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 Topic: Buying a second hand caravan. Damp?
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24/5/2021 at 2:02pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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This is the guidance notes from a NCC/AWS damp report, so about as an authoritative source as likely to find.
Report Guidance Notes.
Moisture levels between 0 and 15% - No cause for concern
Moisture levels between 15 and 20% - May require further investigation. Compare with average readings and consider a recheck of the area in three months
Moisture levels between 20 and 25% - Will identify areas possibly needing remedial work. There may be signs of water ingress or evidence of moisture. Compare with average readings and consider a recheck of the area in three months.
Moisture levels between 25 and 30% - indicates that moisture ingress is occurring, and remedial action is necessary
Moisture levels more than 30% - Indicates that structural damage is probable and deterioration inevitable. Remedial action is necessary
Some service engineers write the actual percentage reading for all points measured on the report, others just tick or write OK if below damaging levels.
There are 'pinless' moisture meters that are non intrusive and non marking, as they do not puncture wall coverings or painted finishes, not as cheap as budget pinned type but more appropriate to a caravan. I've got one of these (but others are available) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Extech-MO55-Combination-Pinless-Moisture/dp/B01IABHOUE/re........
There's always a debate as to whether any two or more meters will give the same reading from the same spot at any given time, probably going to be a bit of variation, especially between different brands. My Extech replicated very closely the readings taken by the service engineer with a professional grade meter, so that was reassuring about it's accuracy.
Always worth doing a damp check on a van before purchase, damp is very destructive and expensive to have professionally repaired, if extensive it's usually the economic write off for a older van! A dry stored van that has not been exposed to rain for some considerable time may have dried out sufficiently, even if it did have a leak, to give a good 'OK' reading! You would need to be very carefully looking for other signs as well, such as water staining and soft/spongy areas that should be solid. A damp musty smell on one hand can simply be cold stale air, but on the other hand a truly damp van will not necessarily smell damp! Smell alone is not a sufficiently good indicator.
A professional mobile caravan engineer will come to the van and do a pre-purchase check of all critical points, including damp, for usually around £100, that is a wise investment if you are considering spending thousands, and he will know what to look for. Often the inspection will get you a discount on the next service with them. You can find an approved engineer here: https://www.approvedworkshops.co.uk/find-approved-workshop
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23/6/2021 at 2:41pm
Location: Suffolk
Outfit: Vango Banshee 200
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Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 24/5/2021
One of the things that would make me a bit wary is the fact that it has been stored undercover for some time. It would inevitably have low damp readings as the only thing that could affect it would be condensation. There is every possibility that if it were left outside in a good rainstorm, it could leak like a sieve. Why was it stored undercover for a year then offered up for sale? It could be that's what they always did with it when they were using it, or it could be that they know it had serious damp problems and they stored it undercover to allow it to dry out before selling it. I do have a very suspicious nature though. 
If it was me, I'd be left going by my gut in this case. I'm sure due to C*vid etc, loads of people have kept their vans in storage instead of using them so it didn't strike me as particuarly controversial. However, if i feel any unexplained suspicion, I always walk away from significant deals. It's not really an honerable trait, but I do tend to make assumptions about people, but they often turn out to be right..causing me in the past to say "why didn't i listen to myself".
I'd ask straight out why it's been undercover, and if you're not 100% happy with the person/answer, walk away. The right one will present itself.
Option 3 is getting it checked over by an expert, which I would do when buying any van/car personally. Relatviely small sum for priceless peace of mind.
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23/6/2021 at 2:57pm
Location: East Herts
Outfit: 1992 Elddis Wisp 450CT + X Trail
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Knowing that damp is one of the biggest caravan-killers, I'd rather buy one that I know has been out in the open over the past 3 to 4 months at least. How can you check a caravan for damp if it has spent the past year under cover for whatever reason? Even an expert couldn't. It may appear to be perfectly dry inside, so you buy it and take it home, then the first time we have a down-pour you discover that it leaks like a sieve!
The reason for it having been stored undercover may be perfectly genuine, and it may be a perfectly good, dry van, but personally I wouldn't want to take that chance. Being stored under cover for a year would put me off, and I probably wouldn't even go and look at it. But that's just me, and as I said, I do have a suspicious nature.
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Best Regards,
Colin
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