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 Topic: Damp - What should I be looking for?
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01/2/2025 at 10:06pm
Location: Liverpool
Outfit: Swift Challenger 560
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We bought our caravan from new in 2018 and there have never been any damp issues with it, but at its recent service it came back at mostly between 10 and 12% (which is fine) but one spot under the front offside seat had a reading of 22%. Swift won’t do anything unless it is over 25% so we have been booked in again for a damp check in 3 months time to see if there is any change.
In the meantime, I am thinking that there must be something wrong as having just one spot which is so much higher than the rest of the caravan would be unusual, but I don’t know what to look for to try to discover what the problem might be.
Any ideas about what I should check that might be allowing damp to get into the floor under the front seat?
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Pixie
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02/2/2025 at 1:41pm
Location: London
Outfit: Lunar Cosmos 524
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Not necessarily cause for panic just yet, still within the non-damaging levels.
Here's the NCC damp level advice:
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
Moister 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
A number of causes for raised levels, including condensation from higher ambient humidity, and natural materials like wood fluctuate anyway with ambient humidity. It may be the affected area has some other structure near/on opposite side of panel that is influencing the reading.
If water ingress, it can be difficult to find the source, as water tracks along before finding a spot where it collects or leaks out! Process of elimination to find the 'leak', an understanding of the construction of caravans and even better the particular model can help, as knowledge of hidden structural elements behind panelling can influence things.
Seals and sealants can start failing slowly whereby water 'wicks' through micro gaps which are very difficult to see visually. Your van is certainly old enough for sealants on joints to start to degrade, so 'precautionary' resealing may be a way to go. I'm guessing from 'under front offside seat' location, potentially outside lockers, heater/boiler vents, water inlet etc. All potential leak points, as is any window in that area, or any Kadar rail at floor level. Water can enter on a side wall and get 'wicked' into floor from where floor meets wall.
Curing leaks can be a bit of trial and error unfortunately. Starting with resealing the most likely points, and continuing until problem no longer exists. Trouble is it can take weeks even months for a dampish area to dry out before you know if any remedial work successful.
Before jumping to all the worst conclusions, worth checking any plumbing in the general area, I had a push fit pipe fitting leak in exactly that location on my van, just needed the pipe refitting to obtain a good seal. On a slightly gloomier note, if your water system was not 'blown dry' with an air purge after last use, low lying pipes/fittings often have residual water lying in them that can freeze, that can split pipes/fittings or jack apart joints, causing later thawed water to leak, even though water system not connected to a supply.
Good luck.
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02/2/2025 at 10:10pm
Location: West country
Outfit: Mondeo
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We had a similar reading in ours a while back. They said recheck in a few months which we did and not had any problem since. One of life's mysteries.
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via mobile 02/2/2025 at 11:57am
