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Purchasers of a caravan do really not want to hear the word damp and it is a word that some sellers do not like to mention either!  Whilst damp doesn’t always mean a death warrant for a caravan, it can prove a very serious and costly problem for caravans if not professionally dealt with.

There is a link on the home page to a website which covers a range of points to consider when buying a caravan.  It is certainly worth a look at the page on damp in caravans – it is certainly a comprehsive guide: http://www.caravanbuyersguide.co.uk/interior.html

To summarise the 4 key points I consider a MUST when viewing or inspecting a possible caravan are the following:

VIEWING : Always ask the owner if they wouldn’t mind you looking around the caravan yourself.  You can then have a real good look inside cupboards, drawers, under seats, in the toilet and behind blinds…in comfort.  Also, try to bring someone with you – a second pair of eyes and a second opinion is always valuable.

EXTERIOR : Take a look at the seals around the windows, vents, door and windows.  If there is a clear and obvious sign of new sealant that doesn’t look professionally fitted, this may indicate an underlying problem.  Look underneath and see if the floor looks dry with no visible signs of wet or dark patches.

SMELL : Take a good, long sniff when you walk in the door and walk through the caravan.  If you get a musty or stale smell..this can be an immediate warning.  Now maybe the carvan has just been lying idle for a while without being properly aired but maybe not.  On the other hand, you might get an overpowering scent of air freshner…also, not such a good sign.  It might be masking another, more sinister problem.

SPONGINESS : This applies to floors, walls and ceilings (as a minimum).  Walk solidly on the floor and see if the floor feels anyway bouncy – again, nice new floor covering might be a bonus and great but could be covering up something serious.  You need to go around the caravan and check the walls by pressing on the panels firmly.  If there is damp, you will instantly feel a spring in the panelling and you may even see signs of damp (spotting, bubbling, peeling or lifting).  This can be most noticable in the corners (front and rear), under seats where the wall panels meet the floor, shower room and windows edges/surrounds.

Believe me, I speak from experience!  On one caravan viewing, I travelled over 3 hours to view a caravan whom the owner assured me on the telephone ‘…..that there was absolutely NO damp and that I would have to come and see it…immaculate inside and a real bargain’.  On my arrival, instantly the caravan in my sights seemed older than the age quoted in the advertisement.  He was a private seller and invited me to take a good look around and that I wouldn’t be disappointed.  I certainly did and it took me all of 5 minutes because the caravan was riddled with damp.  Evidence included new, very amateur,  sealant ALL around the main seals, a real dodgy smell on entering and every panel was spongy.  I was furious!  The owner claimed that he ‘did not know there was any damp, never had a problem with the caravan’ and thanked me for coming.

I left, uttering a few expletives and had to face the long, caravan-less journey home….but.. a lot wiser!

Love them or hate them….. Awnings or is it ’Y'awnings…..

A necessary purchase or not??  Families might say that they are an essential piece of caravanning ‘kit’, especially if you are holidaying in Ireland!  It cannot be argued that they do provide additional and valuable extra space and there is no right or wrong answer.  I think there are many considerations you need to take into account before investing, including:

1.  How long will you be spending on the site?

2.  Will you have help erecting the awning?

3.  Do you need it to provide additional sleeping accommodation or just extra space?

If you spend extended periods of time in one location, then an awning is very useful.  You need to consider weather, however, and consider whether you feel at ease leaving your awning erected while you are not around.  Some camp sites insist on awnings being taken down, if you are away from your caravan for a certain number of days as it is not their responsibility to keep them protected, minded or stopped from being wind-swept some night!

If you have a large caravan then….your awning (if it is a full size) will also be quite large, heavy and sometimes difficult enough to handle.  You will certainly need a few pairs of hands ‘on site’ to assist you getting it on your caravan.  A good alternative for short stays and for easy erection is a porch awning.  They provide valuable extra space for shoes etc., but can be taken down relatively easily if you are leaving or if high winds or adverse weather is expected.

All this debate aside, awnings are a part of some families’ caravanning experience because they need the extra sleeping space.  This being the case, it is essential that the awning you purchase is the correct size for your caravan and that you ensure that the skirts and groundsheets are fully in place.  Inner tents are also essential item to ensure privacy and another way of excluding drafts.

The trend, it would appear, is for families to opt for an awning whilst many older couples caravanning on their own may choose a good size caravan without the need for an awning.  For me, I have a very comfy 5 berth caravan (Swift/Ace Jubilee) and the full-size awning that came with it is HUGE!  So for me, its a porch awning eventhough I would park my caravan up for 4-6 weeks on the one caravan site in the summer.  Its handy to erect and easy to take down on my own if necessary.  It provides me with just enough extra space for the ‘beach equipment’ (buckets, spades etc) together with shoes and coats.  I also have a little table out there so that food preparation can be done outside too.

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