Is it possible to find an old caravan without damp? I have been looking for a caravan up to £2000. Sorry I can not afford much more. I have looked at ten so far in the last two months. All over the North of England. Advertised as no damp. You pick up a cushion and feel the walls at the bottom are spongy. The caravans checked so far are 1900 to 1998. New caravans seem to have much better sealing at windows and edges. I have a very dry 1998 Conway Crusader Folding Camper and am thinking about a caravan.
i wouldn't say ALL old 'vans have damp, just the majority of 'em,
at least thats the impression i got when we started our 'van hunt but that said i wasn't looking to spend anywhere near 2k. eventually found and bought a genuinely damp free 'van circa 1992, a little 2 berth avondale, which we have had for over a year now ,she's out in all weathers and still dry and damp free.
they are out there you just gotta look for 'em
------------- no tin tent outings booked as yet ,just another cruise in Sept' booked so far
There are decent older vans around in your price range you have just got to be prepared to look carefully. We found ours 3 1/2 years ago at a dealers.
When you find a good one you may just end up like us not wanting to let it go. We originally brought ours to try caravaning and perhaps upgrade later but we like doing little jobs on our old van and find the new vans don't interest us as our old girl is great fun and has every feature we want.
Try looking on the ads on here be prepared to travel
We originally brought ours to try caravaning and perhaps upgrade later
That was us too. We bought Bertha 2 years ago and never looked back. She is a 1999 Abbey Cabaret who is as dry as a bone.
the new vans don't interest us as our old girl is great fun and has every feature we want.
Absolutely. There is no need to spend eleventy zillion quid on a brand new van. Bertha has the perfect layout for us and does exactly what we want her to. If it ain't broke, why fix it?
You are more likely to find a small caravan that is dry than a larger one due to less body flex. Mine is 1980s & appears dry. I sealed any gaps I could find on the outside with sealant.
The only thing stopping water ingress is the sealant & this will tend to harden & degrade after 20yrs.
Look around for an old German built caravan like a Hobby or Burstner, these do tend to be better built so might be a better bet although these can be damp as well.
Mine is 33 years old and dry , it has double glazing but the chassis is an old steel c section type that needs painting to prevent rust , these older chassis are more supportive all around the body so I personally believe this type of build reduces the risk of flexing and leaking . There is only a toilet room and cold water supply but it is gas heated , has a good fridge and cooker with oven . Being small we use an awning which is 12 foot + x 8 foot for the extra room we like . Vans from 1980 on tend to use the Al-Ko type chassis and come with hot water and cassette toilet for more creature comforts but seem to be more susceptible to damp . Maybe looking at this time of year you will find a 1988 to 1995 van in your price range with minimal damp around a window or somewhere easy to get at that will be an easy off season fix or one that has been damp but re sealed by a good owner . Keep hunting , there will be a dry one somewhere close to you .
Thank you for your replies. I will keep looking. I am not in a hurry to find one. I would prefer one of a reasonable size with an end double bed and a fixed toilet. I am quite handy at DIY and would probably reseal everywhere and ad bits and pieces inside. I have not checked a Hobby yet and have not heard of Burstner. I will keep them in mind.
There are loads of dry older vans about in your price range. There are also some newer vans that have damp.
Keep looking and you will find what you want.
A bit of damp may not be a bad thing and if you are good at d.i.y and can reseal yourself away you go and it will reduce the price of maybe a newer van
Not saying completly rotten just sealant needing attention
hi our dora as i,v nicknamed her is a 1994 abbey solitaire in excellent nick for her year bone dry no damp. serviced every year by the previous owner, who was with the caravan club for 15 years. we are only the seconed owners.so glad we,v got her
Have you 'bone dryers' checked for spongyness around your windows. At the bottom of the walls and floor in your seat lockers. At the back of your cupboards. The floor under the edges of th caravan? The 'bone dryers' caravans I have looked at all had damp. Obvously I do hope yours is bone dry. When was the last time you checked?
Quote: Originally posted by frederico on 24/9/2011
Have you 'bone dryers' checked for spongyness around your windows. At the bottom of the walls and floor in your seat lockers. At the back of your cupboards. The floor under the edges of th caravan? The 'bone dryers' caravans I have looked at all had damp. Obvously I do hope yours is bone dry. When was the last time you checked?
Fred.
Last week. We bought a Protimeter Surveymaster (probes and ultrasonic non invasive damp detection) a while ago for a good price via ebay then used it.
Result from careful checking, no damp, no soft bits. Anywhere. Hopefully we can keep her this way.
Quote: Originally posted by frederico on 24/9/2011
Have you 'bone dryers' checked for spongyness around your windows. At the bottom of the walls and floor in your seat lockers. At the back of your cupboards. The floor under the edges of th caravan? The 'bone dryers' caravans I have looked at all had damp. Obvously I do hope yours is bone dry. When was the last time you checked?
Fred.
just today as it happens, our tin tent lives on our drive, so gets checked at least once amonth if not once a week ,and yes she's STILL bone dry and damp free ,even in the nooks and crannies with not a hint of spongeyness anywhere, wanna come and check yourself ?
------------- no tin tent outings booked as yet ,just another cruise in Sept' booked so far
Quote: Originally posted by frederico on 24/9/2011
Have you 'bone dryers' checked for spongyness around your windows. At the bottom of the walls and floor in your seat lockers. At the back of your cupboards. The floor under the edges of th caravan? The 'bone dryers' caravans I have looked at all had damp. Obvously I do hope yours is bone dry. When was the last time you checked?
Fred.
last week and the old girl is holding out great. even after the the realy heavy rain we have had recently.
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Topic: Have all old caravans got damp?
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Absolutely. There is no need to spend eleventy zillion quid on a brand new van. Bertha has the perfect layout for us and does exactly what we want her to. If it ain't broke, why fix it?
