Thanks for all your comments and for sharing your experiences. I've been overwhelmed by the response. If you haven't done so already please could you kindly subscribe to the channel. It would really be appreciated 😊
I really feel for you mate. We had an issue with our main dealer when we bought our brand new Bailey Pursuit back in 2017. We had it 2 years with no issues and it was serviced by the supplying dealer for those first two services. 3 weeks after we had the second service which we were given a clean bill of health for, we decided to part exchange it for a new one. This was with a different dealer. On dropping off the Pursuit we were told the front end had 80% damp right across the front end. This was given a report of only 18% across the front!!! Dealers are crooks!!!
We have a 2008 Bailey Senator Indiana caravan. It is stored in my shed when we are not touring and to date no sign of any damp. I practice preventative maintenance and I regularly check all sealant joints and at 10yrs old I replaced the sealant in the joints where accessible. The front locker has no ply type flooring but a recessed plastic tray across the entire front with several vents in it for glass bottle storage. We live in New Zealand and our weather varies from snow to torrential downpours and up to 35 degrees C and our roads can be pretty rough in places. I have towed the van over every mountain pass in NZ several times and the Van has survived to date with some minor repairs to cabinetry etc all done by myself as a Retired chippy. I believe that anyone buying a caravan should store it under cover if you don't want leak headaches.
I used to make motorhomes and i can honestly say when buying British units,be it motorhome or caravan, you will be VERY LUCKY not to experience damp. The main bodyshell of any unit is too rigid so cracks will appear eventually on back panels and roof lights. Elddis had major issues with leaking rooflights because of their 'Solid' construction. Basically Solid construction methods made their units again too rigid, thus they had or still have issues with cracking plastic frames. On the whole British made vans are not in the same league as Adria or hymer for building quality. 10 year water ingress warranties ONLY apply to the main bodyshell of the unit.
We purchased a brand new Unicorn Valencia back in 2011, the Alu-tech was brand new that year so was ‘innovative’ as it apparently meant that this new design wouldn’t let wet in as previous designs. We had the same issue with the damp floor after only a few years. It went back to Bailey to be repaired and when we got it back they had damaged other bits in the van, a chunk out of the toilet and a scrape where they pushed a cupboard unit back in. We exchanged that for a brand new Valencia in 2016. This one wasn’t too bad, the only problem this time was the roof strap leaked but we could see the water running down the wall and, as it wasn’t hidden, we noticed it straightaway and got it fixed. We decided to trade this one in 2022 to a brand new Vigo. What a mistake! We have had this one 18 months and had the specified service done. In October we looked under the front seats and lo and behold! a floor, black with mould and visible water ingress, which has also blown the front drawer unit. Bailey have already agreed to replace the front blinds under warranty, which are absolute rubbish, unfortunately with the same blinds, they have improved the blinds in the 2024 models. Now back at dealers for a damp assessment. We will be interested in the outcome.
I bought a 2011 sterling eccles quartz and after 11 months we found damp at the rear of the caravan on both sides in the bedroom. Out dealer took the caravan in a month or so after we told him and asked us to seal where we could until we brought the caravan in. He is now repairing it under the year warranty he gave us at purchase and that repair when it is completed will be covered for another year, at no extra cost to me. The leakagecwas from the awning rails on both sides from where it was initially connected at manufacture and small micro cracks have propagated with the natural movement of the caravan in transit. I haven't got the caravan back yet, but so far he seems to be fair and equitable, obviously trying to preserve his good reputation.
update - our dealer took our caravan in. Then his repair team removed the awning rails and they actually found that the sealant underneath the awning rails, on both sides, had shrunk and dried out with age, allowing water ingress. They then replaced the sealant and replaced the awning rails as well as replacing water damaged panels on both sides of the caravan at low level, where the water had collected. We have since been away in horrendously wet weather over a couple of days, with no sign of further leakage. Very satisfied customer so far. The dealer said that if it was not under warranty, it would have cost me north of £2000 to repair.
Sorry to hear about your damp , when bailey started with this idea of aluminium framed caravans bailey soon discovered that the aluminium corner rails caused condensation & this caused the floor to rot. So serious was the problem bailey brought back mainy of the first batch of affected vans & scrapped them , hope you get the problem sorted.😮
There is an industry wide conspiracy to hide the inevitability of damp ingress in caravans and it runs through the clubs and caravan magazines too. Caravans are now phenomenally expensive but are sold on the assumption that they are an investment that will last for decades. That may be true of motorcaravans but not caravans which are poorly engineered using sub-standard materials. Unlike motorcaravans, Caravans twist and shear when driven on the road. This opens up the seams and lets in water which pools down at the edges of the floor. This floor should be made from Marine Ply but is actually the type of cheapo plywood used to batten down doors and windows on building sites. If Marine Ply was used and the end grain protected then even if water got onto it it would not cause delamination of the wood and be eminiently repairable but even though you may be paying 30K for your caravan the mfgs only expect it to last for the life of your hire-purchase agreement. In 1984 we purchaed a 10 year old Lunar Clubman caravan and I resealed all the joints and capings. I also checked under the van for the floor which was at that time very sound. I could no ttell whether it was made from Marine Ply but just in case I coated the entire surface of the underfloor with waxoyl as well as the chassis etc. Ten years later I discovered that water from wheel spray had been pushed to the back of the van and started delaminating the plywood floor. The Waxoyl had worked on all the flat bits but the rainwater had seeped into the end grain and moved along inside delaminating the floor above into a spongy mess. This would not happen with Marine Ply. I don't suppose we can expect a caravan to last for ever but we should expect that regular professional engineering is used to fabricate them, it would perhaps add an extra couple of hundred pounds to the cost - a pittance compared with the astronomical costs of caravans today. The NCC should be calling this out and demanding thicker topside marine ply veneers to strengthen all caravan floors, as part of their specifications but they refuse to do so. It is a scandal. I made some temporary repairs to our beloved Lunar Clubman which gave us a couple of seasons reprieve but when the floor went spongy as you stepped through the entrance door it went to the caravan graveyard.
I brought my first ever caravan just over a month ago, before i even looked at one, i armed myself with a damp meter and went over the whole thing. Its an older Bailey from 2007, not a bit of damp anywhere, but I'll be going over the entire outside and ripping out and replacing all sealer in any joints, around windows and anywhere else that needs it. I used to build caravans so i know how cheaply built they are, but the important thing is to go in with eyes wide open and mitigate where possible.
I know how you feel Charlie. I just traded in my 2015 Elddis Crusader Storm (SOLID construction) for a brand new caravan. To my mind and according to a local mobile service company a few months ago, the Elddis was near immaculate and showed absolutely no signs of damp. Fast forward to the new van collection date (two weeks ago). The dealer inspected my trade-in, according to them the floor was well damp and needed replacing at at an estimated cost of about 6 or 7 thousand pounds. There were NO visible signs or smell of damp but the dealers meter probes through the vinyl flooring showed up to 50% moisture. The thing is, my van was used for about 8 weeks total in its life. It was always heated and aired through winter and I think it was only used two or three times in wet weather. Apparently though, spray from the wheels had gotten into the floor. This then begs the question, is there ANYTHING we can do to protect a caravan floor or is it just a matter of time? I still got the new van but several thousands knocked off the trade-in value. Being a new Swift Elegance the replacement is supposedly 'timber-less' construction. Well nearly. Guess what the floor is made of!
