The trouble with damp, as soon as you discover it it's probably too late.
the water can run along the wooden frame and only show in the wall boards weeks/months later and can show many feet away from the leak
Yep, aware of that - what I mean is, what happens when damp sets in? Will the van literally drop to bits, or be structurally unsafe to tow?? Or is it just a cosmetic thing?
When damp sets in it's like cancer as it slowly rots the timber and spreads so it won't stay the same but just progressively get worse over time. The only solution is to repair before it gets any worse or wait and sell it for scrap value when it becomes unroadworthy.
To be honest I would not touch a van that knowingly had damp issues. Especially a " newish" one as you mention.
I would imagine you would still be paying thousands of pounds for a newish van. You are unable to see what damage has been done and what has been camouflaged.
Different if you pay under a £1000 and fix it yourself but not thousands of pounds... in my opinion.
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
If the inside looks reasonable then buy cheap and reseal outside, job done. To actually fall apart it would need to be pretty far gone and most caravans are not that. As long as seams are sealed and everywhere else like windows and grab handles then water can't get in so caravan can only become drier and better.
Didn't know if damp was just a cosmetic thing that wouldn't affect its use, that's all - like a 2nd-hand car with a big dent in the side (I.e.the dent isn't pretty, and ideally it wasn't there - but it was dirt cheap and everything else is bob-on with the car etc)
Hmmm, that's an interesting point you make Billy (our posts crossed then) - if the walls haven't gone spongy, and the point of ingress has since been resealed, do vans eventually dry out? Or are they permanently damp? :-/
They dry out, between outer skin and inner wall board you have wood frame and polystyrene foam insulation which is impervious to water, so its just the wood that has to dry out. With the money you save take a hol in sth France. Baking in direct 35deg sun all day soon dries them out.
I don't think its reasonable to indicate that once the "leaks" are fixed on the outside that all is well inside.
Not always the case with frame wood being so rotten that it has no real strength as has been shown on many restoration projects. Ok broadly speaking the van would not fall apart but its all down to what you want and what you pay!
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
Or you could hire an industrial dehumidifier and dry it from the inside out. Depends on how old the van is surely. Wood doesn't rot in a few weeks. Better to buy a cheap van knowing it's damp than a damp van dried out by an unscrupulous dealer for market value. If you buy it cheap and reseal it you are going to get some years of fun out of it. Like a car with a cat c against it.
I'm repairing a van at the moment that has damp in three places, I've started to take off one of the wall panels, it's amazing how far the water spreads from the point of ingress. Although looks as though the frame might survive this one.
I got the van at a great price and without the damp I wouldn't of got such a deal. I definitely think it's worth repairing if you have the time and the price is right.
Quote: Originally posted by Baileyjake on 28/8/2015Or you could hire an industrial dehumidifier and dry it from the inside out. Depends on how old the van is surely. Wood doesn't rot in a few weeks. Better to buy a cheap van knowing it's damp than a damp van dried out by an unscrupulous dealer for market value. If you buy it cheap and reseal it you are going to get some years of fun out of it. Like a car with a cat c against it.
I don't think the OP was thinking of buying a damp van a few weeks old. Newish was what was mentioned.
I think we all know that generally speaking damp will have done a fair bit of damage before it shows up on the inside of the van.
Which ever way you look at it buying a damp van will always be a risk, and as I said it all depends what you want and what you pay.
If you are a competent diy'r and you want to spend the time fixing a van up then yes you could get a bargain but you could get a nightmare.
Edit: The OP has also stated he is only looking to reseal awning rails etc, not renewing wall boards etc..
Post last edited on 29/08/2015 09:21:02
------------- It is a wise man who has something to say.
It is a fool who has to say something.
If a van shows damp reading although not visible and goes back to the factory wall boards are removed, timbers dried and any replaced if needed.If this is not done damp trapped inside has no way of escaping and will continue to rot.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Damp van - avoid full-stop?
