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Subject Topic: Damp/dry rot
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PersonClaire1986
via mobile 23/5/2023 at 8:17pm
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We have just bought an eriba and upon service were told the external walls are spongy meaning there has been damp at some point that is now dry rot. The service man reckoned it is extensive to repair at a rough estimate of £6000. What I want to know is, is it safe to use for the season before looking at either fixing it or selling it and also if anyone knows where it might be cheaper as £6000 is way out of our remit?


PersonFiona W
via mobile 24/5/2023 at 8:50am
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Did the report say “dry rot” specifically? This is very important & not a term to bandy about lightly. We’ve had first hand experience of dry rot treatment in our house after it was found in a neighbour’s property. It was expensive.
See https://www.petercox.com/our-services/dry-rot/ or other timber treatment websites - dry rot has a very distinctive musty smell; the timber affected has a distinctive pattern of cracking & typical fruiting bodies; it can affect other materials, not just wood (eg bricks) and critically, you have to cut out & remove affected material a distance of 1metre beyond what is cut out (which is how we were affected by our neighbour’s dry rot); it has spores like any fungus, so I wouldn’t use the caravan & breathe them in. Plus the chemical treatment of the sound material in this distance means evacuating people & pets & food for a period of several weeks.
So - did the surveyor write “dry rot”? Spongy just sounds like wet rot & there’s plenty of threads about that here on UKCS. If dry rot, I’d be looking reject the caravan as not fit for purpose, if you’re within the time limit. Or get a second report by a different engineer - the first one might be hoping to get the work he's costed for at £6K.

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PersonClaire1986
via mobile 24/5/2023 at 9:00am
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We didn't actually get the service done because the man came put and looked at caravan and showed my husband spongy areas. I wasn't there but my husband said dry rot. I will know more on Friday when I have had a chance to speak to the engineer myself. He also won't take the job on as its just him amd advised we get rid. It's a very old classic eriba which we really like so reluctant to get rid but also not worth paying £6000 to get fixed


Personmarg6
24/5/2023 at 9:34am
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it depends on your level of diy ability really, as caravans regardless of make and model are all built the same. wood frame with insulation, over external cladding with decorative finnish inside.

now if you have the room at home and the tools (basic wood working stuff) its not an expensive thing to put right. the £6000 you have been quoted will be about £300 max for materials and the rest is the labour charges

there is plenty of videos on how to fix, take a look at wizards repairs on here or youtube, we repaired our caravan front end in the storage yard with no access to power, and 12 months on its perfectly dry and you wouldnt know we had done anything it still looks original


Personbilly
via mobile 24/5/2023 at 9:42am
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Do you mean an Eriba touring with pop top ? What model is it ? These caravans do not have conventional construction. They have a steel frame & aluminium skin. If damp gets into body & rots steel frame then caravan is basically scrap unless you have skills & facilities to strip caravan completely & weld in new frame parts.

Floor can certainly rot. This is normal ply foam sandwich & if not too bad it is easiest to patch up with Isopon P40 glass fibre filler.

Crawl underneath is the steel frame & chassis members visibly rotten ?

Or is it the other type of Eriba ? More conventional construction ? If you have no diy skills then suggest you put caravan on eBay sell to highest bidder sold as seen no returns or refunds.

If caravan seems basically sound then you can probably use it. Just get the running gear serviced ie a chassis service which is cheaper than full service.

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PersonClaire1986
via mobile 24/5/2023 at 10:04am
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It's an eriba troll 1983 with pop top. That's what we thought which is why we bought it as less likely to get damp which is why I'm a but confused. He didn't say anything about the floor being damp but I have attached some pictures of a rusty bit under the bathroom that my husband took but the man said that just needs cleaning off and wasn't concerned


Personbilly
via mobile 24/5/2023 at 10:13am
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It is possible that there is rot in the steel frame further up body but if that is only visible rot on frame underneath then probably not. From what you write I would suggest your repairman has no experience of Eriba Tourings. So find another repair man.

I would guess the caravan is basically sound but unless pristine restoration an Eriba of that age will have some faults. What you need is a service man who will check your gas & electric is safe & running gear wheels brakes coupling are in working order. Your tyres should be less than about 6 years old as well.

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PersonClaire1986
via mobile 24/5/2023 at 10:46am
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He is the on site serviceman at the storage facility where the caravan is stored....that's not to say he has much experience of Eriba's but who knows. Will be going on Friday to speak directly with him, see for myself and take a really good look underneath. Are eribas usually soft walled? Tyres are fine, gas and electrics all work perfectly as we have used all. It has a few small things but given the age we were ok with that. I don't think we have the time, space or resources to DIY it as not great DIYers. We love the caravan itself and it's in great condition otherwise. Would really like to be able to keep it


Personmarg6
24/5/2023 at 11:08am
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when you say the tyres are fine what do you mean? no cracking? but what about the date of the tyres? they should not be older than 5 years and will need changing if they are even if they look fine.

i think you really should be looking down the lines of replacing it asap, while the market is good at this time of year. eribas have a good return on the price and have quite a following for them.


Personbilly
via mobile 24/5/2023 at 11:25am
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Eriba tourings of that age are soft ally skin. Glass wool insulation & ply interior walls. They might feel a bit soft. They are not conventional caravan construction. Just ask him to service the running gear & check electrics & gas are safe. If he won’t do it on that basis then other caravan service men are available.

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PersonFiona W
via mobile 24/5/2023 at 2:20pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Fiona W on 24/5/2023
Did the report say “dry rot” specifically? This is very important & not a term to bandy about lightly.
So - did the surveyor write “dry rot”?


Too late to edit my post, but you’re now saying that it’s not Dry Rot after all. That’s good.

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PersonClaire1986
via mobile 24/5/2023 at 4:50pm
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Ok thanks for the advice. He said he can still do the service but not much point if getting rid.


Personbilly
via mobile 25/5/2023 at 3:39am
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If the caravan appears ok I would get it serviced & use it. The outer aluminium skin may appear soft but that is normal for old Eribas. If the floor is sound & caravan is dry then damp is unlikely.

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Personbirder99
25/5/2023 at 2:07pm
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Try and borrow a small endoscope type inspection camera and have a look around under the ply, you should only need a hole about 10mm across to get the lens in. As Billy says the Eribas are a bit different to most caravans in their construction. To be honest they only times that I have seen 'dry rot' has been where wet rot has dried out.

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