That’s awful so disappointing. It annoys me that the manufacturers are fully aware of those issues but keep pushing caravans out without addressing and preventing these issues. This makes me so angry.😡 I feel so sorry for you.The original dealer is acting as expected. You both made the right choice. We had three new swifts and had problems with them all we were so disheartened we gave up caravanning. All the best in the future.
I've had an elddis 840 supreme from new now five years old. For the past three years the annual service has found damp. Each year its been sorted under warranty but I'd never buy another elddis. I felt for you as you were pealing back the floor. You are dam right. Get any secondhand van checked independently before purchasing.
We had a similar problem with a Bailey Pursuit (also Alutech construction). Thought we wouldn't need the warranty against damp, how wrong we were. Had the floor fixed under warranty and the damp came back within months and was three times worse. Caravan dealers did sort it for us (changed caravan plus refund) but would never buy a Bailey again.
There’s no excuse for this shoddy workmanship.Hope you get it sorted.I bought a new Avondale in 1998 and damp was found at its first service.Manufacturers obviously don’t care unfortunately.
Thank you for sharing, sorry for your experience ,what is supposed to be a happy time for you and your family, has turned in to a nightmare.im was thinking of buying a bailey not so sure i will now, i think there are so many people in your situation i do hope caravan manufacturers are watching!
We bought a Unicorn Valencia new 2011. It was serviced at dealership for 6 years. It was traded in and on inspection was damp around front floor area but warranty was honoured due to complete service history. The front lockers around the floor was always mentioned on forums for damp and the front locker/chest area. Our van was part ex and repaired via Bailey approved workshop. You did the right thing selling it back , good luck with buying another
From Canada: I never understood why euro manufacturers were making so much big holes in the floor, of course for gas leak protection, but having them unprotected from water intrusion, the sandwich being fully opened to water when towing under heavy rain.
We had an Adria Isonzo from new, fast forward 4 years, my wife had a stroke and had to surrender her license, I had surrendered mine 20 years earlier due to MS. We sold both car and van together for a very acceptable price. On handover, damp was discovered around the front locker. My caravan insurance covered the repairs and the sale went through successfully. The Adria dealer said it didn’t happen that often, but it does happen, the whole experience was a nightmare, to be fair the stroke had a lot to do with that. Our van before the Adria died of damp so we were very vigilant.
As a postscript to my message, my wife is coping well with her change in circumstances, the biggest thing I notice is money, a car and van eat up serious amounts of money, we now use taxis or family, it’s something you get used to very quickly, not the end of the world.
Feel your pain . We bought a caravan 3 months ago privately and unknown to us it was riddled with damp . Cost us 4 grand to put right and took every penny we had as we took a loan out to buy it . Absolute nightmare
I'm so sorry to hear this. It's devastating when this happens to you. I'm glad you managed to get it fixed. Hopefully, you have many happy years of Caravanning. 😊
Sorry to hear of your problems. we have encountered damp issues with a second hand Elddis Xplore 304 - cracks and damp on front and rear plastic panels that we only discovered on the first serviceb y our independent service engineer. I have learned like you to only buy a caravan after getting an independent service. I would rather buy from Europe but that will bring its own problems!
Yep we had a Bailey ranger from new in 2008, and by 2013 it was leaking like a sieve, all 4 top corners, the 3 bunk windows at the rear and the front window. I would never bye another Bailey caravan
An 11 year old caravan is, on average, nearing the end of its life. Around 50% don't make it past 14 years old, so you need to be very wary when buying at that sort of age. As to the dealer buying it back or you rejecting it and him making an adjustment for the period you've owned it the amount you got isn't too bad, given that 2011 Seville's have a current dealer asking price of around £9,500. Talk of Continental vans not getting damp is to some extent true but their build standards have reduced dramatically in recent years. The last year of Hymer Nova GL 2 berth production in 2019 their van cost a smidge under £40k and had an MTPLM of 1800kg. Compare that to a Seville of that period that cost about £23k and had a 1326kg MTPLM. So there's a reason Hymers didn't leak, they cost 75% more than their UK counterparts and weighed 35% more. The Nova GL if it was still made now in 2 berth form would cost more than £50K to buy, that's why Hymer have downgraded their structures because very, very few would be bought at those prices.
Yeah very useful and very interesting. I shall be buying a used mobile home shortly for around about 25K. You have put the warning bells inside my head. Thanks for that I will be going along a lot more cautiously now when I view thanks again.
Very Interesting We've a Bailey Pegasus 524 and we've only had it7 months and I wound the legs down at the rear of the van and one came loose Unfortunately it was a private purchase. But I've taken it to be assessed and its going to cost us 2k to put right. Front of the van is the same but not as bad as the rear of the van.
hi sorry to hear about your van. just been watching your video from 11 months ago that you id just after buying your van. You pointing out the things when you got the van, like tyres that were 6 years old, the bathroom sky light. It really makes you think that the dealer just does not look over his vans, maybe you should name them at least that way others that do buy from him can take a closer look and if they really do want the van then maybe they could even get a couple of independent engineers in to look it over, yes a bit more to spend but could save a lot down the line. All these problems that caravans have makes you think that they need to be more regulated like the car industry is. Good luck for the future and vanning
In 2016 we decided to treat ourselves to a brand new caravan. Choice came down to a Swift Conqueror 645 and a Bailey Unicorn Cartegena. We went to a dealer in Surrey as they had both on display . It was a foul day, wet and windy, Difficult to choose between them, The Bailey had a nice interior but externally we both felt was hideous, clumsy graphics, that horrible great window and lots of cheap plastic dress up panels trying to make it look better while the Swift was far more pleasant to look at and we preferred the colours of the interior. Deciding factor was when we were sitting in the Bailey during some particularly heavy rain it was actually leaking onto the bed. Queried it with the salesman who said a lot of them do that but it's an easy fix. We bought the Swift. Since found out that the Alutech is pretty poor generally and rotten floors are common on even very recent versions.
Our first Caravan was a 1997 Eldis when we traded it in the salesman was astonished that there wasn't a bit of damp in any parts of our old van, In hindsight wish we never got rid of it. Our Swift Caravan soon got damp problems. Which I found fairly quickly and sorted out myself. Good dealer are few and far between. And by the looks of the ply they used in your floor of the bailey it's not even marine grade ply just cheap as you can get.
I was advised by the sales director of a large multi brand dealer that anything made after 2005 was to a lower standard to maximise profit. Have had 5 vans over the years the worst was a 2006 ace, and the current van is a 2002 coachman which has no damp issues on the service this week at an independent. Feel for you.
Gutted for you matey. We have literally just gone through the same thing. 9 months , Bailey Pegasus Rimini. .we had our caravan from a large dealer in the high peak. We couldn't get on with the layout so decided to part X it in with a different dealer.. they found 72% damp in several places. After several phone conversations and the take us to court attitude they eventually purchased the caravan back from us at a loss to us , but more than we were getting in PX so it kind of worked out in our favour. We have had several vans from this HIGH PEAK dealer and on 2 occasions we found damp . God only knows why we went back to them but absolutely never again.. !!😮
Gutted for you and hope it gets resolved soon. All the bailey range suffers the same, i bought a brand new swift in 2017...no wood and a superb caravan never been happier.
