Hi sorry this is a new post regarding my earlier one.
I have just put deposit down on 2004 coachman amara 530/4. I used the dealers damp meter and was getting readings between 9-20 id say with most being in between that. then i came to the fixed bed and just level with the mattress was a circle of damp which gave high readings :-( phoned dealer up after and he said he will check it, and came back with it has got a bit but its the age of the van, and will i be happy to seal the rail..surely they should do something as i have not yet purchased it ? i know its only small but thinking do i pull out if they not gonna do nothing... suppose to be giving him rest of deposit tomoz morn, will try and add a pic now..
If there is visible discolouring from the damp inside the caravan then the damp has been there for a long while & could be quite extensive in the body structure at rear o/s.
To do the repair properly the exterior rail & probably other parts, grab handle needs to be removed & resealed. Without removing interior panel you do not know extent of damp & if wood is rotten.
I'm guessing the best the dealer will offer is remove/reaseal/refit exterior rail. So probably best avoided. I would ask for your deposit back. He can't really refuse you.
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I'm with Opensauce on this. If you are still considering going ahead with the deal I would recommend getting an independent caravan engineer to give it a check over for you. Yes, it will cost you a few quid but might also save you a lot more, at the very least it will let you know the extent of any damp plus anything else that might need attention.
Cheers guys, will pop back over tomoz and see what can be done.. couple of dealers said that most caravans over 10 years has some sort of damp some where ? crazy this caravan hunting is
Quote: Originally posted by Lasty on 19/3/2017
couple of dealers said that most caravans over 10 years has some sort of damp some where ?
This is just sales talk. Lowering customer's expectations in order to get out of warranty work. A caravan should be serviced every year & the service includes a damp check. Provided any signs of damp are rectified every year caravan should last indefinitely.
Most caravans will get a proper annual service as per manufacturer spec for the first few yrs of their lives but after that things might slide. If damp is allowed to go undetected for several years then eventually it will show with discolouring & soft spots inside.
By then either caravan is scrap or it will require extensive repairs involving partial removal of interior. Usually the only viable way to do these repairs is as a diy project because at workshop rates to do the repairs properly would cost more than caravan is worth.
There lies the problem with paying for caravan repairs by a 'professional'. The repairs are usually inadequate to keep price reasonable so damp will reappear fairly soon. This is why probably it's best to leave this caravan even if dealer is promising repair. He cannot refuse to return your deposit as you did not agree to buy a caravan with faults.
No doubt dealer will palm this caravan off to somebody & we might be reading their sorry story on here in due course.
I agree with Opensauce. I hate to be so cynical but having owned old and new caravans for about 50 years I trust no dealer. The source of damp can be traced and sorted. If not it will rot away.as Opensauce says.