found in our Bailey Senator Arizona Post Reply Post New Topic
01/11/2017 at 9:02pm
 Location: Criccieth Gwynedd
 Outfit: Buccaneer Commodore
View Tim and Cary's Profile View Profile   Reply to Tim and Cary Reply   Quote Tim and Cary Quote  
Joined: 26/3/2005

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Hi

We've just had our Bailey Senator Arizona serviced by a local AWS mobile engineer.   To our horror he discovered damp in the top rear nearside corner of the caravan.   This is inside the "wood" panelled wardrobe.   With Protimeter mini the readings just below 70% in the worse spot, where the wall joins the roof tailing off to 40% (15-20cm) to the side and then falling to 15% further along.   The reading, also, tail off going down the wall dropping gradually to 15% about 30cm down the wall.    The rail which runs across the 'van at that point and the awning rail seem likely culprits in the engineer and my opinion.   The AWS engineer has quoted £250 to remove and reseal these rails in situ in our front garden.

The 'van has not been moved out of our garden since we bought our retirement homehere in November 2015 as we have been VERY fully engaged in overseeing and carrying out VERY extensive renovations to the bungalow.   We have actually slept inthe caravan for the last few months, and still are, whilst work was going on on the house.   It has been serviced every year however by an AWS mobile engineer.

Today I've been up on a ladder platform and covered that area of the roof - to the centre line of the 'van and about 100cm lengthways with thick black polythene, stuck down with duct tape to, hopefully, prevent further water ingress.   I've, also, put a dehumidifier running in the 'van. I'm now considering my options.

I'd be grateful for other opinions.

Is the damage to the 'van likely to need MORE than the rails resealing? If it is that's likely to be expensive as the wardrobe would have to be stripped out.

Do you think it is worth having the rails sealed? Especially as the 'van is outside and it is now November.

If the 'van is finished or very expensive to repair it is likely to the end of our caravan days as most of our savings have gone into the house renovations and we don't have the cash to replace it.    Unfortunately an arthritic knee and other age related problems mean that a DIY repair is now probably beyond me.

Unfortunately our front garden is a "builder's yard" and we cannot get the caravan out at the moment for a second opinion/quote.

Sorry to relate this sad tale but I would be grateful for the opinion of others.

-------------
Tim and Cary


02/11/2017 at 6:58am
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View Opensauce's Profile View Profile   Reply to Opensauce Reply   Quote Opensauce Quote  
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If you stop the water coming in then it should eventually dry out. If there is no sign of damp or discolouration inside then just reaseal rail outside. It's always worked for me. How long do you intend to keep caravanning? If for a few yrs it should last that time patched up as required. It works for me.


02/11/2017 at 10:07am
 Location: Criccieth Gwynedd
 Outfit: Buccaneer Commodore
View Tim and Cary's Profile View Profile   Reply to Tim and Cary Reply   Quote Tim and Cary Quote  
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Thanks for your input Opensauce - much appreciated.

There is some slight mould staining along the roof wall joint. However, the the wardrobe wall is covered with melamine-faced wallboard and so any damp would not show as a stain as it would on the usual white wallboards.

We may well go with your advice of having the rails sealed,hoping that the internal damage is not too severe and hoping that the 'van will last. It will be interesting to see how the damp readings progress with the area covered and the dehumidifier on.

I'm mid 60's but hope to have another 10 years or so of 'vanning. We LOVE it.


Regards
Tim



-------------
Tim and Cary


02/11/2017 at 1:48pm
 Location: West Yorkshire
 Outfit: Bessacarr Cameo 625 2011
View chrisn7's Profile View Profile   Reply to chrisn7 Reply   Quote chrisn7 Quote  
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The re seal quote seems reasonable enough - I would just get on and have it done. Drying out is an issue though as the plastic wall surfaces don't allow the wall to breathe, so damp gets trapped, and can take a very long time to dry out.

The dehumidifier may help, but unless all the vents in the van are sealed including roof lights, it's trying to dry out the world...

Getting some localised heat on the area would probably be more effective.


03/11/2017 at 10:02am
 Location: Criccieth Gwynedd
 Outfit: Buccaneer Commodore
View Tim and Cary's Profile View Profile   Reply to Tim and Cary Reply   Quote Tim and Cary Quote  
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Thanks for the replies Opensauce and Chrisn7, we're VERY grateful for your thoughts and experiences.

The 'van is a 2006 model and yes the culprit does seem to be the seal joining the back panel and roof.   (We had to the front rail sealed, under warranty, due to damp being found when the 'van was only ONE year old.   Bailey then only authorised resealing the front rail and we used a fan heater and that DID cure that problem.

The rear corner affected now is inside the wardrobe, which is part of the rear bathroom, and so it would be VERY BIG job to strip out the wallboards as the wardrobe would have to be dismantled first.    I've got a dehumidifier running in the bathroom and a fan heater on the shelf in the wardrobe near the corner with the high readings.

We will probably go with just having the rails resealed, by the mobile engineer, dry out the wall from the inside and hope that we have caught the damp before it has done too much internal damage.   I will be doing some regular monitoring with my Protimeter Mini! A local caravan dealer estimated c£300 (unseen) just to reseal the rails but said that there might be internal damage too.

Thanks again for the comments.   We're still interested to hear further comments.

Regards

Tim

-------------
Tim and Cary


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04/11/2017 at 11:28am
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: None Entered
View Casita's Profile View Profile   Reply to Casita Reply   Quote Casita Quote  
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Firstly, I would put the dehumidifier inside the wardrobe (if it fits) because as mentioned above it is dragging too much outside air into the van through the vents etc at the moment. Can you then tape up the door in an effective manner, but temporarily as you need to be able to empty the dehumidifier?

I think the answer then is to reseal the rails as per your estimate, which seems reasonable providing the work is done properly.

Good luck


05/11/2017 at 10:56am
 Location: Criccieth Gwynedd
 Outfit: Buccaneer Commodore
View Tim and Cary's Profile View Profile   Reply to Tim and Cary Reply   Quote Tim and Cary Quote  
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Thanks for your reply Casita. I had already taken Chrisn7' advice and moved the dehumidifierintothe wardrobe and I'm running that and a fan heater on the shelf nearest to the problm area 24/7.

The readings do seem to be dropping.

-------------
Tim and Cary



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