Top or full cover

LCrossan
LCrossan Forum Participant Posts: 1
edited May 2017 in Caravans #1

Hi all, just had our Bailey pageant magenta 2000 serviced all OK except damp in offside wall no smell or visual signs but it's there.This our first van and we are hooked intended trading in next year bur service guy said we could still get 4/5 years from it and there isn't really any trade in value. He suggested a top cover as it looks like the awning rail is the likely culprit.                               My question is am I better off with a full cover or top cover we let the van "breathe" in the winter whenever we can, any other advice to help keep the damp at bay ?                                                          Any help/ advice appreciated.

Lee

Comments

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,150 ✭✭✭
    10,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
    edited May 2017 #2

    Might it be an idea to remove the awning rail and replace it properly with new sealant rather than let the problem continue?

  • ValDa
    ValDa Forum Participant Posts: 3,004
    1000 Comments
    edited May 2017 #3

    I would also remove and reseal the awning rail, using new caravan sealant mastic strip and new stainless steel screws.  Our caravan is the same age as yours, and we've already done ours - even though our caravan has never leaked we intend to keep it as long as we can because we love it. Our reasoning was 'better safe than sorry'.  It's a time-consuming but not difficult job.  There will be videos to follow on Youtube.

    Doing the rail will mean you can stop worrying about the leak - because after all if you didn't do it, the leak would continue when you're using it, even if you use a cover of any sort whilst it's in storage.

    Our skylights have also been resealed............. and so has the top joint across the front windows.  Fortunately these jobs mean we still have a seventeen year old leak-free caravan.

    Once you've done the rail then I would recommend a full cover.  I would guess we've had ours for half the life of the van, and it's such a lovely feeling after a winter storage period, to remove the cover and see the van clean and streak free, rather than greenish at the top with black streaks down back, front and sides!  It's only a cheap one, fleecy lined, and from ebay, and has done no damage to windows or paintwork, and apart from one small rip when OH forgot to round a rough corner of the bottom rail, after snagging it somewhere, it's survived intact with all the straps and zips still functioning properly.

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