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In the beginning..........
The all too familiar phrase of ‘Buyer beware’ was, as usual, not taken much notice of. That advice is what we give others, not what we do. The 10 year old ABI Marauder seemed like a bargain at just over £4000 including awning plus a load of extras. No obvious signs of damage. No musty smells and an assurance by the private seller that it had been serviced last year and there was no problem with damp. (I did ask). To our untrained and overly eager eyes it was well worth spending all of our savings money. My Wife’s dream of a caravan realised.
Arrangements were made for storage (our drive’s too small), the cash handed over and away we went. Further scrutiny when we got it back revealed nothing bad.
It was the following weekend that we ventured out with it. Everything worked as it should. Water, gas and electrical units as per text book. Awning was in great condition with no tears or really bad staining. All in all a great first time caravanning.
Oh woe is me!!!!!
I went to the storage compound a day or two after we’d parked it back there, to put some of our essentials in the Van. (The stuff we forgot on our first time out). It had been raining quite heavily the previous day but it didn’t cause concern as it had rained when we were out in it and there were no obvious signs of water ingress or damp. With our own limited experience of the caravan and believing what the seller had told us, there was no reason for the thought to enter my head.
I was rummaging around inside the front external locker when I first spotted the signs; crumbs of rotted wood beneath the front down spar. Closer inspection revealed a not insignificant missing section of wood beneath the aluminium sheet that covered it. The edges of the wood I could feel were sodden and crumbling away.
That area below the panel had been cleaned up so no telltale signs were present at the time of sale to betray a problem without very close scrutiny (or to someone with more sense). 55 years of age and still getting stitched up!
First thoughts: We’re stuffed! How big is the problem? How much will it cost to repair? Can it be repaired? Should I hire a hitman? In short, total panic.
Numerous hours of searching the net produced scary results. Professional repairs are not cheap and because of the nature of the beast, you cannot be given a proper estimate until the caravan has been completely checked from stem to stern. Could be something, won’t be nothing. Big money we do not have.
It rears its head....
 
The sheet peeled back reveals the rotting and sodden timber in the nearside bulkhead.
The naughty spot was in the lower corner of the bulkhead compartment. In the shadow.
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