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There are many different kinds of sealant, some can cost from as little as 99p right up to £17 per tube. i prefer a none drying bedding sealant as this does not become brittle.
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Copyright © 2007-2008 Caravan buyers guide
The exterior
Caravans can have hundreds of faults. Some are very minor and some are very serious. Don't let people distract you or hurry you up. Bring along a friend or family member so they can chat to the seller and this will give you plenty of time to inspect without distractions. When using our guide book which you can download here or from our download section, mark any faults with a X (including marks dents etc)
What am i looking for?
Well, any visible damage. This can include scratches, scrapes, dents, damaged plastic trim, broken or cracked windows, smashed lights etc. Don’t worry about remembering as we have a easy to follow guide and diagram to mark any damage.
So, if you are looking at a 5 year old caravan, it could be needing resealing very soon. Done professionally this could cost upto £250 so keep this in mind.
Oil based sealents should last about 5 years.
Acrylic compounds should last about 10 years.
Silicone based sealants will last about 20 years.
Of course, depending on weather variants and how the caravan has previously been stored, the sealant may dry out and could become rotten and crumble away. Ensure you give this a good visual check.
More on this matter below.
Windows are very expensive, make sure to look for cracks, chips or cracked windows, look for stickers covering damage.
Any Scrapes or dents will devalue the caravan substantially, so mark them all down. Also look out for stickers covering holes
Handles take a quite a bit of abuse so look out for loose and damaged handles and cracks around them.
Cracked and broken lights can cost anything from £5 to £125+. Also they are illegal, and can short out the electrics.
Look out for damaged trim or smashed plastics. These are usually around the front and rear corners of the caravan.
Look out for messy sealant around windows, doors, vents etc. It may be a sign that water has been getting in.
Algae in the filter, Has not been maintained at all. Probably £25-£45 for new part. Always check before drinking.
Faulty heater unit. The black smoke is a giveaway and is highly dangerous. Carbon Monoxide can kill, so don't take any chances.
Look out for splits in the metalwork, Caravan might be losing structural integrity. Avoid buying at all costs
Starting the checks.....
Before starting, go around the whole caravan and check the sealant. This is everywhere around the caravan joints as well as around the windows, toilet door, water pump, any vents and anywhere where there are metal runners. Look for gaps or dry and brittle sealant. If you find any dry sealant, its just not the part that you have found that may need to be replaced. It will probably mean that all of the sealant should be replaced. Why ? well it is a false economy to only replace one section of sealant as sooner or later the rest will have to be done and may end up costing more money or allow dampness to ingress as you have to keep constantly checking for other dry areas of sealant.
Now to start to inspect the outside. - If we are looking at the front, start at the left hand side first. When I inspect caravans I make sure I check everywhere. It should take up to 15 minutes for the outside. Don't be put off by sellers saying such things as ’those dents are age related or, ‘Its a old caravan, what do you expect?’
There are lots of different designs and shapes of caravans and it would be a near impossible task to give a precise guide for every one.
Whatever size or shape your caravan is, we have a universal diagram to suit your needs.
Take into consideration the age of the van and although a small amount of wear and tear is usually acceptable, damage is damage, whichever way you look at it and could be a sign of further, more serious issues.
A typical caravan seal. The seal should be a constant line with no gaps. Make sure to check around doors and widows too. Look out for plastic end trims not screwed in or stuck on with sealant.
1)Hitch and electrics- Make sure the hitch is not moving or you are able to spin it around (you should only be able to turn it approx. 3 to 4 cm either way. - Any further, could indicate that the hitch bolts are broken and this will affect the stability of the van when towing).
Check to see if the plugs are ok and not broken or cracked. There should be one grey (12v for fridge lights etc) and one black (for lights on rear.) Look out for handbrakes that are pointing into the air. They should have about 8 clicks to be fully on. Any more and the cable will need readjusting or possibly a new cable.
Make sure the hitch fits your car as there are different types. You may even have to buy a expander piece for your tow bar.
2)Front Storage- Look inside for the jack, wheel brace and gas bottles. Look up above and feel for any signs of damp or any signs of repair.
Make sure the spare tyre is ok.
3)Handles- Give these a tug to see if there is any movement or loose handles. Look out for cracks around the handles as this will let in water and cause damp within a short period of time.
4)Front windows- Check all windows for cracks, chips and breaks. Take your time as these can be easily missed. Look from different angles to get best view. If they are C.R.I.S registered make sure they all have the same numbers.
5) Side windows- As before, check for chips, cracks and smashed windows. Again, check to see if C.R.I.S numbers match.
6)Wheel- Check tyre and tread to see if road legal. Also check the walls of the tyres as these take quite a beating if the driver clips kerbs which is quite a common occurrence.
7)Door - Check the locks work with key and that the door closes and opens ok. Look for forced entry. Also look around bottom area for aluminium rot.
Usually, if there is any rot, then you are generally guaranteed dampness in the same place inside.
8) Aerial roof - most modern caravans have a status aerial. If you can see above, check to ensure that the seals are not broken. If you cant see from above, check inside on the ceiling to look for damp patches.
Top Tips
Don't just look at the caravan. Use your hands !
Feel the body work for lumps and bumps. When looking at windows look from different angles, not just the middle of the window. Check right up to the very ends as these are usually out of the line of vision. Look out for stickers on windows hiding cracks and chips. If unsure, check from inside.
Remember any caravan that's over 5 years old could have a faulty sealant problem, If the seller cant say for sure when it was sealed, or there is no documentation in the service history and you do buy, get a reseal done soon as possible
The legal limit for minimum depth of the tread on tyres is 1.6 millimetres across the central ¾ of the tread around the whole circumference of the tyre.
