HINTS & TIPS ON PREPARING YOUR CARAVAN FOR WINTER

• Remove all bedding, cushions and pillows and if you can, store them in your home.

• Remove the seats and back cushions and place them, end on, in the centre walkway of the caravan.

• Open all internal doors and cupboards to give plenty of circulating air.

• Switch off all internal electrical switches, remove plugs and check the fuses. Replace any that have blown.

• If you store your caravan away from home remove the leisure battery and store it in a dry place. Whether or not you remove it, recharge the battery every five to six weeks.

• Check that gas appliances and the gas bottle regulators are all turned off. Occasionally during the winter it is a good idea to heat the ’van for an hour or two using the space heater to drive any accumulated damp away. Remember if you use butane it will begin to freeze when temperatures fall below four degrees centigrade, so you will need to use propane instead.

• Road lights are an important and a legal requirement. Remove the external light lenses and clean both the lens (inside and out) and the electrical contacts. Cover the edge of the lens with petroleum jelly before refitting. This should prevent further problems during the winter. Always remember your own personal limitations. Consult a qualified electrician if in doubt or where you find problems that you cannot correct yourself. Check the 12N and 12S leads and plugs. Spray the contacts with a light coating of WD40.

• Having your caravan shut up for a long period may generate water molecules in the atmosphere inside. Positioning moisture traps in the main area and wash room will help to absorb these.

• Remember to empty the traps on a regular basis. Opening doors and windows from time to time will also keep your caravan aired.

• Give the kitchen and bathroom a good clean especially around the cooker and inside the fridge. This will prevent mould forming during the winter months.

• Remove the toilet cassette and thoroughly clean it. Drain and flush any water left in the holding tank. If you have added an agent to the flushing water and you wish to save it, use an old squash bottle but don’t forget to remove the label and mark it up as ‘Toilet Flushing Water’.

• Lubricate the toilet valve with silicon grease and leave it slightly open to prevent sticking when you next use it.

• Consider having your caravan’s annual service during the winter. Workshops tend to be less busy. Whatever jobs you do before winter the easier it will be to prepare your caravan at the beginning of the next season. Many jobs will need to be carried out in reverse when next using the caravan.