Where to find Damp

Damp can be found in the walls and roof of the caravan
To be able to spot damp in a caravan you need to know what it looks and feels like.
The first thing you may notice when you walk into a caravan is the smell, it may smell musty, if
it does it is a fair indication that there may be damp in the caravan. This is normally only in
severe cases and will be obvious with a closer inspection.
If no smell is present you will still have to carry out an inspection damp may be present on a
smaller scale or not so advanced.
Main areas to check
All the walls have to be checked but there are areas that are more prone to damp then others.
One of the main areas to check are the corners, it there is a leak from the awning rail or even
the roof light the water may run along the inside of the caravan without doing any visible
damage.It is only when it comes to rest and can't dry out that it starts to do affect the panels
and timbers.
These are the most important places to check because they are the most costly areas to fix
due to the fact that they are the main strengthening points.
The second most important places are around the windows,the rubbers around the windows
have sealant behind them and are prone to leak.Lift up the window rubber and check the
timber frame.
Then check the door frame together with the rest of the wall boards,behind the seats, in the
wardrobes and cupboards.
The roof panels should also be checked but are not so prone to damp because of the shape
of the roof, water will normally run the the side of the van.
These are the main areas to check.
Diagram below
 

Diagram showing where to check your caravan, this can also be applied to Motorcaravans.

How to spot water ingress.

When water ingress is present and fairly advanced the main thing that you will find is that the
panel goes "spongy" and will sound dull when taped.
The other thing to look for is staining of the wallboard, water will leave a tide mark, this is a
good indication that there is damp in the wall.
A panel with no damp present will be hard and will be sound when tapped.
There are obviously different degrees of damage depending on how advanced the problem is,
the sooner the problem is found the better and the sooner steps can be taken to seal the
caravan up.