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Quote: Originally posted by vonnie 123 on 17/9/2013

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our van was full of damp when we brought it, we were naive and believed what the seller said, but we could not afford to scrap it, so we decided to have a go ourselves, with some great advise off some great people on here, we stripped it right back and had to replace the whole roof frame and the front, it can be done and its not too expensive,just time consuming, but we know we have a solid little van now, and have enjoyed 2 holidays in her this year....go for it....

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"Nil Desperandum"  ... :-)

We bought our 94 Challenger "Betsy" in April this year and then found the damp!!.

So depressed... :-(

However, I realised that as the sides externally (should be sheet aluminium so they won't rot) weren't damaged, then the leaks must be around the awning rail at the top of the van walls, the aluminium strips that cover the seems from left to right at about halfway down the wall and a quarter of the way up from the floor. Or from the window frames.

So after purchasing one very large bottle of "Captain Tolleys Creeping Crack Cure" (Yes thats its real name!) I proceeded to seal everything I could see (dispensing small amounts along the whole rail, waiting for it to seep in and dry). All awning rails and sealing strips, the tops of the windows... everything. I then repeated the action 2 or 3 times more

Now ... touch wood the damp is no worse and it is gradually drying out with the aid of regular use and a couple of chemical dehumidifiers (cheap from Towsure) and is very definately usable. In fact we love her to bits and are going to France next year!!!

The rest of her is very sound (apart from a bit of delamination in Kitchen area, which I am about to tackle). Chassis is good, had all gas appliances serviced etc. Done loads of repairs and cleaning and now we wish we'd done it years ago.

So chin up you might still be able to save the situation...

Quote: Originally posted by Janx on 04/10/2013

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This crops up again and again on these forums, people buying a damp van, sellers sell them knowing they are like this and how many times do people demand a refund....not many.... so they keep on selling them.

It may sound unsympathetic but why oh why don't folks

A......take someone with them who knows about caravans yes it may cost you but you save in the long run

or

B.... take a damp tester......if the seller won't let you use it it's a sure sign it's damp.

or

C...ask for an up to date damp check.

I hope you can salvage something from this if only experience.

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I would agree.  Most people who are first time caravaners wouldn't know what to look for and only find their way onto this site once they have bought a van.   If they have bought a lemon, it's a nasty expensive shock to find out how much damp repairs cost if they can't do a DIY job. 

In some ways it is like buying a car privately.  Once you sign a receipt saying "Sold as Seen" you accept it as it stands.   The seller must have known the extent of the problems as he didn't specifically say in the advert that the van was damp free and as we all know, damp is not easy to spot without the proper equipment. Seems like he was boxing clever.

It's a sad fact of life that not everyone is honest and will try to sell a duff van onto someone else to make a few quid.  

When we sold our first van that we had for about 3 years (1994 model) we knew it had a history of damp problems (professionally repaired) and made that clear in the advert.  I would not have felt comfortable selling it onto someone else otherwise but that's just me.

To the OP - don't be too down about it - try to salvage what you can from the situation and take some comfort from the thought that you are certainly not the first person this has happened to (sadly).  I know it's a horrible feeling to think you have been taken for a ride.