It would be my first van so have no idea what it's worth. Also any tips on what to check out on the van. Not sounding too stupid but how do i check for damp?
£1200 if totally dry. If the body has damp in it, then a small fraction of that or possibly not worth buying at all. I notice the seller makes no assurances that it is dry.
I would not be paying £100 without seeing 'van either. The correct way to by a caravan unseen off ebay is to pay nothing until you have inspected 'van & ensured it is 'as described' & obviously you need the seller to state 'van is dry either in listing or if you ask them during the auction & print off their reply.
To check for damp you can use a meter but basically check ceiling/wall/floor join areas for spongyness & check all over floor for soft spots. I'm sure other members can give you more comprehensive instructions.
To check for damp you could hire a Protimeter from a hire shop. Push the probes in firmly and if the meter goes into the red you have found damp.
You can feel for soft patches of wallboard. If you can push your finger in, you have found a damp problem that has been there for some time. Feel around the whole 'van, under windows, in lockers under the join between roof and sides, in all the corners and behind anywhere that there is a fitting outside. Around and below the door, toilet, water inlet etc. Look for bubbles in the skin outside. If the floor feels spongy inside it is delaminating. Hope this helps.
I would have certainly checked thoroughly for damp especially since it has a roof seam and triple windows at the front as these are more susceptible to water ingress than a solid roof and single window.
Please, please use a damp meter to check for damp - do not rely on finding soft or spongy wall/ceiling boards to indicate damp. It's important to check every inch of the floor as well, difficult if there are floor coverings unless you have a damp meter. I am speaking from experience, btw!!
Hiya everyone, sorry for not being back intouch. When the site was down i was gutted not being about to tell everyong i'd bought the van. It's in really good condition and from what i could see no damp and certainly no damp smell. The couple are really friendly too and being helpful with any questions i have so fingers crossed i can get out in it next week, no point waiting i think! Though i am falling out with my OH as to where to keep it. I'm hoping it'll fit on our drive my he isn't impressed! Any idea's how to persuade him?
When I had a caravan I kept it in a barn on a farm. It used to get filthy...god knows what runs around in the rafters of a barn at night. There was nowhere to wash it properly and as mentioned, it was a pain having to go there to load it or do anything to it and to pick it up before each trip...one reason why I went back to a tent. It would have been so much easier if I had a driveway to keep it in.
We keep ours on the drive and despite all the stories about burglars knowing when you're away I much prefer it where I can see it! Makes it easier to load and unload too, our friends have to use storage but they would rather keep it at home if they had the space. Damage happens in storage as well and luckily I have nosey neighbours (in a good way) on both sides of the house and across the road whether we're away or not.
Thanks for that i know it makes sense having it on the drive, i'm just gonna buy a cover to stop the kids messing with it. Also we'll normally still have a car on the drive when we're away so hopefully that'll help or the OH will be at home if he cant get the time off work.