Buying a caravan

[kc13661]

A rainy day will not show you normal leaks, water ingress happens over time and seeps in slowly. A damp meter is good but only if you know where to look and how to use it. All caravans will register on a damp meter (with the exemption) due to atmospheric moisture.
best way either take someone with you that's knowledgeable or get n expert in to test (but that costs)

[HarryM1BYT]

There is nothing that complex about testing for damp and the best tests is eyes, nose and finger tips, backed up by a meter.

Eyes to look for wall board which might show signs of bulging, nose to smell mustiness, finger tips to feel for softening of boards. The meter just provides a more definite opinion, but takes more time to use.

You don't even need a specialist damp meter, you can use an ordinary multimeter on the Ohms range, providing you can make up some probes. The probes need to be sharp (needles) and fixed an inch apart in an insulating block big enough to get a grip of, wired to the tester.

All wood is to some extent conductive, damp wood is much more conductive. So using a multimeter you need to see what resistance reading you get with known perfectly dry wood, to wood which has more moisture. A proper damp tester just makes that easier, by being ready calibrated. Some of them come with blunt points attached directly to the meter, making them difficult to actually probe and read, so I adapt them with needle probes and a flexible lead connected to the existing probes. One hand holding the meter, the other the probe tips.

The structure of all but the most modern vans, is timber framing, with alloy glued to the outside, wall board on the inside and it is that timber frame which is important. Once water gets in, it has no way out and the timber just rots quietly away unseen.

Points of entry are around the windows framing, any holes through the roof and particularly along the awning rails.

You then go around all of the corners, easing the plastic right angled strip up and pushing the probes in and taking readings, looking for any lower resistance values/ higher moisture content. Around the windows, you lift the black plastic trim under which you will see the edge of the wood frame, to probe that.

Note that the black trim is conductive, so your probes need to be clear of that when testing. It is a common trick by dealers to knock down the price of a van when buying in, to 'find' damp by touching the probes against the black surround.

If you find any, then you can check the extent of the damp by probing the wall board face, working out from where you found a bad reading in the frame.

Once moisture gets in, it is very difficult even when the point of ingress is fixed, to get it dried out. I found an area of damp in mine....

There is a wood panel separating where my fridge is located, from a cupboard. The fridge's condensate drain was left with a bung blocking the drain at the factory, so after every trip the ice defrosted and rather than going down the drain, it trickled out of the fridge door then soaked into the wood panel. The panel is only 1/8 ply, with a 3/8" timber frame, but I found this showed a high moisture reading when I got the van in January last year, worked out what was causing it and fixed it back then. Then it was showing 80% damp over a 6" area. I ran a fan heater on the area for months on a low setting, trying to get the reading down, but it was incredibly stubborn. If I checked it now, I dare say it would still show more damp than its surrounds, 20 months later. It is of no real concern in such a panel, but was an interesting experiment.

[Mothman]

This Facebook is group worth checking out if looking for a private sale, also worth keeping an eye on Gumtree for any bargains in your area.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/6631...01359/?fref=ts

When we were looking most of the stuff in the local dealers to us that was under 3 grand looked overpriced and was 'sold as seen' with no warranty anway.

Rich

[arnosvale65]

I have noticed that lots of members on here are from the Yorkshire area and they all do very helpful things to us members cars. One chap says he will do my digital speddo thingy and check which one of my abs sensors is duff.It's not a front one. Another chap has an MUM code door I want and now Harry with his handbrake mod. I am coming up to Liversedge on the 12th of September. At this rate I may have to stay an extra day!

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by arnosvale65

At this rate I may have to stay an extra day!

You DO need a caravan

[arnosvale65]

What about this one? Not too far from me so I could give it the once over. Got my doubts about the year though.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caravan-To...item27e939c500

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by arnosvale65

What about this one? Not too far from me so I could give it the once over. Got my doubts about the year though.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Caravan-To...item27e939c500

Its looks would seem to fit that date range, but you could ask the seller if it has Chris registration. The Chris number can be translated to a manufacturing date and the date will be on a plate on the chassis too. I think all vans were Chris registered post 1993.

I would be surprised if a van of that age has no damp ingress, but £595 is not much above the scrap price - you could resell the valuable bits inside for almost that amount - fridge, water heater, toilet, heater etc..

[arnosvale65]

Thanks Harry. Unfortunately I don't have anywhere to keep it at home, terraced city street, or I would. I would also have a few more 75's if that was the case. I am not in a hurry so I will keep looking. I have noticed a lot of people who sell caravans seem to have trouble with the English language.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by arnosvale65

Thanks Harry. Unfortunately I don't have anywhere to keep it at home, terraced city street, or I would. I would also have a few more 75's if that was the case. I am not in a hurry so I will keep looking. I have noticed a lot of people who sell caravans seem to have trouble with the English language.

Many of the caravan forums also have wanted and for sale columns. it might be worth checking those, there is also more chance of an enthusiast being the previous owner too and an honest sale.

[RPWC]

Join the caravan club,and or the camping and caravanning club, the caravan club publish a monthly magazine which has a classified section at the back, usually though the caravans offered would be out of your budget. However you do pick up some hints and tips from reading through it, they sometimes have restoration projects , that are updated each month. A damp level,of up to 8/ 10% is reasonable in an older caravan! anything above this would need addressing straight away. This information was given to me by a caravan dealer/repair agent. You also need to look for de lamination in the floor, that indicates damp too.