@@Dusty2feathers because they GRP panels now offer high strength with a degree of flexibility which are both things you need in a box on wheels that you tow on bumpy British roads lol
@@pablo123b GRP panels don't really increase durability. You're right about the British roads though, which is why the manufacturer's started fitting shock absorbers a few ago. They simply couldn't keep the damp out. Another point to mention that when caravans were timber framed and were damp, you could smell it as soon as you walked in. Not so much now. I had a good long chat with Peter Coupland a few years ago and he told me Bailey caravans were popular in their workshop. Several years ago they resorted to drilling pilot holes in the back panels just so water could drain away. Shocking.
My Unicorn! 2 years old and bought from now is back at the Bailey factory for the same problem. Very damp and extremely smelly front end. My only saving grace is that I kept a full service and inspection history which the dealer, after some arguing, accepted. Don’t know when I’ll get it back so can’t make plans for now.
Had a bailey senator quite a few yrs back, bought from a reputable big dealership, just out of warranty found it had damp and rot in both front corners at floor level, after a long battle with dealer they eventually caved in and fixed at their expense. 18 months later, same in one of the rear corners, cost £2,500 to put right. Apparently they are called Bailey Cullinder for the above said reason.
I had a 2016 Bailey Pegasus, got it in 2019 and ended up getting rid after a couple of years due to damp, it was under the toilet at the rear and all across the front, got it repaired under warranty but had no faith in it after that, it also had a leaking roof strap as well (another common problem), i just didnt expect a fully serviced caravan to be as bad
Hi,l had a Bailey unicorn 2018, I sold it in January this year I don't think it had damp in it but the thought of it getting damp we decided to sell it to a dealer in Manchester and as it drove away all my anxiety went with it. I. Not caravaning any more I can't stand the caravaning manufacturers building crap caravans.
Mate,we had a 2010 pegasus from new and within 2 years the floor was damp exactly same as yours.water was getting in via the grab rails and running down the wires and also from round the bottom mouldings.we had fungus growing underneath !! dealer dried and repaired but it was just one of many construction issues.hope you get sorted.
I bought a 9mtr RV second hand ,took out the fitted furniture and in the corner a problem of water getting in ,l had everything resealed,and every time it rained, it knocked the electricity out . found out in the end it was a outside kitchen vent put on up side down ,turned it round end of problem, But it cost a small fortune before we found it
check in you high level cupboards beneath where the roof joint is,does not apply to alutech although they have another set of problems , the short of it is don,t buy a bailey caravan and we have two .
Absolutely agree, ours is a pageant ser 7 twin axle 2009. No damp anywhere. Places to keep an eye on are roof straps, awning rails, obviously under caravan floor. Delamination of floor is usually a problem but easily repaired. A regular check under body and roof is a good idea. A damp test meter is invaluable. Plus a regular service.
Yeah, have an 07 Elddis Super Sirocco, no damp or leak problems. New caravans seem to be pushed out the factories as quickly as possible these days. All about profit margins.
Are Baileys still using a wooden floor in 2023? If so why haven’t they moved to a wood less system? The expression “for a halfpenny’s worth of tar” comes to mind!
Swifts are no better . The problem with every British caravan is quality control . There is very low level quality control in these factories . You are at the mercy of some bum with a silicone gun who really don’t want to be at work , his superior assumes he has done what he should have but don’t check . A lot of the time you can’t check because there are so many steps in the process that work would have to be undone in order to check it . Swifts are prone to leaking under the cap rails on roof , again because sealing hasn’t been done properly and apart from that sealer don’t last a life time anyway . The floors share and drop at the front also . Big polished turds is what these vans are and sold to unsuspecting people with dreams of great times .
I had the same problem on a bailey pegasus, the cause of water ingress in the front lockers, under the plastic tray is the front grab handles, the version with integrated led lamps, they leak like a sieve and the water runs down the inside of the front panel. This is a caravan industry known problem. You are correct , yours had been bodged before as from new they are just a black stained ply ( the floor ). I suspect that because it had the bodge to cover up the problem, water has been able to creep under and along into your habitation area. The bad news is these alutech baileys are also prone to complete rotting in the rear also, where the corner steadies are fixed. You made the right choice!
It has nothing to do with the grab handles, underneath the plastics at the front and back of the caravan even the wheel arches are not sealed correctly. We have an Olympus and a Pegasus and they are now dry after I fixed them 👍
I've got bailey caravan from 1992 looked good in the picture but soon find the roof is aluminium and full of pin holes so for years been getting wet inside which the previous owner didn't realise that it was rotting the whole thing which now I am in the middle of restoring it to live in it full time
We have in summer 2-3 times hail in my country ,it makes caravan look like swiss chees ,i can live with that even its ugly but bigger problem is that polycarbonate windows are to weak for hail so every time both skylight get broken and some from side depends on where wind blows .And exact spare parts at least for Hobby caravan is impossible to find or even i find one is so ridiculously expensive like is made off gold and not from plastic that will just broken on next hail. I also had dumb inside on front off caravan ,and i could not find where water could come in so i just used water proof type and typed on every jointin front and on roof ,it does not look nice but it stoped the dumb
Damp is a nightmare. We had a caravan with damp and it's hard to get shot of them. In the end we had to just take a hit on the resale price and move on. The problem of course is the amount of damp. With my damp meter there was a small amount, however, the dealer gave it the big one that he had a professional damp meter and said the back was riddled with it. We were so fed up with it, that we just went along with it. It's stressful. Sorry to hear about your problem there, but if you can come to some solution that might hurt your wallet, but save your mental health, go with it, never deal with them again, and possibly return 2 years later and burn the whole place down. I'm joking of course, but it is frustrating...
Wow, I had a similar report from my mobile service guy on my old bailey yet when i came to trade it in shortly after the dealer didn't find anything wrong with it lol, the same dealer i bought it from.
It’s awful mate. The dealer 100% knew about those problems as they know the common damp spots in all brands and would have checked before they offered part ex or purchased it
It amazes me how every car I've owned in 40 years, with their angled windscreens and hatchbacks have never let a drop of water in, even at 70mph in torrential rain. How do they do it;
Its also amazing how we have hail in my country regularly 2-3 times in summer and in my 45 years never saw car with broken windows or roof window from hail while my expensive Hobby caravan always get that fancy sky lights broken to peaces.ITs just says that they use most cheap materials and dont care how much will they last
Hi, I’ve got a 2011 Bailey Unicorn Barcelona that I bought from new. I site my van and don’t have means to move it. I noticed 3 years in that the bathroom floor had little black lumps in certain areas of the floor. I had my suspicions, but didn’t do anything. Fast forward now and the bathroom floor is soft and spongy with water damage. I have looked underneath and the back and front of the van and you can see black damp on the floor. I think a lot of these vans suffer from the same fault and I think it’s a design fault with this Alutech system. I’m know of caravan repairers that can cut the floor out and add new wood in. I’m looking to buy a new coachman lusso2 in the new year and I will sell the unicorn privately and get what I can. I do love this van and the layout, but I wouldn’t chance getting a Bailey caravan again with the alutech design.
