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yep had a great time last week a bit cold in the early hours but not to bad.

Margaret

Hi all,

This week was the first real winter use of our new van, Pageant burgandy. Heres the story.....

Made a last minute booking into a CL in essex just to get a break away from the house for a couple of days. Arrived at the CL at lunchtime Monday and set up the van. With electric hiccup  and gas for the heating, the van was warm as toast in no time at all. Had a brilliant time until Tuesday night !

Temp dropped to minus 6, but still snug. Went to bed about 11pm, still snug, woke up 6am bit chilly, back into bed till 8am, bleedin freezin. Gas bottles run out !!

No problem, just change bottles over. 5 minutes, job done, warm as toast.

Make a cup of tea..... no water... Damn! - The aquarolls frozen and the connecting pipe was like a solid blue banana. Brought the pipe into the van and defrosted it. Rammed a pole into top of aquaroll to break the ice and then rolled the aquaroll round the CL at high speed for 15 minutes hoping the rest of the ice inside would defrost quicker if it were strirred up a bit. ... 15 minutes later, water was water again instead of a slushy drink. Reconnected aquaroll and Hey Presto, jobs a goodun!......... Unti I turned on the taps!......... Loads of black bits and bits of what looked like the penicillin that grows on the side of an old unwashed teacup was coming out with the water.

I was sure it couldnt have come from the aquaroll as it was perfectly clean before being filled. I couldnt drain and refill it as the taps on the CL had frozen solid. On examination, I found the problem. The water had also frozen inside the Crystal Water Filter. This had then split and bits from inside it were coming out of the taps. What with the forecasters forecasting snow later tha day, I packed up, came home and read the 'Truma' Water Filter booklet. There it suggests that for winter vanning, you fit the optional interior filter connector an use the aquaroll inside the van.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing..... should have read the book before. Next time I will be more prepared.

Happy vanning!

Hi Marpin,

No our gas had not frozen, but funnily (or not) enough, one of the other caravans on the CL had frozen up. They were using calor butane even though they were "full time" vanners. I was very surprised that they were using 'blue' gas at this time of year. But then again............. I was stupid enough to leave an aquaroll of water all night in minus 6 degrees without a thought that it might freeze up !!!!

We have vanned in winter for a few years, going away usually at Christmas.

Don't ofter get away at weekends as home too late from work, but try to occasionally.

We love it, quiet, no kids rampaging about and there is something good about being warm in a van only inches away from ice /snow or even the rain. -- never had the gas or water freeze though. Will be putting in some bubble rap to wrap around them next time we go. Forewarned is Forearmed!!!

hi Bev & jon , we to were at clumber that weekend wasnt it beautiful !!, this was our first stay there & we will definatly be going back ,.. we are only 20 mins away ! i we all walked for miles & miles ...... loved it . ( winter vanning is fab ) 

                Diana, nigel & Abbie

Another useful bit of kit would be the Foam Pipe Insulation. The grey stuff with a split along the length that often lags the pipes in the loft. A piece cut to size should help protect the flexible tubing from the aquaroll to the van.

Happy vanning.