We paid £20,000 for a campervan – and now it's rusting

Two years ago, we bought a 13-year-old campervan for £20,000 from a secondhand campervan company.

A year later it passed its MOT but we were told there was some rust underneath. We were not told it needed dealing with. Now it has failed its MOT and we have been told the rust is so bad it is not worth repairing. Repairs would cost about £4,000.

The garage thinks the vehicle must have stood in floodwater for some time. Surely the traders knew the condition and sold it to us in this state without telling us. Do you think we have any comeback?
SL, by email

I’m sorry but I don’t think that you have much comeback against the campervan company, given that it is two years since you bought what is now a 15-year-old vehicle – one that passed an MOT a year ago. You would have to be able to show the problem existed at the time of purchase, which is very difficult to prove retrospectively.

We advise anyone buying a camper to get it independently inspected before you hand over the cash. Vehicles that look great on the outside can be rotting away underneath.

Given that camper vans are in huge demand right right now, don’t assume that it is not worth repairing.

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