There have been numerous posts on this and other forums regarding cracks to front and/or rear panels on various makes of caravan, a very serious and expensive issue.
I wonder if somone could enlighten me?
Do they happen on both GRP and ABS panels, is one material more prone to failure?
When did they change from GRP to ABS, and for what reason?
Where on the van, and how long does it take for these cracks to appear?
Then finally do we know the reasons for said failures?
Hi Dave, The cracking that is the main cause of worry is happening to ABS panels,GRP panels sometimes suffer from cracks but this is usualy confined to the Gel coat surface & does not usualy penetrate enough to cause the damp faults suffered on ABS panels, the reason manufaturers changed from GRP to ABS im told is because GRP tends to dull down & fade but ABS retains it appearance & I suspect is cheaper to produce.
The spate of faults On ABS seem to be down to poor fitting methods such as failier to over size the screw fixing holes & ensuring that the panel is sress free when fixed in place,which is causing stress cracks which appear on the curve of the roof line front& rear just above the awning rail.& can take as long as 3/4 years to appear.How ever there does not appear to have been an independant investigation published, which results in secrecy & a non comital attitude from most manufactorers.the panels were produced by a 3rd party company who has now ceased to exist, there does seem to be documented evidence that the said company did issue warnings to the caravan makers on the issue of assembly methods used but as I said there is no official recognition of the problem,& most repairs are carried out under the warranty,IF you have one.
Cheers for that succinct and thorough reply old chap. That makes the whole can of worms a bit easier to understand. Strange though that there doesn't seem to be a recall or investigation programme to deal with any suspect units before water ingress shows itself.
ABS is an incredibly tough material, its what Lego bricks are made of. Perhaps now that they have had more experience working with it these problems will disapear in time. The company in Hull of which you speak is no more, were they the sole or main supplier to the industry and who is making them now?
Do we know if the replacements are a permanent fix, is there any likelyhood of it reappearing? Anybody had more than one of the same panel fitted?
it would seem that some caravan makers have purchased the moulds & tooling for their own models & will be producing the panels themselves. I do not know if another 3rd party source has been identified as yet.
there are posts on this website & others of cracks reappearing in replacement panels. the main dificulty with ABS is that is relativly brittle when used in large sheet form with a thickness of 2/3mm & is difficult to repair although it can be cold "Welded" I know one Bristol co can supply a repair kit but I think specialised knowledge is needed to do such repairs.
TD
imho its just faulty assembly worked with plastics in the motor component industry for many years.plastic will do everything you want it to do but if you do not work it right or over stretch or strain it it will crack.been so many cracking of late its a worry.i have slight cracking on mine under observation constantly,and the other panels are checked each week.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
Apart from collision damage this must be about the biggest and most expensive repair anyone with a fairly recent caravan could encounter. It must be the leading issue that caravaners dread, especially where the warranty cover has for whatever reason ceased.
With the amount of replacements carried out by now the manufacturers who are doing this remedial work must know the root cause. It seems so unfair that there is no admission of liability when that particular criteria is discovered in a van, warranty or no warranty.
Maybe I am just being naive and its not good business practice to admit a problem but problems do happen in the real world. The true value of a company's worth is only apparent when a problem occurs and how they resolve it.
The true value of a company's worth is only apparent when a problem occurs and how they resolve it.
feel sure the cracking problems finished avondale.unless you have a warranty the problem is yours attitude is wrong i my eyes.a caravan should last longer than 6 years before cracking.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
hi all my ACE JUBLEE is almost 3 years old, itis going in for its 3rd service next weekend, i told them last year of a crack on the front corner of roof where it meets the rail.was told it was OK.
i have spotted 2 more on the roof sheet but at the back ,again where it meets the awning rail should i be woried !!!!! "advice please"
thanks a anderson
------------- no day you learn something,is wasted
Sorry to hear that you have an impending problem with your Ace Jubilee my friend. I am personally not competent to offer much in the way of Tech Advice but my gut feeling is that you should be worried as its only going to get worse. Have you got warranty cover?
I totally agree with you Michael, how many of us here would entertain buying a caravan if we knew the outer shell would begin to crack up after say, three to six years?
In the not too distant past problems like this would happen to an individual who may just think it was bad luck that it should happen to him. The Trade of course would see a pattern develop but it probably wouldn't become public knowledge. However, with the advent of the internet and forums like this one, the buying public are much more informed and less likely to be fobbed off that it is an isolated incident and demand better treatment.
the caravan has full warranty for another 2months and body warranty for another 2 years+ . will see what the firm, whom i bought and have serviced from have to say.
patch up or "new roof" will try to let you know on here
again my thanks
andy
------------- no day you learn something,is wasted
I have just visited my local Bailey dealer just for a look at their new vans as one does,talking to the sales man the subject of cracking panels was brought up,He told me that all new panels were now arriving pre drilled & the screw holes were fitted with rubber inserts so the problem should now be solved.I asked what did he suggest if,like my self there was no longer a warranty. His suggestion was having the screws removed the holes over sized & rubber inserts fitted,then the cracks if there were any can be cold Welded. he added they had done this for a few customers & it seemed to have been a success I did'nt ask what the cost was though
Hi to all, we've got an Avondale Rialto 535/5 and have discovered three small patches in the caravan which are starting to read as damp (we've caught it early so no fingers going through soggy wallboards just yet but they still need replacing all the same). The three patches correspond exactly with three small stress cracks (two coming down from the rail on the back and one coming down from the rail on the front). We spotted the two cracks on the back wall the same day we brought it home (private purchase) and smothered them with Sikaflex as a temporary fix. The front crack has undoubtedly appeared sometime in the past 4 months (having only been away in the caravan 3 times on short journeys) and all have clearly let water in, albeit a relatively small amount. I would urge anyone to take quick action if you spot one of these stress cracks to prevent water creeping in as it has done with ours. Thanks! Natalie
Thats good news old chap. I suppose this fix is much cheaper to do than a complete panel change. Was it a solution that they had worked out themselves locally or did the salesman suggest that it was the industry wide standard cure? Any more insight as to what is involved with the "cold welding", is this a very specialist technique?
Sorry to hear of your plight too Natalie, it must be extremely worrying especially as the original manufacturer is unable to help or advise you. Have you a caravan cover you can use to keep the amount of water damage to a minimum?
The same manufacturer apparently also made shower trays, which are also prone to stress cracking, particularly around the plughole, and in the corners. We had our original tray replaced - and exactly the same fault developed within a very short time in the replacement. This was re-replaced at no cost, fortunately, the second time.
The presence of so much integrity impacting cracking on major panels of caravans is surely evidence enough that ABS is not fit for purpose.
In cars its used as "trim" not structurally or to retain the water tight integrity as in so many caravans.
Van makers are under no statutory obligation to do a recall as its not directly a safety issue.
The only way the makers will change is if we don't buy their products but select alternatives.
Hymer for years on their better range of vans, but not all, used aluminium for the critical panels, just as the sides.
The industry is unlikely to change until we are more selective on what we purchase. Unfortunately the new comers to caravanning will not know of this major failure issue, but those who have owned vans for a few years know what not to buy.
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Topic: Panel cracks, front & rear
