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I have also just brought our first caravan. We viewed it and couldn't smell any damp did as many checks as we could (checked under the van, windows, seals etc). We didn't have a damp meter, looking back it was stupid of us but we thought that we would be able to smell it. Sellers seemed honest so left a £100 deposit and said we would collect in a few days. During these days I paid for a CRIS check as although they had all the paperwork this was missing so wanted to make sure there were no issues with the van. As we didn't have a towbar my OH and father in law went to collect it (father in law been caravanning for over 40 years and he thought it was a good van). As soon as we got it back I booked it in for a service as I didn't want my family in the van before the gas was checked (have a 4 year and a 4 month old). This was where the wind was rather abruptly taken out of my sails.

The man doing the service stopped part way in and asked me if I wanted him to continue as the roof was full of damp, there was corrosion in the roof, the front was loose, the water heater was faulty on gas and had at some point been taken apart and repaired with tape. He said that already the repairs would already take the overall cost of the van well above its value. He asked how the van was described in the advert and I said that it stated 'No damp at all only bad bits are a few minor dents and scratches which are to be expected on a van 15 years old' He advised me to contact the seller as I had a case for a full refund due to a misleading advert.

Contacted the seller informed her of the faults said I wanted refund even put her on the phone to the service engineer so he could explain. She said to call back in an hour when she would have had chance to discuss with husband. I did this and was told that she didn't know there was damp so no refund would be offered. I again highlighted other faults and said none were listed under bad points of van and if I didn't get a refund I would persue the matter in the small claims court. It was at this point the husband came on the phone - very verbally aggressive and said if I called again he would phone the police for harrassment.

Paid £2200 for the van which is all the savings we had, with two young children thought it would be the start of lovely weekends as a family. How wrong have a total lemon of a van no savings no holidays and the cost of taking it to the small claims to look forward to. Also checked into sellers records and for the price of £8 found out he already has an unpaid judgement against him. So likelyhood is if we won he wouldn't pay so would have to pay out even more to try to get money.

There are some horrible people out there who hurt hardworking people.

Its such a shame that people like that never seem to get their commupance.

At least the people who sold you your van seem to be trying to do the decent thing ours just hung up which made me believe they knew the vans condition. I know if it was the other way around and I truely hadn't known I would have offered a full refund as I would have felt so horrible but some people just aren't like that. Its a very hard lesson to learn when you have built your hopes up.

I hope everything goes your way its about time us decent folk got some luck

Hi Rosebud09 , if you need advice on repairing your caravan post on here and The Fixed it Club members will be here, when you need us .
Caravans are aren't that complicated when it comes to the construction , and shouldn't be beyond the average Diyer's skills .

atb

Wizard

Was put off repairing van as the man who did the service said it wasn't financially viable. We paid £2200 for the van and the book price is £2800. The van is a Bailey Moselle 4 berth

He only did a part service (under half) The following faults were found:

d.lam of floor, front of van loose, various window catches broken (we knew about these), mains socket been put in w/c which shouldn't be there, o/s slightly bowed needs refixing, water heater faulty on gas (he said it looks like it has been taken apart and fixed with tape) various damp : all mouldings 60% damp, soft wallboard in w/c, N/S/R bottom mould, board discoloured, rear roof mould 20%, O/S/R roof rotting (2 holes roof panel corrosion). As I said this was results of part service he didn't even get to gas + electrics

Is it worth contemplating repair or best to try and get money back?

When it is written down it seems so much and we feel so stupid for not noticing anything my husband even cleaned the van inc roof before the service and he didn't the corrosion then either.