Hi everyone,
We recently bought a 1986 sprite musketeer on eBay for £600 including loads of useful bits and bobs, advertised as ready to go but as in so many other cases here, when we started rooting around, we kept uncovering horror upon horror, that buyer had allegedly been unaware of. So she's damp, naturally, but that seems to be fixable as we've exposed the wood panels beneath the fablon and are trying to dry it out. Second issue is the dry rot around the door frame, smelly, flakey & wood will need replacing. The van bows out at both sides leaving a visible gap at the floor. However, these seem like nothing compared to the front of the van, which seems to have completely dropped down over the chassis by about 5-10mm. Help! The wood beneath is rotten & I could just cry. Is this something you've dealt with and is it possible to somehow replace the wood support by hoisting van up or should we call it a day as it can never be repaired (cheaply)?
You guys seem to have so much experience amongst you, any tips would be very welcome. The Wizard's website is great for damp stuff but I fear this may be too big of a job & may not end well.
Thanks so much for reading.
Do you think I could expect a partial refund from seller since they duped us? Seems such a shame as internal fittings, units etc. are all sound. How much do you get for scrap anyway? Could sell on awning, fridge, cooker etc. I guess.
Thanks, amanda
As it's an 80's van I'd say rebuild isn't worth it. Even back to good health it'll never be worth more than the £600 you paid and that's probably after spending hundreds of both pounds and man hours.
Try for a refund. You could put it through the small claims court but personally I'd take it on the chin and try to part it out and sell the remaining shell for scrap.
Live and learn. Most of us with damp experience won't make the same mistake twice.
I think it all depends on how confident you are with wood work.
From what I have seen on here and my experience in the building trade the materials don't add up to a lot, it is possible you might have to buy a tool or two if you don't normally carry out this tyoe of work.
Add cost, labour, price you paid for van against value of same van in good condition.
Can you buy one in mint condition for less??
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Topic: Help! Fix or scrap?