You can be awarded penalty points and fined for having tyres that are below this level.
9) Back window- look for cracks, chips and smashed windows. Once more, check to see C.R.I.S number is the same as the rest.
10) Lights- Check lights for cracks. If in doubt, ask to see working. Look for cracks around lights also, as this will let in water and cause dampness.
11) Handles- look for damage and give a light tug to make sure they are safe, look for damage around the back area, cracks etc.
12) Corners- Almost every caravan gets caught on the corners when reversing, so check BOTH back corners for damage or any cracks or smashed areas. Look for stickers covering damage.
13) Cassette toilet- Open up and have a look. Remove the bottom waste part (if unsure ask owner to do it for you) look for leaks and damage.
14) Wheels- As before, Check tyre and tread to see if road legal.
Also check the walls of the tyres.
15) Leisure battery- Check that the battery is working. A good tip is to look for bulging sides. This is a indication that the battery is broken as most people either neglect or forget to charge their battery over the winter months.
A new battery can cost between £35 to £80, so remember that if you don't see it working, then assume it may be faulty.
16) Windows- Check for damage once more.
17) Carver heater and water pump- Look for any black smoke around the flue. If it has been re-painted white or a new one fitted, then this could be an indication of carbon monoxide and means that the control unit is malfunctioning or is faulty. This is quite costly to fix (around £90 to £120 for the part) and probably up to the same amount to fit it. Ask to see boiler working. Check that the water is hot and check outside for black smoke. Open the water flap and look for damage or cracks. Look at the filter for algae etc. This is a indication of poor maintenance. A full water housing can cost around the £50 mark. (buying just the casing is cheaper) and will cost about £45 to fit.
Under the caravan.
This is the most unchecked area when anyone buys a caravan, but one of the most important.
It may look fantastic from the outside but underneath can be a totally different story. Time to get that torch ready.There are common places for doors to rot, and these areas are marked below. As you can imagine, anywhere where there is water contact is a prospective area for damp and rot. The usual places to check are under the bathroom, kitchen area, toilet, boiler area and anywhere that water drains away when its raining.
What am I looking for?
Any bits of floor rotting away, very soft patches, (If you press your finger against it water may squirt out) Look out for painted areas and patches stuck over rot.
Here are some photos of damage you may expect to find when viewing a caravan
Example :- A spongy floor that has tried to be repaired with this botch job. Seriously, did he think no one would have checked?
A rotten floor:- The floor had damp, then rot set in. Remove any mats that are there and feel for movement or sponginess in the floor.
The floor
Once you have your torch ready, work from the right front of the van to right back area checking every part of the floor. You should knock with a closed fist (as if you were knocking a door) Also look out for painted areas and patches to cover and hide damp. The noise should sound solid. Follow this up with a push on the floor with your fingers. There should be very little movement at all.
The floor should feel firm. Look out for wet or damp areas that push in a fair amount and leave a deep imprint. Remember, the floor will get wet due to rain etc so a damp meter will give false warnings.
Repeat on left side of the van paying special attention to where the kitchen, toilet and boiler area are, as these are the most common places for leaks.The areas marked in a red circle are most common areas for damp and rot setting in so pay particular attention to these.
The Age
There are a few ways to tell the age. Firstly, there should be a plate somewhere on the nearside of the caravan ( the side with the door).
There are 4 places where this can be located. (pictured right) Firstly, besides the lower part of the door, secondly on the chassis under the door. If its still not there, follow the chassis towards the front of the caravan. If not there, look in the front storage section.
Lastly, look around the inside of the door inside the caravan. If you cant find it then it has been removed sometime in its life. Possibly to hide the true age. Next, look around the windows for coded etchings. The last 2 numbers will signify the year of manufacture. (if not C.R.I.S registered )Don’t always go by the service books or manuals, as these can be picked up on auction sites for a few pounds.
Why would someone go to that amount of effort ? Simple. Buy the books for a few pounds and make the caravan seem younger and gain hundreds.
The only safe way to identify the age is to have a C.R.I.S registered caravan.This is what the V.I.N. (pictured right) plate will look like. (The chassis numbers have been blurred for security reasons) The top corner should have 2 or 3 letters and 2 numbers. The first letters stand for the manufacturer (i.e. EL elddis , AB abi etc ) and the last 2 are the year, so in this instance, the caravan is a elddis 1989 model. (some other handy information is here too, like the kerb weight and V.I.N)
Some more information about C.R.I.S
C.R.I.S (Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme). is the national register of touring caravans, which was established in 1992 by the National Caravan Council. All caravans manufactured since 1992 by NCC members are recorded on the CRiS database by their unique 17 digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
CRiS Numbers explained
You can also use the CRiS number to check some details on the caravan yourself. To help explain what the CRiS number means,
here we have the code and related year
N=92 P=93 R=94 S=95 T=96 V=97 W=98 X=99 Y=2000 1=2001 2=2002 3=2003 4=2004 5=2005 6 = 2006 7=2007 8 =2008
take for example the number below:
FGAT000AV50001234
FGAT000AV50001234 Year of manufacture (5 = 2005) -
If the Vin was FGAT000AVP0001234 then the caravan is a 1993 model
Another thing to take in to consideration is the sealant. (the important stuff that keeps the caravan water tight.)
Things to remember are:- (as a general rule of thumb)
What a floor should look like :- No dark patches or wet areas. Make sure to check right up to the edges for soft spots and rot
Here are some photos of what damage you may find when viewing a caravan
This is what a hitch with a built in stabiliser looks like. This is a more preferred type of hitch (above). These retail for around £300 and are more desirable when buying your new caravan.