Sad to see, but it is immediately obvious from the view in your gas locker, that it is a thin RAW UNTREATED ply base floor, you should at least have had a treated ply or better still marine grade, then even with any water ingress, no rot and can be cleaned, sealed and treated easily. Seems this may be a fault in the construction, make & design of this brand/model of caravan (if so it will be known). Perhaps contact any national caravan/camping organisation in UK, as I am sure they will know and have some info that may help or even direct to the manufacturer. A rebuild seems what is needed, but doubt you will have success getting one. Good luck. 💜💜
Hi I was just watching another video, and the bloke was saying what causes the damp in the front of a bailey unicorn was the light by the grab handle isn't sealed well enough in the factory so it leaks into that front storage compartment and gets under the plastic try and rots the wood. I wonder if that is what happened to yours
I think the construction of caravans from around this age or all the same and are all.prone to damp. Made of the cheapest materials and covered in tinfoil. Our old adria was ugly but it had no damp our coachman 520 vip needed floor gluing and damp in the wall in the bathroom. When they are made fore use in the uk they should be waterproof and 1/4 ply will never me waterproof
My father bought Adria in 1979 ,its still siting in yard ,zero damp.My 2017 Hobby has already damp in front so i had to type with water proof type it everywhere on joints in front and roof to stop because i could not find where water comes in but it was like from both sides. But i have even bigger problem is that i have hail in my country and it few times destroyed sky windows on Hobby ,it has one very big and one smaller and when hail distroy them water just come pooring in ,they are just to weak for hail made from some plastic while Adria dont have them so dont have that problem.
To be honest mate I carry a damp meter with me and last year I see over 20 vans on dealerships with damp its bad out there dealers buy from auctions blind and they know the vans are damp.
Were caravans of old 70s 80s 90s not marine ply based floors ? They did eventually go in my experiance but at 15 years + i reckon thats pretty reasonable unlike more newer UNFIT FOR PURPOSE CARAVANS !!!
Hi. Sorry to watch you suffer with a damp floor. I understand the Locker areas on the older shaped Bailey's has been a major cause for concern. May I recommend you take a look at Swifts as from 2018 onwards they have no wood in the construction including my Sprite. Caravan prices are set to fall soon due to the hidden recession the UK is in so you may be in a better position money wise to grab a bargain. Perhaps a Main Swift Dealer might be the way to go. My Sprite has had very minor issues but it hasn't leaked at all. Just a thought. Phil🙂
@@wilmaireland9308black woven heavy-duty GRP to the underside which is insulated with 35mm Ravatherm, while the inner layer is manufactured from 9mm marine grade plywood to provide strength to the floor, according to Swift
I know how you feel. I paid nearly £2.5k for a damp repair, only to get damp a year later in the van in a different place. So i cut my losses and went for a swift elegance, which doesn't have wood in the construction... ..would never buy a caravan with wood in the construction again.
@caravanningwithcharlie I've had it 3 years, and it's 6 years old... up to now, apart from adjustment to cupboard catches, I haven't had any other issues.
As a caravan is a pretty expensive purchase, why not have a prospective purchase properly inspected, before buying it? As 12 months has elapsed from date of purchase, it's highly unlikely the dealer is going to refund you, and legal action would be a waste of money.
@@caravanningwithcharlie I am involved with engineering and classic motorcycles, and the thing that has struck me is the quality of tools and equipment, and bikes, which have been made recently, is extremely poor. That caravan is so poorly made, it seems to me that major issues are pretty much inevitable? Maybe searching for something older, which is far better quality, might be a good idea? The same thing goes for vans, and pretty much anything made after about 05, is likely to suffer from serious issues before long, and this is something that very much effects owners of expensive motorhomes. Your video is a very good idea, and hopefully will help others avoid getting into very difficult situations?
Thats black roofing sealant that's on the floor to me.
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I've had caravans older than that matedamps never been an issue with any of these that one of yours to be honest with you looked like it had been in a flooding that damp if that spongy and black has been there longer than 12 months maybe even 24 months sorry to say
I really Hope you get it sorted. If not get a full refund from the dealer you purchased it from. My 2019 unicorn was starting to rot underneath because the draft skirt seals had hardly any sealent and had cracked due to movement because the walls had not beenfitted properly leaving gaps between the outer skin and the floor. Had to stripe them down and reseal them properly and fit screws to secure the trim to stop the movement. Very bad build quality and bad customer service by bailey they where not interested in helping. If i could afford to loose money i would sell it for a swift with a fiberglass floor and never look back. But at the moment i just hope my repairs do the trick. I would never buy anything from bailey ever again. 😢
As a compromise, I won't disclose the dealer but hint. They are based in the Blackpool area. The caravan is indeed back up for sale at £8995! Which is £1795 more than he paid us back for the caravan.
Sorry just finished watching……surely the whole purpose of a caravan is to keep you dry. That’s all they have to do. Beggars belief the manufacturers can’t get that right. That floor was a disgrace.
The sceptic in me thinks that it is not in the Caravan manufacturers interests to build a van that is immune to this problem. Afterall they want to sell more vans.
Having suffered from such financial loss surly it would be of benefit to others to warn them of who the dealer is that you had this problem with. Totally unfair to you.
All caravans have a percentage of damp so buy your self a damp meter and check it for yourself mainly by windows doors and definitely under the sink area 😊
Looks like water ingress from the front locker, what's the seal like, get it chopped out and refitted. Looks like Stevie Wonder already had a go. How much was the van?
The dealer has a legal responsibility under the sale of goods act that he must rectify the issue so you would have won had you taken it to small claims court. The water ingress is nothing to do with the grab handles it’s actually tracking behind the plastics and the front, back and sides of the caravan. Bailey never sealed around the floor areas correctly. I have sealed and now have 2 very dry Baileys from 2010. But the water does track front, back and sides so I advise everyone to seal the plastics on with Sikaflex. Also I would advise to add an extra inch of plastic to drop below floor level on the front and back where the plastics are screwed to the floor as again water tracks into the floor there 👍
Thanks for all your comments and for sharing your experiences. I've been overwhelmed by the response. If you haven't done so already please could you kindly subscribe to the channel. It would really be appreciated 😊
I really feel for you mate. We had an issue with our main dealer when we bought our brand new Bailey Pursuit back in 2017. We had it 2 years with no issues and it was serviced by the supplying dealer for those first two services. 3 weeks after we had the second service which we were given a clean bill of health for, we decided to part exchange it for a new one. This was with a different dealer. On dropping off the Pursuit we were told the front end had 80% damp right across the front end. This was given a report of only 18% across the front!!! Dealers are crooks!!!
That's pretty terrible isn't it. There must be one or two decent dealers out there, but sadly stories like yours seem pretty common.
We have a 2008 Bailey Senator Indiana caravan. It is stored in my shed when we are not touring and to date no sign of any damp. I practice preventative maintenance and I regularly check all sealant joints and at 10yrs old I replaced the sealant in the joints where accessible. The front locker has no ply type flooring but a recessed plastic tray across the entire front with several vents in it for glass bottle storage. We live in New Zealand and our weather varies from snow to torrential downpours and up to 35 degrees C and our roads can be pretty rough in places. I have towed the van over every mountain pass in NZ several times and the Van has survived to date with some minor repairs to cabinetry etc all done by myself as a Retired chippy. I believe that anyone buying a caravan should store it under cover if you don't want leak headaches.
You’ve done everyone a favour mate. Well done.
I used to make motorhomes and i can honestly say when buying British units,be it motorhome or caravan, you will be VERY LUCKY not to experience damp. The main bodyshell of any unit is too rigid so cracks will appear eventually on back panels and roof lights. Elddis had major issues with leaking rooflights because of their 'Solid' construction. Basically Solid construction methods made their units again too rigid, thus they had or still have issues with cracking plastic frames. On the whole British made vans are not in the same league as Adria or hymer for building quality. 10 year water ingress warranties ONLY apply to the main bodyshell of the unit.
