Your Caravan in November
Time to get round to those things you haven’t done yet.
Some of us, of course, love the winter, and the prospect of a good weekend means we will be off to the few sites that stay open all the year round. (We hope to add some more content about these on another occasion). But, for the rest of us, it’s time to recognise that we have come to the end of the year and we need to think about preparing it for the winter lay-up.
Where to store your caravan
It seems obvious, but the first thing to think of is whether or not you have storage space. It is great if we can keep it at home because then we can keep an eye on things, but we don’t all have the space.
The ideal place is in a large garage or similar outbuilding as this will keep the worst of the weather off your caravan. If you need to store it outside, you should invest in a specialist winter cover to keep your tourer in top shape over the coming months.
Cleaning
Before you stow it away, you should give it a good clean, both inside and out.
Wash well and make sure you remove the cosmetic scratches and dirt from last year on the outside.
Inside, remove the remains of any food to prevent insects, mice and other rodents from taking up residence there. Check the upholstery and woodwork thoroughly for stains, scratching and marking now rather than waiting till next year comes around.
Getting ready for winter
Once your caravan is clean, then you can set about a proper winterisation.
• Once you have found your permanent winter spot, lower the four corner steadies
• It is best to jack up the caravan on to axle stands so that the wheels are not supporting the full weight over winter.
• Drain off water systems to avoid the risk of freezing in the system. You will find that most systems will have a draining plug or a screw. If not, make sure the pump is turned off and the water supply is disconnected and turn on the taps until no more water comes out of them.
• Make sure the gas system is turned off.
• Remove the leisure battery (if you have a 12v system) to preserve it over winter. If you leave it in, it will almost certainly be flat by the start of the next caravanning season. It is best kept in a cool, dry place. Charging the battery regularly helps to maintain the battery life longer – ideally every 2 weeks or so.
• Make sure that all windows and vents are closed.
• Apply all security devices (such as wheel locks, hitch locks etc…)
• Clean down everything inside, not forgetting to vacuum under the bunks and under furniture.
• Make sure you have removed all food items as these may go off and attract pests and rodents.
• Take out the bedding. Ideally these should be stored at home, but, if you lack space, then next best is on top of the bunks.
• Allow air to circulate inside by leaving cupboards and doors open wherever possible.
• Do the same for the fridge door by propping open with a towel or something similar to prevent mould from growing.
• Because of the risk of condensation, try pulling the seat bases and other upholstery items away from wall and windows. Again, if you have enough room, you can take them out and store them at home.
Periodic checks
Now that you have readied your caravan for winter, there are a few checks you can carry out from time to time to make sure everything is still ok.
If you can connect to the electric hook-up, turn the heater on periodically to circulate some warm air, but try to avoid situations which will result in condensation build-up. NEVER leave the heater on unsupervised.
Charge the leisure battery periodically to keep it topped up. It should read 13-14volts.
If the caravan isn’t jacked up, try rotating the wheels periodically to avoid flat spots on the tyres.
Keep checking for signs of damp.
If you follow this guide, your caravan should survive the winter months. Be sure to make regular checks on your caravan but you should have no trouble with it. You should also find a winterisation.