Damp found on Nuevo

My 2011 Nuevo II EK had its habitation check today and in the offside locker door panel the moisture meter reading was 34% and under the bench seat at floor level on the same side it was 40% to 30%.
They said I should have the reading done again in 3months time.
Can anyone give me any advice on this and also recommend a suitable moisture meter I can buy so I can check it myself. If any remedial work is required then it will be done at Autosleepers factory.

Aldi have them every so often, I bought one and it seems pretty good but it is the type that makes two pin pricks. You can get non-invasive ones which would be better so as not to leave the marks but they are more expensive, a lot more, see here..
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there some from Hong Kong for less than £20 but couldn't possibly comment on the quality!

this is the same as the Aldi one (Aldi price usually £12.99)

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I bought one of these in 2011 for our first van.
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It seems to work OK but does leave two tiny pinpricks, and you have to avoid stabbing yourself.
Regards
Fred

Hi Moggy 
Have send you a P.M
Boaby

During the annual service my Nuevo ES was found to have some damp (about 23%) on the side wall at floor level near the hinge side of the door. My own cheap damp meter confirmed this reading and it hasn't got any worse.

It goes in for a repair under warranty next month. I assume the door frame surround is the source of the problem but can't see anything wrong.

I wonder if any one else has had this and whether it was repaired successfully.

Regards
Fred

Not around the door, ours had a small area of damp at the bottom of the seal that goes right round the side panel making a damp patch on the inside just behind the bulkhead joint from cab to living quartets. Seal resealed entire length and been fine since (11 months ago). Check every month with a cheap Aldi Meyer.

How long is the warranty against dampness on these newish vans?
I thought one of the main reasons to buy an A/S was the superior build quality.
Can waiting some months cure a leak? Or does it dry out in the summer?

Regards

Micky

I must admit I was very disappointed when we found the damp but our dealer had it in within a couple weeks, had fan heaters on it in his workshop for a couple of weeks before resealing it with a 'rain spray' that they had constructed spraying it continuously for several days to make sure it was sealed properly. Because it was October/November it still took time to dry out thoroughly, with damp readings getting lower each week. Took about 3 months to dry out totally.

I've just had a habitation check done on my 2010 Gloucester and to my dismay they found damp readings of 75 to 80% under the cooker and 20 to 30% behind the front seats. I am not happy as the reason I bought an Auto-sleeper was because I had suffered terminal water ingress on my previous motorhome (a Swift). Luckily though I took out two years gold warranty when I bought the Gloucester so this should (fingers crossed) cover the cost. Marquis reckon on 79 hours to sort it!
Graham

I think the warranty for this used van is for three years as long as I take it back to the dealer (marquis) for the annual service/inspection.

So far since August 2013 I have had two major and one minor fault fixed under warranty. 

From the paperwork history that came with the van it seems to have had a leak on the seal on the front rooflight fixed in the first year of ownership and there are no signs of damp there now.

I was asking the question mainly because I would like to keep the van a few more years and did not want expensive repair bills.

Perhaps warranties can be extended, I haven't looked into this.

Well here is an update I have now had my Nuevo damp repaired. It needed a complete new locker door and frame and also the wooden frame below the locker had completely rotted to sawdust. I have had a thoroughly professional repair done at South West Motorhomes and can reccomend them and will be taking it to them for my future habitation check and any other jobs.  
They even took some photos whilst the locker door was removed and attach these below where you can see it was rather bad.

They also did not refit the cables door stays as they find they can get trapped and distort the rubber seal so rain can drive in. 


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Collected our 09 van after it's annual service and was told of higher damp readings (20-25%) at the back of the van which would require more warranty work later in the year.

I decided to investigate with my own meter and confirmed the high readings under the van at the back (inside the readings were below 12%)

I then noticed a very slow drip from the hose connecting the waste water tank to the drain tap. I took off the hose and found some pinholes where it rubbed against the chassis to which it had been fastened. I wonder if water from this leak has been blowing up to the floor while we were travelling.

Marquis gave me a new length of pipe today as I was passing in the car.  I'll fit it to the van and see if the the damp readings go down.

Hi Oldfred
Sorry to hear about your damp problem and hope it as simple as replacing the pipe. 
I was told that the damp in mine would never have just dried out.