We purchased a brand new Unicorn Valencia back in 2011, the Alu-tech was brand new that year so was ‘innovative’ as it apparently meant that this new design wouldn’t let wet in as previous designs. We had the same issue with the damp floor after only a few years. It went back to Bailey to be repaired and when we got it back they had damaged other bits in the van, a chunk out of the toilet and a scrape where they pushed a cupboard unit back in. We exchanged that for a brand new Valencia in 2016. This one wasn’t too bad, the only problem this time was the roof strap leaked but we could see the water running down the wall and, as it wasn’t hidden, we noticed it straightaway and got it fixed. We decided to trade this one in 2022 to a brand new Vigo. What a mistake! We have had this one 18 months and had the specified service done. In October we looked under the front seats and lo and behold! a floor, black with mould and visible water ingress, which has also blown the front drawer unit. Bailey have already agreed to replace the front blinds under warranty, which are absolute rubbish, unfortunately with the same blinds, they have improved the blinds in the 2024 models. Now back at dealers for a damp assessment. We will be interested in the outcome.
The sad thing is Bailey do have some good layouts and designs. but if you have had 2 bad vans why would you buy a third ?
I bought a 2011 sterling eccles quartz and after 11 months we found damp at the rear of the caravan on both sides in the bedroom. Out dealer took the caravan in a month or so after we told him and asked us to seal where we could until we brought the caravan in. He is now repairing it under the year warranty he gave us at purchase and that repair when it is completed will be covered for another year, at no extra cost to me. The leakagecwas from the awning rails on both sides from where it was initially connected at manufacture and small micro cracks have propagated with the natural movement of the caravan in transit. I haven't got the caravan back yet, but so far he seems to be fair and equitable, obviously trying to preserve his good reputation.
update - our dealer took our caravan in. Then his repair team removed the awning rails and they actually found that the sealant underneath the awning rails, on both sides, had shrunk and dried out with age, allowing water ingress. They then replaced the sealant and replaced the awning rails as well as replacing water damaged panels on both sides of the caravan at low level, where the water had collected.
We have since been away in horrendously wet weather over a couple of days, with no sign of further leakage. Very satisfied customer so far. The dealer said that if it was not under warranty, it would have cost me north of £2000 to repair.
Sorry to hear about your damp , when bailey started with this idea of aluminium framed caravans bailey soon discovered that the aluminium corner rails caused condensation & this caused the floor to rot. So serious was the problem bailey brought back mainy of the first batch of affected vans & scrapped them , hope you get the problem sorted.😮
There is an industry wide conspiracy to hide the inevitability of damp ingress in caravans and it runs through the clubs and caravan magazines too. Caravans are now phenomenally expensive but are sold on the assumption that they are an investment that will last for decades. That may be true of motorcaravans but not caravans which are poorly engineered using sub-standard materials. Unlike motorcaravans, Caravans twist and shear when driven on the road. This opens up the seams and lets in water which pools down at the edges of the floor. This floor should be made from Marine Ply but is actually the type of cheapo plywood used to batten down doors and windows on building sites. If Marine Ply was used and the end grain protected then even if water got onto it it would not cause delamination of the wood and be eminiently repairable but even though you may be paying 30K for your caravan the mfgs only expect it to last for the life of your hire-purchase agreement. In 1984 we purchaed a 10 year old Lunar Clubman caravan and I resealed all the joints and capings. I also checked under the van for the floor which was at that time very sound. I could no ttell whether it was made from Marine Ply but just in case I coated the entire surface of the underfloor with waxoyl as well as the chassis etc. Ten years later I discovered that water from wheel spray had been pushed to the back of the van and started delaminating the plywood floor. The Waxoyl had worked on all the flat bits but the rainwater had seeped into the end grain and moved along inside delaminating the floor above into a spongy mess. This would not happen with Marine Ply. I don't suppose we can expect a caravan to last for ever but we should expect that regular professional engineering is used to fabricate them, it would perhaps add an extra couple of hundred pounds to the cost - a pittance compared with the astronomical costs of caravans today. The NCC should be calling this out and demanding thicker topside marine ply veneers to strengthen all caravan floors, as part of their specifications but they refuse to do so. It is a scandal. I made some temporary repairs to our beloved Lunar Clubman which gave us a couple of seasons reprieve but when the floor went spongy as you stepped through the entrance door it went to the caravan graveyard.
Why keep using plywood when plastic sheeting is cheap enough.
I brought my first ever caravan just over a month ago, before i even looked at one, i armed myself with a damp meter and went over the whole thing. Its an older Bailey from 2007, not a bit of damp anywhere, but I'll be going over the entire outside and ripping out and replacing all sealer in any joints, around windows and anywhere else that needs it. I used to build caravans so i know how cheaply built they are, but the important thing is to go in with eyes wide open and mitigate where possible.
I had a Bailey Orion. We had the same problem. I have never bought a Bailey again and never would. Shocking build quality. I feel for you mate.
I know how you feel Charlie. I just traded in my 2015 Elddis Crusader Storm (SOLID construction) for a brand new caravan. To my mind and according to a local mobile service company a few months ago, the Elddis was near immaculate and showed absolutely no signs of damp. Fast forward to the new van collection date (two weeks ago). The dealer inspected my trade-in, according to them the floor was well damp and needed replacing at at an estimated cost of about 6 or 7 thousand pounds. There were NO visible signs or smell of damp but the dealers meter probes through the vinyl flooring showed up to 50% moisture. The thing is, my van was used for about 8 weeks total in its life. It was always heated and aired through winter and I think it was only used two or three times in wet weather. Apparently though, spray from the wheels had gotten into the floor. This then begs the question, is there ANYTHING we can do to protect a caravan floor or is it just a matter of time? I still got the new van but several thousands knocked off the trade-in value. Being a new Swift Elegance the replacement is supposedly 'timber-less' construction. Well nearly. Guess what the floor is made of!
You should have walked away, and found another deal, sound's very suspicious to me.
That’s awful so disappointing. It annoys me that the manufacturers are fully aware of those issues but keep pushing caravans out without addressing and preventing these issues. This makes me so angry.😡 I feel so sorry for you.The original dealer is acting as expected. You both made the right choice. We had three new swifts and had problems with them all we were so disheartened we gave up caravanning. All the best in the future.
I've had an elddis 840 supreme from new now five years old. For the past three years the annual service has found damp. Each year its been sorted under warranty but I'd never buy another elddis. I felt for you as you were pealing back the floor. You are dam right. Get any secondhand van checked independently before purchasing.
We had a similar problem with a Bailey Pursuit (also Alutech construction). Thought we wouldn't need the warranty against damp, how wrong we were. Had the floor fixed under warranty and the damp came back within months and was three times worse. Caravan dealers did sort it for us (changed caravan plus refund) but would never buy a Bailey again.
There’s no excuse for this shoddy workmanship.Hope you get it sorted.I bought a new Avondale in 1998 and damp was found at its first service.Manufacturers obviously don’t care unfortunately.
Thank you for sharing, sorry for your experience ,what is supposed to be a happy time for you and your family, has turned in to a nightmare.im was thinking of buying a bailey not so sure i will now, i think there are so many people in your situation i do hope caravan manufacturers are watching!
We bought a Unicorn Valencia new 2011. It was serviced at dealership for 6 years. It was traded in and on inspection was damp around front floor area but warranty was honoured due to complete service history.
The front lockers around the floor was always mentioned on forums for damp and the front locker/chest area.
Our van was part ex and repaired via Bailey approved workshop.
You did the right thing selling it back , good luck with buying another
You Should have pursued It to court these dealers keep getting away with it,have had several issues myself. Definitely more than a year old damp.
