HINTS & TIPS ON PREPARING YOUR CARAVAN FOR WINTER
Caravan hints and tips
•
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.