Do you not drive in rain? Pipe not likely to be the source of damp.

Good point but damp was more to to middle of the back - the bits behind the wheels were dry.

The pipe needed replacing - only time will tell

Sorry to hear about damp problems on some of your vans mind you it is hardly surprising the amount of rain we get in this Country it does show the value of the annual habitation check.

Thanks for the comments.

I've been under the van and replaced the pipe.

I've gone all around underneath at the back and contrary to my last post most of the under floor area is between 15%-25%.

Perhaps it is the climate as suggested. I also took a reading of the wood below the house bay window which also has a plastic covering like the van. This was 7% so I presume that reflects the dampness in the air.

As also mentioned rain will splash up under the van even with mud-flaps.

Will take more readings when we return from our autumn break.

Just had a updated damp check today.

Damp under the van at the back has increased to 50% (under the cooker area). Marquis say the back skirt has to come off and then the back floor area will deed drying, with any soft wood being replaced, then everything put back and resealed. Estimate for about hours labour and parts is about £800 but they hope (and me too ) that it will be covered by the warranty.

The probable cause of the damp is road spray getting up the back underneath though sealant that has failed.

Going in on second week of Feb - I'll keep you posted.
Fred

Hi Fred
Have sent you a p.m
Boaby

Problem l have found with the Marquis warranty, is if the dampness is caused by a failure to pipe work, pipe fittings, pipe joints, etc, etc, they are excluded from the cover.

During this years late summer trip to France a small plastic connector in the boiler area developed a hairline crack. The post event suggestion was that the crack had been ever so slowly seeping water for the best part of a week before it became noticeable.  Once noticed, boiler drained. 

Marquis more than happy to replace the part ( matter of pence ), but oh no, not the damp area. Warranty company pointed to clause in warranty ( if poxy cheap plastic thing fails, and causes damp - tough ). 

Had the work done by AS  -  £700 disappears from bank account.

I have just been reading the comments on damp on the Nuevo. On my 2002 classic, I did have a slight leak on one of the Windows when the rain was driving against it. I did run some silkaflex around it, and it lasted about 3 years. I had a habitation check done in January this year, and asked Auto-sleepers service centre to just run some more round it, but they took it out and re-bonded it. The damp readings around all the vehicle was registered under 15%, so no action required. I guess the later Nuevo is not for me.

Collected the van from Preston Maquis today. Nothing to pay.

They took it in for the damp problem 2^nd week of February.

About two weeks later we had a phone call from the warranty firm who asked if I had had the van inspected 3 months after the last work as this was a condition of the policy. I couldn't remember and had no paperwork to prove it had been checked. Told me the claim was invalid and they wouldn't pay.

Phoned Marquis but before I had a chance to complain I was told the work (£800 estimate) was being done at their expense.

New sealant round the back and back corner skirts again and all damp readings below 20%. Told I wouldn't need to take it back in 3 months, just for it's hab check in August.

Nice to see they are keeping to the spirit rather than the letter.

I have a 2008 Devon. Decided to do my own Habitation checks. Discovered that the plywood under floor in the offside rear corner to be very wet. Definitely rainwater coming in somewhere and dripping down the back panel behind the rear skirt and soaking into the edge of the plywood which appears to be unsealed! Any thoughts as too source of possible ingress? Also I note that between the rear skirt and the side skirt, AS don't both to apply sealant, that also seems to be another source of water ingress as right behind that is the above mentioned plywood and a 25mm sq strip of softwood mounted under the floor going forewards. This is also very wet. So I possibly have two sources of ingress.Thanks.

I always had a tiny amount of water creeping under the habitation door as the van is on a slight slope on the drive. With all the heavy rain we have been having, so much came in that it slightly filled the step recess inside, going over the seals. Luckily this is well below the floor as it is fitted in the skirt. Decided to get new seals from AS and they came next day. Fitted the new rubber seal at the hinge side of the door where I thought the trouble was. After fitting the rest of the seals around the door, it would not close, so back to the old seal. I did notice the door closed closer to the lock side than the hinges, but to centralise the door I will need to file away some of the door (not an easy job) where the hinges fit to bring back the door as there is no adjustment, only for top and bottom. Anyway just checked after a huge storm and very very minor water just by the bottom seal. I Will wait now before going any further just to see