# Worst Nightmare!



## LovesickFerret (Mar 20, 2012)

I have waited nearly three years for a motorhome. The longer I waited the more the savings dwindled and the more the price of motorhomes increased. So this year we decided to bite the bullet, go down to a lesser price bracket, different lay out and change our priorities. I must add I am physically challenged, my husband is my full time Carer and we have six small dogs who are always with us! Also I am too trusting and after this recent experience obviously a sucker as well!

We bought a used motorhome, privately and locally, from a lovely family who seemed very genuine. Today, after we had had the motorhome for two weeks just sitting on the drive whilst we waited for the Habitation Service, we found it had water ingress my worst nightmare and the main reason why I was so wary of purchasing a motorhome previously!

Today I have wept, my stress levels are through the roof and I am sick to my stomach. The man who did the Habitation Service said if only you had spent £30-40 on a damp meter you would not have had to go through this! During all my research I never read that recommendation anywhere. Maybe writing about my nightmare experience on here will stop someone else finding themselves in the same position. Our dream of getting me out of the house, as I am pretty much housebound, has gone up in smoke, we have a very large damp object sitting on our drive and we have very little savings left to our name! 

Please buy a damp meter when you go to buy a motorhome, be it used or new, private or dealer it will save you the pain we are feeling right now.

Jane ( Cornwall)

P.S. The beast that has let us down is a McLouis 410 (2002)


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## sqeek (Nov 25, 2007)

Chin up lady. You aren't the first and won't be the last with a damp motorhome. I
Surely it can be used pro tem as you / yours patch it up.


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## Grizzly (May 9, 2005)

Understandably you're so overcome by this disappointment after the build up to your new van that you've let it get you really down.

I suspect the lovely family who sold it to you were quite genuine and have been traveling around in this van unaware that it had damp problems. That means you, husband and dogs can do the same. There are many motorhomes on the road with damp panels. We had one for some time and knew nothing about it. It didn't affect our enjoyment of the van one little bit while we were using it.

Get packing and go off for a holiday. A few more weeks are not going to make a difference one way or the other. 

Don't beat yourself up about this. Even dealers with damp meters have difficulty agreeing on how much, where and if there was damp so even if you had a meter with you it's possible you'd not have found any.

The sun is going to shine and we're all going to have really remarkable weather; Quick ! Get out and enjoy it !

Good luck and have a super holiday.

G


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

So sorry to hear your story. Its an easy mistake to make for a newbie. I did exactly the same thing and I was told what to look for. couldnt smell damp or spot any squashy bits so assumed all was ok.

It wasnt until I noticed water coming out of one of the fittings in the wall in the Kitchen that I realised and so I got three opinions from mobile MH fitters.

Turned out the whole of one side where the kitchen is was damp and the floor beneath it. Here is the the thing though. It took me 4 years to get around doing it and we did 40000 miles all over Europe blissfully unaware how bad it was. Never smelt or caused a problem.

The other thing is the prices varied on fixing it from £1400 to £3500. I found a local guy who was mobile and he did the whole kitchen and part of the dinette for £1400. took him just over 2 weeks.

Where is the damp and how bad is it? Have you had any quotes? Get a second and third opinion and price to fix it.

All may not be lost! There are some good people on here who I am sure will try and help you.

I agree though. This issue when buying should be a massive sticky across the front of the forum for newbies to read!


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## Charisma (Apr 17, 2008)

We bought a brand new van which developed 'damp' in the floor (100%) and the electric step fell off after 18 months ownership, so I know how you feel.

Following that, we had nothing but damp problems all over the van and eventually after it had been back to the manufacturer twice and had a dealer fix it once, we part ex'd it for another manufacturers model which has also had some minor damp issues, but they have been fixed under warranty.

Its probable that most vans have some damp issues - most of which have not been detected yet.

If your seller was unaware of the damp when they sold it to you, had they had regular damp checks? If so, then the damp you now have discovered will be recent and not too serious hopefully.

Do you have the readings and where the damp has been found? There may be some guys on here that can offer some advice and save you some stress and money.

As has been said already, try and get away and start enjoying your van. Damp will not destroy a van in the short term.

Dave


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Right! Now is the time to get practical and not emotional.
Let us know where the damp meter shows a problem.
As already said, it is still a van that is no doubt habitable, or you would not have bought it.
I have in the past worked on my old van when I discovered serious rot beginning in a major support at the back. After removing the inner panel so that I could see the problem, it was not beyond the DIY stage of repair thank goodness (it is still running after more than 10 years since fixing it.
I assume that your van did not smell badly or you would not have bought it, so although damp has got in, it could be quite new.
It would be a good idea to stop any water getting in to begin with, if you are able to locate the entry point.
It could be possible that little or no damage has taken place...yet.
Stop looking on the negative side, it will get you nowhere, the problem has been identified and it is time to begin resolving it and not just thinking of throwing money at it.... yet!
If you know any other Motorhomer who lives nearby, they may be able to put you in contact with someone who has the skills and knowledge to advise you on your next move.
Good luck and try to be more positive about the van and its future.