From Canada: I never understood why euro manufacturers were making so much big holes in the floor, of course for gas leak protection, but having them unprotected from water intrusion, the sandwich being fully opened to water when towing under heavy rain.
We had an Adria Isonzo from new, fast forward 4 years, my wife had a stroke and had to surrender her license, I had surrendered mine 20 years earlier due to MS. We sold both car and van together for a very acceptable price. On handover, damp was discovered around the front locker. My caravan insurance covered the repairs and the sale went through successfully. The Adria dealer said it didn’t happen that often, but it does happen, the whole experience was a nightmare, to be fair the stroke had a lot to do with that. Our van before the Adria died of damp so we were very vigilant.
As a postscript to my message, my wife is coping well with her change in circumstances, the biggest thing I notice is money, a car and van eat up serious amounts of money, we now use taxis or family, it’s something you get used to very quickly, not the end of the world.
Feel your pain . We bought a caravan 3 months ago privately and unknown to us it was riddled with damp . Cost us 4 grand to put right and took every penny we had as we took a loan out to buy it . Absolute nightmare
I'm so sorry to hear this. It's devastating when this happens to you. I'm glad you managed to get it fixed. Hopefully, you have many happy years of Caravanning. 😊
Sorry to hear your problem mate,we had 2012, valencia, had no issues at all. After two new motorhomes we are back in a compass capiro 550.🤞
Sorry to hear of your problems. we have encountered damp issues with a second hand Elddis Xplore 304 - cracks and damp on front and rear plastic panels that we only discovered on the first serviceb y our independent service engineer. I have learned like you to only buy a caravan after getting an independent service. I would rather buy from Europe but that will bring its own problems!
Yep we had a Bailey ranger from new in 2008, and by 2013 it was leaking like a sieve, all 4 top corners, the 3 bunk windows at the rear and the front window. I would never bye another Bailey caravan
I've been having caravans for over 50 years various makes they all had damp .where you have metal you get condensation .so buy a glassfibre one.
An 11 year old caravan is, on average, nearing the end of its life. Around 50% don't make it past 14 years old, so you need to be very wary when buying at that sort of age. As to the dealer buying it back or you rejecting it and him making an adjustment for the period you've owned it the amount you got isn't too bad, given that 2011 Seville's have a current dealer asking price of around £9,500. Talk of Continental vans not getting damp is to some extent true but their build standards have reduced dramatically in recent years. The last year of Hymer Nova GL 2 berth production in 2019 their van cost a smidge under £40k and had an MTPLM of 1800kg. Compare that to a Seville of that period that cost about £23k and had a 1326kg MTPLM. So there's a reason Hymers didn't leak, they cost 75% more than their UK counterparts and weighed 35% more. The Nova GL if it was still made now in 2 berth form would cost more than £50K to buy, that's why Hymer have downgraded their structures because very, very few would be bought at those prices.
Yeah very useful and very interesting. I shall be buying a used mobile home shortly for around about 25K. You have put the warning bells inside my head. Thanks for that I will be going along a lot more cautiously now when I view thanks again.
Very Interesting We've a Bailey Pegasus 524 and we've only had it7 months and I wound the legs down at the rear of the van and one came loose Unfortunately it was a private purchase. But I've taken it to be assessed and its going to cost us 2k to put right. Front of the van is the same but not as bad as the rear of the van.
hi sorry to hear about your van. just been watching your video from 11 months ago that you id just after buying your van. You pointing out the things when you got the van, like tyres that were 6 years old, the bathroom sky light. It really makes you think that the dealer just does not look over his vans, maybe you should name them at least that way others that do buy from him can take a closer look and if they really do want the van then maybe they could even get a couple of independent engineers in to look it over, yes a bit more to spend but could save a lot down the line.
All these problems that caravans have makes you think that they need to be more regulated like the car industry is.
Good luck for the future and vanning
In 2016 we decided to treat ourselves to a brand new caravan. Choice came down to a Swift Conqueror 645 and a Bailey Unicorn Cartegena. We went to a dealer in Surrey as they had both on display . It was a foul day, wet and windy, Difficult to choose between them, The Bailey had a nice interior but externally we both felt was hideous, clumsy graphics, that horrible great window and lots of cheap plastic dress up panels trying to make it look better while the Swift was far more pleasant to look at and we preferred the colours of the interior. Deciding factor was when we were sitting in the Bailey during some particularly heavy rain it was actually leaking onto the bed.
Queried it with the salesman who said a lot of them do that but it's an easy fix.
We bought the Swift.
Since found out that the Alutech is pretty poor generally and rotten floors are common on even very recent versions.
Our first Caravan was a 1997 Eldis when we traded it in the salesman was astonished that there wasn't a bit of damp in any parts of our old van,
In hindsight wish we never got rid of it.
Our Swift Caravan soon got damp problems.
Which I found fairly quickly and sorted out myself.
Good dealer are few and far between.
And by the looks of the ply they used in your floor of the bailey it's not even marine grade ply just cheap as you can get.
I was advised by the sales director of a large multi brand dealer that anything made after 2005 was to a lower standard to maximise profit. Have had 5 vans over the years the worst was a 2006 ace, and the current van is a 2002 coachman which has no damp issues on the service this week at an independent. Feel for you.
I think you made a good decision there. When you read the forums the caravan world seems a very dark place at times.
Gutted for you mate hope you get it sorted
Gutted for you matey. We have literally just gone through the same thing. 9 months , Bailey Pegasus Rimini. .we had our caravan from a large dealer in the high peak. We couldn't get on with the layout so decided to part X it in with a different dealer.. they found 72% damp in several places. After several phone conversations and the take us to court attitude they eventually purchased the caravan back from us at a loss to us , but more than we were getting in PX so it kind of worked out in our favour. We have had several vans from this HIGH PEAK dealer and on 2 occasions we found damp . God only knows why we went back to them but absolutely never again.. !!😮
Gutted for you and hope it gets resolved soon. All the bailey range suffers the same, i bought a brand new swift in 2017...no wood and a superb caravan never been happier.
Why do you think swift and others transitioned to plastic framing?
@@Dusty2feathers because they GRP panels now offer high strength with a degree of flexibility which are both things you need in a box on wheels that you tow on bumpy British roads lol
@@pablo123b GRP panels don't really increase durability. You're right about the British roads though, which is why the manufacturer's started fitting shock absorbers a few ago. They simply couldn't keep the damp out. Another point to mention that when caravans were timber framed and were damp, you could smell it as soon as you walked in. Not so much now. I had a good long chat with Peter Coupland a few years ago and he told me Bailey caravans were popular in their workshop. Several years ago they resorted to drilling pilot holes in the back panels just so water could drain away. Shocking.
I have a new Elldis 2023 efficient. And I have damp problems with continuous damp matters trying to get it sorted. Van is only 6 months old
My Unicorn! 2 years old and bought from now is back at the Bailey factory for the same problem. Very damp and extremely smelly front end. My only saving grace is that I kept a full service and inspection history which the dealer, after some arguing, accepted. Don’t know when I’ll get it back so can’t make plans for now.
We had the same problem with our S1 Barcelona. Van was PX'd for a 2017 model but didn't get a good price, but least is was out of our hair.
Had a bailey senator quite a few yrs back, bought from a reputable big dealership, just out of warranty found it had damp and rot in both front corners at floor level, after a long battle with dealer they eventually caved in and fixed at their expense.
