Anyone with any caravan maintenance/repair skills here?

[Untamed]

Thought it was worth posting here, just in case there are any caravan gurus here.

I just noticed there is water dripping from the clear plastic pipe under the hot water boiler - the hose that goes from the boiler through the floor to the outside. I assumed this was purely for draining the boiler if caravan wasn't going to be used for some time, but does it have another purpose?

It is only dripping, and so far just small area of wet ground, so assuming it has only just started doing this. I HAVE noticed that the pressure switch makes a lot of noise lately, when the pump is running, and for a very short time once taps are turned off/pump stops.

Coachman Amara 530/4 (2004) and guessing this is the original boiler. Pressure switch was replaced maybe a year or two ago?

Any ideas as to what the issue might be?

If anyone has any objection to these kinds of posts here, let me know and I'll delete it.

[Red Baron]

Thought it was worth posting here, just in case there are any caravan gurus here.

I just noticed there is water dripping from the clear plastic pipe under the hot water boiler - the hose that goes from the boiler through the floor to the outside. I assumed this was purely for draining the boiler if caravan wasn't going to be used for some time, but does it have another purpose?

It is only dripping, and so far just small area of wet ground, so assuming it has only just started doing this. I HAVE noticed that the pressure switch makes a lot of noise lately, when the pump is running, and for a very short time once taps are turned off/pump stops.

Coachman Amara 530/4 (2004) and guessing this is the original boiler. Pressure switch was replaced maybe a year or two ago?

Any ideas as to what the issue might be?

If anyone has any objection to these kinds of posts here, let me know and I'll delete it.

If ze drain pipe eez clear plastic, zhis vould indicate it eez likely designed vor 'cold vater'.    Zo your azzumption eet eez purely a drain exit point zounds likely.   However, most hot vater zystems have an 'overvlow vacility', vhere eef ze vater temperature gets too to hot vor ze pressure created, there eez a 'drain path' zuch that excess vater can escape vrom ze top of ze cylinder/boiler.    Zhat escaping vater could be rerouted into ze drainage zystem, vhich might cause ze drips you are observing.    To diagnose thees, try turning ze cylinder/boiler off vor a day and zee eef eet ztill leaks.

Othervise there must be zome kind of 'zeal' or valve inside ze cylinder/boiler holding vater in vith ze drain tap in ze closed. position.  After tventy years of 'vaithvul zervice' perhaps ze tears you are observing eez ze zeal crying 'enough'?

RB

[Untamed]

Thanks for the suggestions. At this point, it is only dripping very minimally, so I'm just going to leave it for now. In the "too hard" basket. I have a container under it, and check regularly, so if it starts to drip/leak significantly, I will get someone to take a look at it.

I am realising that given my caravan is 20 years old, it is probably going to start needing things repaired or replaced in the near future. I spent a few thousand bucks on it last year (had the awning rails removed and re-sealed) but I really don't want to spend much more on it. It is depreciating in value rapidly, and it is just not worth spending much on now. Seriously thinking about selling it, and buying something more modern/better suited to permanent living, but would have to use my Kiwisaver to do that (65 in two years).

Have been looking at Snowy River and Regent (both Aussie) caravans - damn they are nice! But whether I can find a decent secondhand one down the track, that I can afford, remains to be seen.

[Untamed]

My dream caravan:

https://snowyrivercaravans.com.au/caravan/src-eighteen/

Sigh. Dreams are free.

[Basil]

In my experience and what I have observed with my clients, it doesn't seem to matter whether its cars, trucks, boats, aircraft, caravan's or whatever, after 20 years or so they become a real maintenance nightmare.  Good luck, hope you get it sorted.

[Swala]

You may be familiar with the old accountants adage "if it floats, flies or f**ks, hire it don't buy it!"

[Untamed]

Nope, I have never heard that one before, but I can see the logic behind it. Unfortunately hiring a caravan isn't an option, certainly not for full time living. One of the main reasons I decided on this life style, was to reduce my living costs, so I could actually manage to save some money. Even if there was somewhere to rent a caravan from long term, the cost to rent plus rent for the site would be unaffordable for me.

But thanks for your input 
 

You may be familiar with the old accountants adage "if it floats, flies or f**ks, hire it don't buy it!"