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Subject Topic: Lying van up for Winter Post Reply Post New Topic
08/10/2006 at 1:32am
 Location: Cleethorpes
 Outfit: Compass Herald 500 4
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Hi, I'm a new caravanner and would like some tips on storing my van over winter, what I have to drain down and what to do with the Battery are a couple I would like help with and anything else you "Vets" can tell me about would be much appreciated. Thanks.


08/10/2006 at 8:38am
 Location: Aberdeen
 Outfit: Swift Challenger 620 & Touareg V6 TDI
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Hi KenW

Its not very complicated. Drain all water off including your toilet and empty and clean out cassette. Take battery out of van and take home and recharge every 6 - 8 weeks or so. Do not store your battery on your garage floor, keep in on a bench or something similar. Ideally you should take the wheels of and use winter wheels (check with your insurers first as some insist on the whhels being on the van with wheel clamp in use) Open all door and cupboards to allow air to circulate freely and leave the fridge door open also. Upholstery should ideally be taken home with you, if not possible stand all the cushions up on end to allow air to circulate round them and below the beds/bunks etc. Finally you may wish to use a winterising solution on the outside of van (see fenwicks site).

Check the features/tips section on this site where there is a section on winterising your van.

Good Luck



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Mark


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08/10/2006 at 1:21pm
 Location: Shropshire North Wales borders
 Outfit: Adria Win
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Alternatively, don't lay it up for the winter - get out & about in it!

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Caz
If you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, just keep going till you go round the bend.


08/10/2006 at 1:43pm
 Location: Southwest
 Outfit: Mondeo 2.2 Titanium X
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We can't use ours in the cold & wet weather due to Julie having arthritis & wet cold weather makes it worse for her. Therefore we possibly go over the top winterising ours but it works for us.

I wash it & give it a really good coat of wax, I then place it on the drive where it can stay for the winter & put two old wheels & tyres that I've kept for years on it with two wheel clamps. I also jack up under the axle & place two RSJs under, one each side to keep the weight off the suspension units.

I drain down everything & leave taps in the ON position. I don't remove the battery but I do keep it charged on the van, we also connect electric up to it now & then to keep it all warm & working. I drain the flush tank out into a container so I don't waste the fluid (how tight is that) I wash out the cassete & keep it in my garage with the flap slightly open & rubbed with vaseline.

We remove ALL the upholstery into the house & keep it under the beds, this, I believe, would deter any thieves as they'd be nicking an empty box. It also keeps the upholstery aired by the central heating pipes that pass through the floor/ceiling cavity in the house.

We keep the fridge door slightly open & place two large dishes of salt, one each end of the van, this absorbs any misture in the air & has kept our vans dry for years.

I used to keep the electric plugs for the van inside the hitchlock to make life difficult for thives but our new hitchlock won't take them so I'll have to leave them cable tied under the A frame cover.

BB   



08/10/2006 at 2:12pm
 Location: Lancashire
 Outfit: Caravan now Sold
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hi this will help

13 Winterising Your Caravan [:o)]



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the only silly question is the one you do not ask.


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08/10/2006 at 10:04pm
 Location: 
 Outfit: 
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We used ours all Winter last Year and were snug as bugs in rugs, maybe warmer than at home at times.



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'A motorhome is for life, not just for Summer'


09/10/2006 at 1:00am
 Location: Cleethorpes
 Outfit: Compass Herald 500 4
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Thanks for the replies, some very useful tips. Will ordinary battery charger suffice or will i need a heavier duty one?

 

KenW



09/10/2006 at 7:11am
 Location: Aberdeen
 Outfit: Swift Challenger 620 & Touareg V6 TDI
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Ordinary one will be fine.

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Mark


09/10/2006 at 10:23pm
 Location: Lancashire
 Outfit: Caravan now Sold
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this will help

http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/Documents/Looking%20after%20your%20leisure%20battery.pdf[:o)]



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the only silly question is the one you do not ask.


10/10/2006 at 9:22am
 Location: KENT
 Outfit:  BAILEY PEGASUS 534 DIESEL HONDA CRV
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I also flush the water sytem through with one of those bleach cleaners so nasty little fungae can't get to grow in the residual moisture.  But now we are semi-retired and use the van thru the winter, at least we did when we had a van! Can't wait to have a good look and get our new one, roll on NEC. 

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10/10/2006 at 2:39pm
 Location: Cumbria
 Outfit: ABI Caravan
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Hi

Wish our Caravan was all year round too in stead of putting to bed over the winter, but my husband wont go out in the winter ( even now) I think you can get soem great days out and the weather can be good, but poor me   he just wont.treid all ways but to no avail.

Oh well I will just have to wait till the spring. Enjoy your winter caravaners, good luck.

D

 




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