18 months later, same in one of the rear corners, cost £2,500 to put right.
Apparently they are called Bailey Cullinder for the above said reason.
I had a 2016 Bailey Pegasus, got it in 2019 and ended up getting rid after a couple of years due to damp, it was under the toilet at the rear and all across the front, got it repaired under warranty but had no faith in it after that, it also had a leaking roof strap as well (another common problem), i just didnt expect a fully serviced caravan to be as bad
We had the exact same problems with our pegasus. Bailey never again…
Hi,l had a Bailey unicorn 2018, I sold it in January this year I don't think it had damp in it but the thought of it getting damp we decided to sell it to a dealer in Manchester and as it drove away all my anxiety went with it.
I. Not caravaning any more I can't stand the caravaning manufacturers building crap caravans.
Mate,we had a 2010 pegasus from new and within 2 years the floor was damp exactly same as yours.water was getting in via the grab rails and running down the wires and also from round the bottom mouldings.we had fungus growing underneath !! dealer dried and repaired but it was just one of many construction issues.hope you get sorted.
I bought a 9mtr RV second hand ,took out the fitted furniture and in the corner a problem of water getting in ,l had everything resealed,and every time it rained, it knocked the electricity out .
found out in the end it was a outside kitchen vent put on up side down ,turned it round end of problem,
But it cost a small fortune before we found it
We purchased a brand new one this year 2023 Elldis and have continuous damp matters. Van going next week. Oct 12
check in you high level cupboards beneath where the roof joint is,does not apply to alutech although they have another set of problems , the short of it is don,t buy a bailey caravan and we have two .
Had an old (25 years) Stirling Eccles topaz, bone dry as the day it was made. Older vans can be brilliant compared to some of the rubbish made today.
Absolutely agree, ours is a pageant ser 7 twin axle 2009. No damp anywhere. Places to keep an eye on are roof straps, awning rails, obviously under caravan floor. Delamination of floor is usually a problem but easily repaired. A regular check under body and roof is a good idea. A damp test meter is invaluable. Plus a regular service.
Yeah, have an 07 Elddis Super Sirocco, no damp or leak problems. New caravans seem to be pushed out the factories as quickly as possible these days. All about profit margins.
Are Baileys still using a wooden floor in 2023? If so why haven’t they moved to a wood less system? The expression “for a halfpenny’s worth of tar” comes to mind!
That damp looks more than 12 months to me & somebody’s tried to repair it. Buy a Swift. Thanks for highlighting these problems 👍
Swifts are no better . The problem with every British caravan is quality control . There is very low level quality control in these factories . You are at the mercy of some bum with a silicone gun who really don’t want to be at work , his superior assumes he has done what he should have but don’t check . A lot of the time you can’t check because there are so many steps in the process that work would have to be undone in order to check it . Swifts are prone to leaking under the cap rails on roof , again because sealing hasn’t been done properly and apart from that sealer don’t last a life time anyway . The floors share and drop at the front also . Big polished turds is what these vans are and sold to unsuspecting people with dreams of great times .
I had the same problem on a bailey pegasus, the cause of water ingress in the front lockers, under the plastic tray is the front grab handles, the version with integrated led lamps, they leak like a sieve and the water runs down the inside of the front panel. This is a caravan industry known problem. You are correct , yours had been bodged before as from new they are just a black stained ply ( the floor ). I suspect that because it had the bodge to cover up the problem, water has been able to creep under and along into your habitation area. The bad news is these alutech baileys are also prone to complete rotting in the rear also, where the corner steadies are fixed. You made the right choice!
It has nothing to do with the grab handles, underneath the plastics at the front and back of the caravan even the wheel arches are not sealed correctly. We have an Olympus and a Pegasus and they are now dry after I fixed them 👍
I've got bailey caravan from 1992 looked good in the picture but soon find the roof is aluminium and full of pin holes so for years been getting wet inside which the previous owner didn't realise that it was rotting the whole thing which now I am in the middle of restoring it to live in it full time
We have in summer 2-3 times hail in my country ,it makes caravan look like swiss chees ,i can live with that even its ugly but bigger problem is that polycarbonate windows are to weak for hail so every time both skylight get broken and some from side depends on where wind blows .And exact spare parts at least for Hobby caravan is impossible to find or even i find one is so ridiculously expensive like is made off gold and not from plastic that will just broken on next hail.
I also had dumb inside on front off caravan ,and i could not find where water could come in so i just used water proof type and typed on every jointin front and on roof ,it does not look nice but it stoped the dumb
Damp is a nightmare. We had a caravan with damp and it's hard to get shot of them. In the end we had to just take a hit on the resale price and move on.
The problem of course is the amount of damp. With my damp meter there was a small amount, however, the dealer gave it the big one that he had a professional damp meter and said the back was riddled with it. We were so fed up with it, that we just went along with it. It's stressful.
Sorry to hear about your problem there, but if you can come to some solution that might hurt your wallet, but save your mental health, go with it, never deal with them again, and possibly return 2 years later and burn the whole place down. I'm joking of course, but it is frustrating...
They had front handle leaks on this model but most of the problems are condensation.
We know 2 people that had alutec Baileys both had major damp problems meanwhile we were sitting cosy in our Lunar dry as a bone
Wow, I had a similar report from my mobile service guy on my old bailey yet when i came to trade it in shortly after the dealer didn't find anything wrong with it lol, the same dealer i bought it from.
Oh I’m so sorry for you being ripped off 😢😢 xx
It’s awful mate. The dealer 100% knew about those problems as they know the common damp spots in all brands and would have checked before they offered part ex or purchased it
It amazes me how every car I've owned in 40 years, with their angled windscreens and hatchbacks have never let a drop of water in, even at 70mph in torrential rain. How do they do it;
Dont buy a land-rover discovery 5 then.
Its also amazing how we have hail in my country regularly 2-3 times in summer and in my 45 years never saw car with broken windows or roof window from hail while my expensive Hobby caravan always get that fancy sky lights broken to peaces.ITs just says that they use most cheap materials and dont care how much will they last
Hi, I’ve got a 2011 Bailey Unicorn Barcelona that I bought from new. I site my van and don’t have means to move it. I noticed 3 years in that the bathroom floor had little black lumps in certain areas of the floor. I had my suspicions, but didn’t do anything. Fast forward now and the bathroom floor is soft and spongy with water damage. I have looked underneath and the back and front of the van and you can see black damp on the floor. I think a lot of these vans suffer from the same fault and I think it’s a design fault with this Alutech system. I’m know of caravan repairers that can cut the floor out and add new wood in. I’m looking to buy a new coachman lusso2 in the new year and I will sell the unicorn privately and get what I can. I do love this van and the layout, but I wouldn’t chance getting a Bailey caravan again with the alutech design.
Sad to see, but it is immediately obvious from the view in your gas locker, that it is a thin RAW UNTREATED ply base floor, you should at least have had a treated ply or better still marine grade, then even with any water ingress, no rot and can be cleaned, sealed and treated easily. Seems this may be a fault in the construction, make & design of this brand/model of caravan (if so it will be known). Perhaps contact any national caravan/camping organisation in UK, as I am sure they will know and have some info that may help or even direct to the manufacturer. A rebuild seems what is needed, but doubt you will have success getting one. Good luck. 💜💜
Hi I was just watching another video, and the bloke was saying what causes the damp in the front of a bailey unicorn was the light by the grab handle isn't sealed well enough in the factory so it leaks into that front storage compartment and gets under the plastic try and rots the wood. I wonder if that is what happened to yours
Bailey... enough said...
