Draughty, mouldy rooflights
Hi all,
Is it me? To explain, my wife and I bought a new caravan 2 years ago.
Last October, in a high wind, I noticed that the roof blinds over the rooflights were ‘flapping’.
I checked to make sure the lights were properly closed then made a mental note to report ‘poor seals’ on the next service.
In January this year I noticed that small black smudges were on the underside of the blinds, all 3 of them.
I tried to clean it off and only succeeded in smudging them.
I then noticed small amounts of debris and dirt on the topside of the
blinds as well as further mould.
A second attempt at cleaning by Chris, my wife, was unsuccessful.
At the second service we reported this to the dealer and were told that all rooflights now had ‘breather holes’ to allow for air circulation.
We said we were not happy about that as it was obvious to us that damp air ingress had caused the damp spoors on all roof blinds.
The dealer then agreed to file a claim to the manufacturer.
We heard from the dealer yesterday that a reply from the manufacturer states that exclusions in the warranty are ‘mould’ and ‘forces of nature’. They therefore decline the claim with an aside
that they have not had any other complaints. If you know of this happening elsewhere I would appreciate feedback.
My point is that the manufacturer is not denying that the cause of the mould is the breather holes in the skylights.
I am also aware that the force of gravity dictates that water falls downwards.
Combine that with wind, or even just a damp atmosphere, and these new rooflights result in mould.
Is this acceptable?
What was the sudden need for draughty air holes? Has this now become the norm?
Please let me know of your experiences. I mean to fight this one.
My wife and I have camped since 1960 and caravanned in 7 caravans since 1980, the last 3 bought new.
I am an ex-scoutleader of 12 ½ yrs experience. My dealer has always proven to be helpful and efficient and I regret the lack of contact with the manufacturer, who is protected far too much by the dealer in
these circumstances where I believe the maker to be at fault.
What recourse do I have?
Do you know? I have never experienced this problem in any of our vans.
I hope you are able to advise us on a course of action.
Many kind regards, Tony Dean
cc. Copy in letter form to Caravan Club Magazine