Damp found. Is it the end of the road for my new motorhome?

[Tilly 3]

Hello.

I just recently bought a motorhome from a private seller. It's a peugeot boxer wayfinder motorhome, year 2000.
When I viewed it, it looked great, It ticked all the boxes I was looking for! ...the right size & layout, everything working, It seemed clean and fresh, (at least, compared to some of the previous horrors I had seen).

The add said 'No Damp'! and it's also the first thing I asked before going to view it.

When I got it home, and climbed up into the sleeping area over the cab the next day, I found a damp spot under the mattress, on the left side, and a smaller one again on the right side. Part of the wall beside the larger spot is a little spongy also.

I feel a bit dumb! There had been no ladder to hand to climb up when viewing it, and the ceiling above the area that I could view, looked spotless.

I bought it from an older couple, ..they seemed honest. I don't know if they where even aware of the damp issue....although I have a feeling that some of the other more savvy viewer's would have pointed it out to them before I came along.

I am gutted, to be honest! I love the motorhome apart from this, and had great plains to decorate the Interior ..painting and reupholstering etc.

Now I don't know if to bother, Or if I should contact the seller and persist on trying to return it.

I feel sick about it.
I have a sinking feeling that the repair needed will end up costing me more than the value of it, and I don't have loads of money to start ploughing into repairs...

Can anybody advise me.
Is this a huge issue... or can It be affordably repaired? And Is it something that needs to be repaired Immediately?

This is my first motorhome, Its all new to me. I have no idea of the scale of the issue.. I don't know If this is the end of the road for my new motorhome or if some damp is just to be expected in a motorhome of this age.. :-?

 

[pappajohn]

If it is leaking it's an easy fix.
If the damp spots are under the mattress it's unlikely to be water ingress as there are no joints to leak under there.
As for the soft wall.....it won't be damp if there's no water staining on the fabric.
I think you're worrying for what is probably nothing.
If you're still unsure have a damp check by a reputable dealer......put your mind at rest.

 

[Figaro]

This is the second such post today.
Don't get too down over it, there is lots of useful help and advice on here.
I'll see if I can link to the other thread as some useful advice given there should help you.
Pictures of your motorhome would help

Here you are

Ultimate nightmare

I bought this motorhome 8 weeks ago, thought it was a bargain, only 19,800 miles even if it was 26 years old, and cost £8,500. A few days ago one of my grandsons asked to go up top, he is 7. There is a funny smell up here bampi he said. I eventually managed to remove the bed part, and lifted the...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Swifter]

Pictures please to see the extent of the damage .

 

[Itsmcb]

Strange to have damp spots under the mattress, as mentioned there is nothing to leak under there. Is the mattress damp at all? Assuming the photo is the same as yours there are only a few places above there to leak, the skylight would be favourite. I would start by removing the mattress and putting some newspaper all over the bed area and check when it's rained to see if you have any new wet patches. Above all don't panic, re-sealing around the skylight or even the edge trims is fairly easy with even limited DIY skills.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Tilly 3]

Thanks Pappajohn, Figaro and Swifter and itsmcb for your replys. Please see photos here...
I think ive found small holes onthe outside of the area also.. the skylight looks okay.

 

[dabhand]

Could it be condensation pooling from that window?

 

[Jamesh]

I think it's a simple job of taking out the loose sealant and replacing with a polymer sealant.

Any van of these age they are likely to have suffered some damp along the way.

 

[Tilly 3]

I'll try to check that dabhand, thnaks. Going to try itsmcb's suggestion of taking the matress up ans putting newspaper down to see where the wet comes form, when it rains.

 

[Swifter]

Nowhere near as bad as I had imagined! You had me worried earlier . This looks like an easy fix . Most importantly make sure you join up here . It’s £20 so the cost of one night camping. It’s worth the cost . Lots of us here ( including me ) have had some serious damp issues that we have dealt with and still continue to enjoy our vehicles .

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[PaulOH]

You haven't bought a pup and you can sort this!

Am dealing with ongoing water intrusion damage in the oh-cab area of a 30 year old van at the mo. You have to expect it with vans that are not new - yours is 22 years old!

I'm told about and have witnessed the flexing and vibration of the oh-cab area when you're traversing rougher surfaces and weird angle road junctions etc., it all gets transmitted upward and takes a toll on the joints.

The most important thing is water resistance. Even water damaged areas will dry and be ok provided no more water is getting in. I second the views about how it can be done DIY, but acquaint yourself with some youtube videos first - watch at least several and make sure you ask for a sealant that will suit the flexing nature of a van. Best rule of thumb is that you should never take something like your bodywork apart when you have no clear idea how you would put it back together!

I intend to post photos of my repair - might ask if I can do an article - when I get it organised!
Good luck

 

[Tilly 3]

Thank you evryone for your replys. I feel a lot calmer about now.


Ive only just spotted the tape on the photo on the outside.
I grabbed this photo from the original add.

I hadn't noticed before the black tape on the outside (see zoomed version also).
This tape was removed when I viewed the van, and collected it.

The tape is in the same area outside above the cab that I think I've now seen these little holes, and where the damp stains are appearing inside.

So these little holes that where covered with the tape.. looks the likely source of the problem?

:-z

 

[Swifter]

It does seem that way . The problem could have been solved with some Sikaflex but the previous owner seems to be a fan of gaffa tape lol .
Do you know how to seal that up ?

 

[Swifter]

The items you need are available from B&Q .
Basically you need sikaflex flexible sealant and a gun . Get that sealed up asap while the weather is good .

 

[PaulOH]

The sneaky ones! Do as Swifter suggests, ventilate the van as much as possible in the sun and be quick about it. Down the line, there may be some more work but for now, don't pull anything apart and go enjoy it!

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Lola Crossley]

Tilly 3 Listen to all the advice in addition to joining up. Looks a nice van, get stuck in, sort it & hit the road.

 

[chaser]

We had a van like that and found there was always condensation in the front corners and sometimes it wet the corners of the bed but that was it ,no leaks anywhere,and that could be what you have there.

 

[TDub49]

I'll try to check that dabhand, thnaks. Going to try itsmcb's suggestion of taking the matress up ans putting newspaper down to see where the wet comes form, when it rains.

Toilet tissue is a better indicator imo. Depending on how wet it gets, newspaper can dry out quite quickly and not show signs of having been wet whereas toilet tissue (or similar) tends to stay puckered even when it dries out. A light dusting of talcum powder can be used as a similar indicator if you are trying to trace the flow of a leak.

 

[tonka]

At 22 years old it will need TLC and especially old joints that may need re-sealing.
Condensation is not uncommon in the overcab bed area, I note it has a solid base, most modern vans now have slats to allow better airflow in that area.

 

[CazPaul]

Those gauges in the bodywork you show need attention, get some sealant on ASAP.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Minxy]

Those holes look like they've been drilled purposely as they are too 'round' to be random deterioration/damage, it makes me wonder if someone has done that to try to let water out?

Regardless it's not going to be a major job IMV and looks a nice little MH (we nearly bought one many years ago).

 

[Tilly 3]

up-date

I did seal up those little holes.

We headed away for the weekend.
There's been a lot of rain, and everything still feels try to the touch inside.
So I am praying that either my sealing job worked, or it maybe It was a problem that was resolved before it was sold.

When I did get up on the ladder for a closer look I thought I could see some white residue marks ...possibly from a previous sealant used.

Thank for all the good advice everyone