News & Advice

Damp is a Very Common Problem in Motorhomes and Caravans

Most motorhome and caravan owners are aware of the problem of water ingress. But did you know that it affects nearly all motorhomes and caravans to some degree over their lifetime?

Why Does It Happen?

The obvious question is "Why does it happen?". Well actually, it's almost unavoidable. If you think of the construction of a motorhome or caravan, the habitation area is roughly a rectangular shaped box where the roof, floors and walls are joined together. That "Box" is then mounted on a moving chassis and exposed to the elements. Due to the stresses caused when on the move, regardless of the type of construction, inevitably at some point the seals along the joints of the "Box" are likely to fail.

What Can be Done About It?

Unfortunately there is no fail safe way from preventing joints and seals from leaking. Therefore, you have to employ a strategy of catching the problem early to minimise the cost and damage caused by damp. The only sure way of doing this is to have an annual damp check, which most people choose to do as part of a wider habitation check.

If you choose to "Keep an eye out for damp" yourself, there are a couple of things to be aware of. Firstly, if you can see a gap in a joint or seal, it is already too late. Long before it became big enough for you to see, there will have been water ingress. Secondly, whilst you can buy a damp meter to check for damp yourself, a DIY damp meter is very different to a professional one and the difference in readings between the two can be wildly different. Professional meters have to be regularly re-calibrated and will accurately detect signs of damp far sooner.

What Should I Do?

Firstly, before you buy any motorhome or caravan from anywhere, you should get a pre-purchase inspection done on it. Just because you are vigilant about damp doesn't mean the person that owned it before you, or the company selling it to you, are as well. This way you will avoid buying yourself an existing damp problem.

Secondly, you should have an annual damp check. It actually makes sense to have this done as part of your annual habitation check, both in terms of cost and of course, to ensure the safety of your motorhome or caravan. Yes, there is a cost to annual habitation checks. But if caught early, a damp repair may be as simple as replacing some sealant. If not, it can quickly escalate into a costly repair.

Once damp becomes established, an owner is faced with a dilemma. Ignore it and live with a damp, devaluing motorhome or caravan, or incur the cost of the repair - that's the unpleasant choice we try and help you avoid.

For more on what a caravan service includes click on mobile caravan servicing.

For motorhomes, click on motorhome habitation check.