Repair or not? Help
after winter we noticed one wall of the caravan was spongy. We've had it checked out and it seems that the damage is extensive. One full wall and the back need full repair. We've had quotes for £2800 and £2500 to repair. My problem is that we love the caravan but it is a 2008 Avondale which is obviously getting up there in years And not worth a fortune. One workshop said it was worth £3000 so he wouldn't repair but I've looked online and see them mostly for £5000-£5500. Financially, We won't be able to buy another caravan for a couple of years and I can't imagine being without it but is it worth repairing this one. We were told that we could use it but it wouldn't be recommended and I don't want me two small children breathing in damp. Has anyone else had this amount of damage? Is it worth repairing? Any advice would be gratefully received
Comments
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I'm sorry to hear of your problem but it's something only you can decide.
I can’t help thinking you'd be wasting your money by repairing the van and you might strike lucky and find a van in fair condition for a similar amount.
Caravans for sale by dealers at around £5k will probably only have attracted a trade in price of £2k.
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First decide what you will do with the caravan if you don't repair. If the answer was to scrap it then provided that you are reasonably handy and prepared to have a go then it might be worthwhile investigating further regarding costs and extent.
Before undertaking any repair it would be necessary to reseal any likely leak points involving awning rail removals and reseals probably
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Hi Theleats. I can only sympathise with your dilemma. Avondale caravans used to be the final word in caravans but they suffered management problems and the quality went way down until they went bust around 2008 or so. Yours would be one of the later models. As Tinny says, only you can decide but before you do, you best ensure the Caravan is sound everywhere else- you wouldn’t want to get it repaired only to find out that somewhere else needed attention! I agree that you don’t want to be in a damp Caravan and it will only get worse. If it were me? I’d probably flog it to a repairer and take the hit for a couple of years. Better that than have a liability on your hands. You could always rent one for that holiday. Good luck in your search for another van.
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Thank you for your replies. I am worried about paying then something else going wrong. It's a tough decision. I'm worried about buying a new van that we find out has issues. One dealer tried to sell one of his Eldis vans of a similar year for £4000 which may be a good deal.
where do you sell a van with this issue? Any advice where to look for a good deal on a new van. I'm loathe to borrow to buy one but we are out in it all summer and my boys love it
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If you decide to sell the van as it is then try looking in the adverts in the back of caravan magazines, sometimes there are caravan wanted any condition adds in them. what they offer for your van may not be as much as you would want but it will get it off your hands.
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Hi there. I am just going through the same dilemma. I bought a 1997 Abi Dalesman last year and we love it. We've recently found damp but unsure how extensive it is so we've decided to have a look by taking it apart - carefully. I have found a link on the UK campsites website http://www.1carpc.co.uk/wcdr/ to a Fixed It club website of others rebuild projects. I think it is a very timely process. Luckily I have a retired hands on Dad who like a challenge :-) but I imagine with two boys time is not as easily available. However we have also contemplated selling as a project or to a caravan breaker. Good luck with making your decision.
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hi can you not live with a spongy wall for a while if al the other parts of the van is ok and give you more time to get a new van try not to rush into something you may regreat
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I am afraid the later Avondale models are very prone to damp so any now would be suspect. There is really no right or wrong answer to your problem as repairing may be a good answer or it might just be a waste of money if the damage turns out to be worse than it appears or more damp turns up elsewhere later.
Those advertising to buy them tend to give very low offers as they need to sell it on for a profit before or after a repair.
My preferred option would be to trade it in but that looks out of the question.
What it is worth depends on the model and year and you have not given that so difficult to be fully sure where to go but in general once a caravan gets damp then they always seem to be trouble.
Not sure when you bought it or where from but if a recent purchase from a dealer you might have a claim there.
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A 2008 model van isnt that old, I think with the figues you are talking I’d get some advice, buy a book look at some you tube videos and set about the job myself. What have you to loose, you dont want to use it damp, you’ll get peanuts if you try and sell/part ex it so give it a go.
im sure there are folk hee who have done something similar so ask questions along the way.
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Before you buy another van, don’t trust a dealer, get a local independent engineer to inspect your potential purchase. It may cost you a few quid but it may stop you buying a lemon. If the dealer isn’t happy having an independent inspection then walk away.
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Has the caravan been serviced recently? Surely they should have detected a problem before it got this extensive. If the van is at home, first step would be to cover it with a waterproof sheet, take out the soft furnishings and use a dehumidifier to see what its like after a few days of drying out.
Then when the weather improves. reseal it as a first step. As has been said, it could be useable as it is, after sealing the joints and drying it out
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