Alan


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Have you yet discovered where and how bad your damp may be? There will be others who have had the same or similar problems who may have some answers for you.

Alan


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## LovesickFerret (Mar 20, 2012)

Thank you all for your replies, advice and support. All much appreciated, even the slap wrist for whining!

The worse damp is on the passenger side from the back/corner bathroom all the way along to passenger door, pretty much the whole of that side of the van! Also some high readings on offside at door of underbed locker area.

The chap who did the Habitation Service for us, whom we found from "The Approved Workshops" website, was very thorough, professional and helpful. His damp meter readings were between 16-60% in those areas. His report states that the ingress is probably through the roof rails and window rubbers! Apparently someone in the past has tried to do something about the roof rails as it is thick with sealant and a bit of a mess! We have asked if he will do the basic strip and reveal for us, not stripping all the walls as we could not afford that, and said it would cost between £500-£750. Unfortunately he cannot do the work until Nov/Dec as he is just too busy, he is also unsure if he can get somewhere undercover to tackle the work as he does not have his own premises! We are yet to find anyone else who may be able to help near to where we live, so if anyone lives in The Liskeard/Plymouth region and knows of anyone they can recommend we would be most grateful. Thanks.

Thanks again for all the replies. 

Jane (Cornwall)


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Perhaps I have missed something but what van have you bought?
I assume you bought privately and have no come-back from the seller, who unless they claimed it was 'damp-free' sold the van as seen.
Some vans do have a history of damp problems and a dealer worth his salt may know the least expensive route to putting it right or even know the most likely source of any damp ingress.
When the problem gets bad, you can often tell there is established damp because there are swollen or soft areas beginning to form and a rather musty smell from decaying materials, although BarryD did not have the bad smell. My old van did, especially noticeable in the cupboards.
Whatever the cause, you now need to protect it from adding any more water, it may still be in a state where it can be dried out without any permanent rot setting in.
I Googled motorhome body repairs Cornwall and got quite a list of company's who perform the kind of service you are looking for.
Try and stay positive, you still have a working van remember.
Alan


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## LovesickFerret (Mar 20, 2012)

Thank you, Alan. The van is a McLouis 410 (2002). 

According to the chap who did the Habitation Service they are renowned for water ingress! I have to take a lot of the blame for the position in which we find ourselves, as I am fastidious with detail and had it all planned to have the Habitation Service done BEFORE we purchased any M/H. Unfortunately I was so taken with her and the family selling her that I got carried away, thinking everything would be fine. Lesson learned.

I will put "Motorhome Body Repairs" into Google and see what comes up. Thanks for that.

Jane.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

If you use a big company they generally have bigger presmises which may make things easier BUT may be more expensive due to their overheads.

It is worth trying to get a quote first, NOT an estimate since AFAIK a quote is binding UNLESS you request extra work (I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong on that).

Get the idea of costs first and also ask them how urgently they think it should be done - it may well be that their advice dictates doing it at once, or waiting six months. As has been said before there are many MH around with damp where the owners are unaware or are aware and have decided not to do anything at present. 

IMO sealing the roof rails etc. to prevent further ingress is the most important part. It is also a good idea to get a second opinion since sometimes things may differ when another person does the same checks.....

Enjoy your MH now while you get these things sorted, we have all made mistakes in the past - "he/she that makes no mistakes, makes nothing!"

Dave


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Good advice Dave (Penquin).

As I mentioned we got three quotes which varied considerably. We then used the van all summer abroad and had the work done in the winter when we got back.

Your next task really is to get the quotes in. You need to find your motorhome Mr Fix it local to you. I would recommend my guy but we are a long way from you.

There are some good chaps around but finding them is difficult. I would suggest starting another thread on this forum and also some of the others looking for such a person in your area and see if you can get some recommendations from members. This is the best way to find a good repair expert / company. If people have had good service they are always keen to make a recommendation when asked.

I would do what we did. Get some quotes and leave it until the backend.


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## Dipod (Jan 24, 2016)

This almost exactly mimics our recent experience! But we have rolled up our sleeves, stripped out the interior front cupboards, water heater, etc and removed all rotten wood back to sound wood. This has taken weeks, but we are now on the replacement stage. The front roof seal was the site of the leak and water had run down inside and rotted the frame and floor in each front corner. All wood has now been replaced and the front roof seal will be screwed back on tomorrow, now that it has sound wood to screw into. It's a huge amount of work but low in cost of materials.


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