Damp can, and does, have devastating effects.
At its extreme, the whole structure of a caravan or motorhome can be weakened and the vehicle become dangerous when travelling on a road. There are three basic ways to combat damp: (Click on each to see what can be done).
Prevention/Detection
Professional Repair
The well known saying, 'prevention is better than cure' is also very relevant to dampness in caravans. Before looking at how damp can be prevented, it is important to look at how it gets into caravans and motorhomes. Sources of Damp include:
The advice regarding prevention is simple:
If there is any sign of damage or possible ways of water getting into joints and seals, GET THE JOINTS PROFESSIONALLY REPAIRED - STRAIGHT AWAY
Get your Caravan or motorhome checked for damp at least every year; AND after any damage is noted.
ADVICE:
If there are any signs of the above, get your Caravan or motorhome checked for damp by a professional caravan repair centre - LEAVE IT AND ANY DAMP WILL GET WORSE.
If prevention has not worked and early detection has not allowed for a simple repair; the experienced staff at Aycliffe Coachworks can undertake the most complex repair at competitive prices.
This 7 year old caravan was brought to Aycliffe Coachworks for a repair that was unrelated to damp. Unfortunately, or fortunately (which ever way you look at it), the area surrounding the unrelated repair was damp and the wood was rotten. Further investigation revealed the extent of the damage and the bad news was broken to the customer. It transpired that the customer had only bought the caravan 3-4 months earlier through a private sale and was devastated when they saw the extent of the damp. The good news is that the caravan is now fully repaired and is safe to tow.
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The caravan shown in case B was only 3 years old when damp was detected by a larger company who brought it to Aycliffe Coachworks for a professional repair. There was no doubt that the caravan had been leaking for some time and that it had undergone a 'poor repair'. This repair had replaced an internal wallboard and attempted to seal the external joints without taking them apart. The internal timbers were probably not allowed to dry and water was still entering the caravan structure through a broken seal in the top left hand side of the first photograph. The second photograph shows the dry, re-newed timber before a new wallboard was fitted.
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In case C the 14 year old caravan was owned by an elderly gentleman and was of great sentimental value to him. He had noticed some small patches of damp and had started to repair them himself. When he realised the extent of the damp he brought the van to Aycliffe Coachworks for a repair, that sadly, cost more than the monetary value of the caravan. However, due to the sentimental value of the caravan, the owner chose to have it repaired.
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The effects of a small leak on a caravan or mortorhome can be drastic. Although some cases on this webpage demonstrate this, a visit to Wizzards Caravan Repairs will show the devastating effect damp can have if caravans and motorhomes are not regularly serviced, checked for damp, and preventative action taken.