I think the construction of caravans from around this age or all the same and are all.prone to damp. Made of the cheapest materials and covered in tinfoil. Our old adria was ugly but it had no damp our coachman 520 vip needed floor gluing and damp in the wall in the bathroom. When they are made fore use in the uk they should be waterproof and 1/4 ply will never me waterproof
My father bought Adria in 1979 ,its still siting in yard ,zero damp.My 2017 Hobby has already damp in front so i had to type with water proof type it everywhere on joints in front and roof to stop because i could not find where water comes in but it was like from both sides.
But i have even bigger problem is that i have hail in my country and it few times destroyed sky windows on Hobby ,it has one very big and one smaller and when hail distroy them water just come pooring in ,they are just to weak for hail made from some plastic while Adria dont have them so dont have that problem.
To be honest mate I carry a damp meter with me and last year I see over 20 vans on dealerships with damp its bad out there dealers buy from auctions blind and they know the vans are damp.
When you pulled back the floor covering there was an air vent that has been taped over??? That for ventilation.
Were caravans of old 70s 80s 90s not marine ply based floors ? They did eventually go in my experiance but at 15 years + i reckon thats pretty reasonable unlike more newer UNFIT FOR PURPOSE CARAVANS !!!
Hi. Sorry to watch you suffer with a damp floor. I understand the Locker areas on the older shaped Bailey's has been a major cause for concern. May I recommend you take a look at Swifts as from 2018 onwards they have no wood in the construction including my Sprite. Caravan prices are set to fall soon due to the hidden recession the UK is in so you may be in a better position money wise to grab a bargain. Perhaps a Main Swift Dealer might be the way to go. My Sprite has had very minor issues but it hasn't leaked at all. Just a thought. Phil🙂
What is the floor made of?
It was made from plywood
What is the Swift caravans floors made of ?
Composite Under floor externally, internal is marine ply@@wilmaireland9308
@@wilmaireland9308black woven heavy-duty GRP to the underside which is insulated with 35mm Ravatherm, while the inner layer is manufactured from 9mm marine grade plywood to provide strength to the floor, according to Swift
I know how you feel. I paid nearly £2.5k for a damp repair, only to get damp a year later in the van in a different place. So i cut my losses and went for a swift elegance, which doesn't have wood in the construction... ..would never buy a caravan with wood in the construction again.
Thanks for your comment. The Swift Elegance is now on my radar after our experience. How are you finding it?
@caravanningwithcharlie I've had it 3 years, and it's 6 years old... up to now, apart from adjustment to cupboard catches, I haven't had any other issues.
Hi, Are the swifts floors made from something other the timber then, sounds good if so.
Sume one had a go at it just like a second hand car dealer
The wood in the locker’s is known as Buffalo board, commonly used on Ifor Williams trailers..
No that's was not buffalo board it's totally different.
Looks like cheap ply to me.
We were told the caravan needs ventilation and a tube heater especially when the caravan is not being used. Seems to be good advice.
As a caravan is a pretty expensive purchase, why not have a prospective purchase properly inspected, before buying it? As 12 months has elapsed from date of purchase, it's highly unlikely the dealer is going to refund you, and legal action would be a waste of money.
I totally agree. My main message in the video is to do such a thing. Hopefully my mistake may help others.
@@caravanningwithcharlie I am involved with engineering and classic motorcycles, and the thing that has struck me is the quality of tools and equipment, and bikes, which have been made recently, is extremely poor.
That caravan is so poorly made, it seems to me that major issues are pretty much inevitable? Maybe searching for something older, which is far better quality, might be a good idea?
The same thing goes for vans, and pretty much anything made after about 05, is likely to suffer from serious issues before long, and this is something that very much effects owners of expensive motorhomes.
Your video is a very good idea, and hopefully will help others avoid getting into very difficult situations?
To be fair to the dealer he did give you options and didn't just turn his back on you.
Thats black roofing sealant that's on the floor to me.
I've had caravans older than that matedamps never been an issue with any of these that one of yours to be honest with you looked like it had been in a flooding that damp if that spongy and black has been there longer than 12 months maybe even 24 months sorry to say
Very poor construction of the floors, needs to be properly insulated sealed with epoxy would be the best.👍
I really Hope you get it sorted. If not get a full refund from the dealer you purchased it from.
My 2019 unicorn was starting to rot underneath because the draft skirt seals had hardly any sealent and had cracked due to movement because the walls had not beenfitted properly leaving gaps between the outer skin and the floor.
Had to stripe them down and reseal them properly and fit screws to secure the trim to stop the movement. Very bad build quality and bad customer service by bailey they where not interested in helping.
If i could afford to loose money i would sell it for a swift with a fiberglass floor and never look back. But at the moment i just hope my repairs do the trick.
I would never buy anything from bailey ever again. 😢
Dealers mate are tippical of that crap
Couldn't you have disclosed the dealer as this caravan will be sold on to some other un-suspecting customer??.
As a compromise, I won't disclose the dealer but hint. They are based in the Blackpool area. The caravan is indeed back up for sale at £8995! Which is £1795 more than he paid us back for the caravan.
@@caravanningwithcharlie Got you, many thank's, 🙂🙂....................
Never buy a Bailey as you can see crap
we have a bailey pursuit 430 2017 guess what i am doing this weekend !!!
I can only imagine. Hope it goes well.
Surely wood is the worst material to have underside the caravan. Why can’t the floor be one sheet of plastic or fibreglass?
Sorry just finished watching……surely the whole purpose of a caravan is to keep you dry. That’s all they have to do. Beggars belief the manufacturers can’t get that right. That floor was a disgrace.
The sceptic in me thinks that it is not in the Caravan manufacturers interests to build a van that is immune to this problem. Afterall they want to sell more vans.
i think you just put me off buying a caravan
Sorry Russell. There are good solid vans out there. Just need to get them checked over first by an expert.
Where's the vents under your caravan pal
Name and shame the dealer
One could name them, but I doubt very much anyone could shame them judging by the way they conduct their business. I.e., They have no shame.
Its a shame you didnt get it inspected by an independant before you agreed to buy! You could have just walked away.
Take it back too the Manufacturer and see what they say
I sold it back to the dealer
Having suffered from such financial loss surly it would be of benefit to others to warn them of who the dealer is that you had this problem with. Totally unfair to you.
Fair point. But I am not going to name the dealer. We did end up agreeing on the way forward and have drawn a line under the whole thing.
Was the dealer in the high peak by any chance.. your not naming them.. see my comment..
The dealer was not in the high peak.
Expose the seller
All caravans have a percentage of damp so buy your self a damp meter and check it for yourself mainly by windows doors and definitely under the sink area 😊
Looks like water ingress from the front locker, what's the seal like, get it chopped out and refitted. Looks like Stevie Wonder already had a go. How much was the van?
The dealer has a legal responsibility under the sale of goods act that he must rectify the issue so you would have won had you taken it to small claims court. The water ingress is nothing to do with the grab handles it’s actually tracking behind the plastics and the front, back and sides of the caravan. Bailey never sealed around the floor areas correctly. I have sealed and now have 2 very dry Baileys from 2010. But the water does track front, back and sides so I advise everyone to seal the plastics on with Sikaflex. Also I would advise to add an extra inch of plastic to drop below floor level on the front and back where the plastics are screwed to the floor as again water tracks into the floor there 👍
Hi ,
Sorry I wouldn’t call that damp that is rot.