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Subject Topic: Storing MH at home Post Reply Post New Topic
via mobile 28/9/2024 at 8:47am
 Location: Yorkshire
 Outfit: Autosleeper Neuvo
View loulee's Profile View Profile   Reply to loulee Reply   Quote loulee Quote  
Joined: 09/2/2014

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Hi
I see plenty of MHs on people's drives with the orange electric cable plugged in.
We are thinking of doing this over the colder months.
Is it advisable to just plug in an oil filled radiator or to use the Truma on board heater.
Any advice is much appreciated

Thanks 😊

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Thank you 😊


via mobile 28/9/2024 at 10:41am
 Location: Ayrshire
 Outfit: Auto-Sleeper MHs
View Fiona W's Profile View Profile   Reply to Fiona W Reply   Quote Fiona W Quote  
Joined: 10/4/2007

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Forum Posts:   5144
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We plug in a day or two before every trip to get the fridge cold, with heating off. We use the Truma heater in winter (as in frost, snow) because we can set the thermostat to something like 10 deg: more controllable than the oil filled radiator & the blown air gets further than the radiated heat. Your water will be drained for winter so make sure you don’t put the water heater on at the same time. And you’ll notice your house electric bill goes up.
We also struggle to keep the storm door letterbox draught proof, with the cable coming through: our socket in the lobby is an RCD one because we also plug in an electric lawn mower.

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2024 = 20 sites / 41 nights. 2023 = 9/23. 2022 = 13/35. 2021 = 11/29. 2020 = 4/20. 2019 = 13/35. 2018 = 20/33. 2017 = 10/22. 2016 = 19/33. 2015 = 15 sites / 27 nights. Didn't count 1976 to 2014.


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via mobile 28/9/2024 at 11:41am
 Location: Yorkshire
 Outfit: Autosleeper Neuvo
View loulee's Profile View Profile   Reply to loulee Reply   Quote loulee Quote  
Joined: 09/2/2014

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Thank you for this. The only thing is I have read somewhere that truma don't recommend the heater to be on permanent for hours and hours. I think.it said something like 5000hours max at a time. I can't find the place where I read it now....

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Thank you 😊


28/9/2024 at 9:19pm
 Location: Milton Keynes
 Outfit: Bailey Alliance 66-2 Motorhome
View David Klyne's Profile View Profile   Reply to David Klyne Reply   Quote David Klyne Quote  
Joined: 13/2/2004

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We were able to store our motorhome in the back garden and it was connected to the mains via the garage lights. It wasn't on 24/7, only when I flicked the switch to the garage around dusk. It was mainly connected to make sure both batteries where charged. Unfortunately heating the van, even if infrequently, is expensive these days so latterly we didn't bother. I suspect the point made by Truma is because their electric heating elements tend to go and they are pretty expensive to replace, hence the suggesting/instruction not to run them all the time?

David



via mobile 29/9/2024 at 7:57am
 Location: Milton Keynes
 Outfit: 2023Archway Woodford
View birdman101's Profile View Profile   Reply to birdman101 Reply   Quote birdman101 Quote  
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I have never seen why people worry about heat. They don’t heat their cars that stand outside and very few use a garage nowadays. Have now had caravans for nearly 53 years and never put heat in any of them over Winters, and never suffered and problems. Just stand seats up on edge to let the air circulate around them.

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2023 Swift Archway Woodford, MK3 Kuga ST Line X 190 ps AWD Auto
Now 52 years Caravanning completed.


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via mobile 29/9/2024 at 9:41am
 Location: Scotland
 Outfit: Adria Compact 590SP
View Lukeledge's Profile View Profile   Reply to Lukeledge Reply   Quote Lukeledge Quote  
Joined: 01/1/2012

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I leave ours on hook up with a little oil filled radiator inside, set to lowest setting just to prevent it going below freezing inside. Also keeps the batteries topped up.


via mobile 29/9/2024 at 10:29am
 Location: Ayrshire
 Outfit: Auto-Sleeper MHs
View Fiona W's Profile View Profile   Reply to Fiona W Reply   Quote Fiona W Quote  
Joined: 10/4/2007

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Quote: Originally posted by birdman101 on 29/9/2024
I have never seen why people worry about heat. They don’t heat their cars that stand outside and very few use a garage nowadays.



Cars get driven most days, with the heating on (some have heated seats) & topping up the battery. Our MH doesn’t get driven much over winter: supposed to drive it so the tyres aren’t always resting on the same spot…

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2024 = 20 sites / 41 nights. 2023 = 9/23. 2022 = 13/35. 2021 = 11/29. 2020 = 4/20. 2019 = 13/35. 2018 = 20/33. 2017 = 10/22. 2016 = 19/33. 2015 = 15 sites / 27 nights. Didn't count 1976 to 2014.


29/9/2024 at 2:02pm
 Location: Yorkshire
 Outfit: Car & Caravan
View Paul_B's Profile View Profile   Reply to Paul_B Reply   Quote Paul_B Quote  
Joined: 24/9/2004

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My caravan is also plugged in, not to heat it or anything, but to keep the battery topped up, 100w of solar doesn't do much when the days are short, the suns low and its cloudy


29/9/2024 at 4:49pm
 Location: Devizes Wiltshire
 Outfit: MWB VW Crafter PVC
View dk168's Profile View Profile   Reply to dk168 Reply   Quote dk168 Quote  
Joined: 19/6/2009

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For the first winter, I put the Webasto heater on as low as possible and found it still used up the diesel in no time.

I then discovered there is a over-winter setting on the roof-mounted air con unit that comes on when the interior temperature drops below 10degC and have been using that ever since.

The van is hooked up to the mains all the time when it is parked outside my house behind the gates.

There is a switch inside to toggle between the van's leisure batteries and the car battery.

I was advised by the company that carried out the customer conversion on my van to keep the switch on "Van" to keep the leisure batteries charged, and flick it to "Car" every two weeks or so for a few hours to top up the car's battery.

I have a repeated task reminder on my mobile phone to remind me to flick this switch every 2 weeks.

After the very last trip over the New Year weekend, I would empty the fridge and turn it off until it is time to go out again at Easter.

Can't comment on the electricity usage, sorry! I have a smart meter and pay by monthly direct debit.

DK

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