Damp
Hi we have a series 5 ranger and during the service this week they found a 50% damp reading in the front top near side corner. They are going to monitor it. There are no visible cracks in the front panel.Would like to know if anybody has any ideas please.
Comments
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At 50% it needs remedial action NOT monitoring.
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Approved Workshop Scheme Guidance Notes
Readings between 0 - 15% are not a cause for concern.
GUIDANCE NOTES
Readings between 15 - 20% may require further
investigation when compared with the average of all
readings taken. Consideration should be given to
re-checking the area in three months.
Readings greater than 20% will identify areas needing
remedial work. There may be early signs of water
ingress or evidence of moisture. Again, consideration
should be given to re-checking the area in three months.
When readings go above 30% structural damage may
be occurring and deterioration is inevitable.2 -
Yes we have had it for just over three years. Ther is no other problem with it. The last van we had was a bailey Avalon that we bought brand new in 1993 and traded it in three years ago. We decided not to buy a new bailey because of all the damp problems people have had .
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It has just been serviced by an approved workshop. I do have the full damp report as usual and it shows between 12% and 15% everywhere apart from a area approx 4 square inches directly below the strip that joins the front panel to the roof..You can't see a stain or a damp mark and it does'nt feel damp but is came up with a 50% reading. It goes in in 10 days to have the roof strap removed ,cleaned up all the old silicone removed and then refitted and revealed with new silicone. Hopefully that should be the end of it.
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I have an Extech MO257
It is a very good non invasive tester and cheaper than the industry standard Protimeter Aquant or Surveymaster which are considered the best on the market.
You have to know how to use these type of meter though, they give false alarms when picking up strengthening within a sandwich construction, or embedded cables for example. If you didn’t know this you would have a panic every time you used it. They are good for finding suspected areas of damp but should always be followed up with a pin type meter for more accuracy. I have a fairly cheap pin meter bought off eBay for around £20 but it is quite accurate.
Approx once every two months, usually when away at a site, I go over the whole van with the Extech, checking all corners, around windows joints, around access hatches etc. All the usual places where moisture is likely to enter. If i’m unsure about a false alarm I may be getting, check with the pin meter but only if very unsure, don’t want holes left all over the van.
The Extech MO280 is a cheaper alternative non invasive meter at around £100 and receives good reviews, may be worth a punt
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No problem, it seems the inductive pinless technology is drifting down to cheaper price points now. A search on eBay for ‘pinless moisture meter’ is bringing up some products between £20 and £50 which was never the case a few years ago.
Cant vouch for there ability but at least they are becoming cheaper. Great for regular checking as IMO, an annual damp test is often too late. Best to catch ingress early as possible.
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I worked at a caravan dealers for three years after retirement handling part exchanges and the only meter we would use is the Protimeter. The great benefit is that the display is visual. On many occasions I have checked a part exchange which on the face of it is completely dry and found damp in the usual suspect areas, around the toilet, corners of the awning rail and window apertures. What I particularly liked was the colour coding : green for fine, yellow for a little suspect and red for immediate action. However the readings do need interpretation. If when when checking around a front window the whole area is green, except for a small area of yellow, new window rubbers and resealing should sort that out. However if the whole of one side is reading yellow then that requires looking at quickly since in six months time it could be red. I have purchased my own Protimeter for peace of mind and every three months do a quick damp check. If putting a caravan into storage for the Winter I would certainly have it checked and again in the Spring.
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