What's the process for repairing severe damp in a motorhome roof?

[The_Kraken]

Ahhhhh.....what happened in the end here?

 

[Wee Bold Davy]

No idea. It's a bit like watching a movie and getting a power-cut ten minutes from the end!

 

[treetops1]

I would just like to make a point.The damp that is in the roof and a suggestion has being put forward that the ingress of water started at the bottom of the door and worked its way up to the roof .IMPOSSIBLE.Water cannot climb to that high .CAPILLARY attraction of water cannot go that high ,one metre is about the maximum it can soak upwards .Any water higher than that is coming DOWN. Law in physics impossible ,that is why when a house is flooded ,plaster is remove a metre high to allow to dry out.The water in this van will be coming down from high level ,windows or roof. I strongly suspect the roof. Personally I would send it back and ask for a refund or a replacement.Hope all goes well for the couple.

 

[TheBig1]

@The_Kraken started a new thread to document the work

Ahhhhh.....what happened in the end here?

No idea. It's a bit like watching a movie and getting a power-cut ten minutes from the end!

oops wrong thread

 

[dabhand]

He had it repaired I think see here.
https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/foru...ting-our-legal-advice-on-our-motorhome.92426/

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[thebriars]

You're absolutely right!


That's the nub of the matter and reason I asked the question about what needs to be done.
Do I really want a motorhome that's essentially been de-constructed and then re-constructed? I suppose you could argue what a fantastic "new" motorhome that would be then, but we don't really expect to buy something like this new and be happy with it being virtually taken apart to make it "proper" during it's first year.
I'd love it be replaced by a new one but have I any real grounds for expecting this?

I don't have an issue with the brand, I still like it and my relationship with the converter and dealer is still good, however it's taken over my life these past few months.

Well, just been there and got the tee shirt, not with a motorhome, but a caravan. New Elddis bought last Christmas. It started falling apart the first time we used it, and after a month of use and already one repair to the structure, the roof started to collapse. I used the Consumer Rights Act to get redress. Sadly my dealer was a real cowboy and would not even discuss the problems with us. In the end I used a solicitor and they got a sensible redress. Had I had a decent dealer, I might have exchanged it for another new van of a different make, but as it was money was the only option.

If you want to reject the motorhome you have to reject it! You can't use it otherwise that will be construed as acceptance of it with its faults.. Sounds to me as if the solicitor is not sure of himself! Make sure you get someone who knows what they are doing. You need someone from a large regional firm which has specialist departments - you need one from the commercial department. Ask for a list of the cases they have dealt with under the Sale of Goods act. One of your problems is going to be the handover of the motorhome in exchange for your money back. You might have to put yourself at risk here!

The solicitor is quite sure of himself. We came across this too, and it is a condition of the legal insurance. They will only fight the case if you have a better than even chance of winning, AND the dealer has sufficient cash flow to pay up when you win.

In my case it took 5 months of trying to negotiate with the cowboys (Catterick Caravans) who would not respond at all before a solicitor eventually sorted it. Yes it is incredibly stressful, but it had to be done.

Incidentally its not the Sale of Goods act but the Consumer Rights Act 2015 which is the law today. Its very powerful and I think when a few more follow its guidance and seek redress, maybe some of the dreadful manufacturers and dealers will either go out of business or start to build decent caravans and motorhomes.

As for putting yourself at risk, this is simply not true. An agreement was drawn up between our solicitor and theirs, outlining the terms of the return. I simply returned the caravan to the dealer, got a signed receipt and the money was sent to the solicitor who deducted their fees and passed the rest on to me. This was actually the easiest part and on returning the van the dealer barely looked at it before handing over the receipt acknowledging it was all complete. Once the agreement was in place, the dealer had no option but to pay up.

 

[thebriars]

And do you seriously think that any dealer would take in an 11 month old motorhome worth 40k in a p/exch without giving it a good check over?

I've seen some bad advice in my time but seriously that's up there with the worst

My lemon of a caravan was actually sold on to another dealer at 11 months old with all its many faults still evident and no repairs done and was then bought by some unsuspecting customer. By a happy chance of fate he got in contact with me and discovered the vans history and promptly returned it.

Yes, obviously dealers don't always check them over.

 

[buttons]

Not sure how to resolve your repair problem but an umbrella inside the hab door could help short term.