How to Prepare Your Caravan for Winter

How to Prepare Your Caravan for Winter Where to Store Your Caravan: For many, storing your caravan will boil down to two choices, parking up outside your home or finding a storage facility, if you do choose a storage compound here are some great tips to finding a reliable storage site: Take a look at the Caravan Storage Site Owners Association website http://www.cassoa.co.uk/ you'll find plenty of sites, graded according to their security features. Sites that keep your caravan undercover are rare but it's the best option. Caravans are designed to live outside but standing in the same place, exposed to the elements can damage your caravan. Check the written conditions before signing up: Important: Remember to advise your insurer what you plan to do with your caravan to ensure that it will be covered where it's stored. • Will they park your caravan for you? • Does the site have battery charging and cleaning facilities? • Do they have a vermin-control programme in place? Preparing the Interior of Your Caravan A Room by Room Guide: Lounge Kitchen Bathroom Bedrooms Take the cover off the toilet cistern, flush toilet and add Clean all surfaces Empty the fridge and wash with a Remove all valuables weak bicarbonate of soda solution and leave it ajar Move sofa cushions anti-freeze as the Either take bedding, away from exterior walls to avoid damp cistern refills duvets, blankets and pillows home or alternatively put them in vacuum sealed bags Remove all food Remove shower hose and head as Roll up any loose rugs and mats and stand on end from cupboards and wash with an antibacterial spray these could be damaged if any water left in them freezes (scroll down to the 'Final Winter Stand mattresses up on their edge if possible Clean cooker and Remove your TV, DVD player, radio hob thoroughly Checklist for the full etc. drain down procedure) Winterising the Exterior of Your Caravan Dos and Don'ts Bodywork Cleaning Tyres Essential Extras DO thoroughly clean your caravan before winter DONT leave tyres standing in the same position for more than 6-8 weeks as this Check your car-to-caravan connectors for any sign of damage can cause bulging in the rubber DONT use cleaning agents that aren't specifically designed for caravans Clean all electrical contacts and spray with WD-40 DO keep the tyres out of direct sunlight to stop he rubber from degrading DO be careful when using pressure washers as this can sometimes damage the paintwork and seals Add a layer of grease to all moving parts such as linkages, rotating screws and the spare wheel carrier DONT cover wheel bearings with plastic bags as this can lead to condensation DO take extra care to remove any signs of mould as these can leave marks on the bodywork. Fit hitchlock and wheel clamps for added security Clean exterior light fittings including the lens and seals Store caravan with all corner steadies down, using chocks where necessary and leaving the handbrake off to avoid it sticking Final Winter Checklist Turn off and disconnect the bottled gas supply and store canister safely O Disconnect the electricity, you should find a mains switch in one of the bedroom cupboards. O Complete the drain down procedure: shut off the water supply at the stop cock, open all drain down pipes under the caravan and turn on all the taps, including the shower to make sure all the water is drained out of the system. Once the water has stopped flowing, put plugs in all sinks and shower trays to stop any unwanted wildlife setting up home. Once the water is switched off you can flush the toilet, clearing most of the water from the cistern, pour antifreeze into the waste pipes to ensure any water left in the S bend will be treated. Put newspaper in the S bend to prevent any unwelcome visitors. Covering up Your Caravan If you want to preserve the exterior of your unit and protect it from adverse winter weather conditions you have two options: 1. Add a protective coating such as an overwintering fluid, which can simply be washed off in the spring / /| 2. Invest in a protective cover. Generally, you get what you pay for with caravan covers so choose wisely - it needs to be breathable, soft enough so that it won't damage the surface of your caravan and tough enough that it will last for several years. This infographic was produced by The Caravan Company, leading suppliers of new and used caravans, offering the widest selection of second hand caravans in the UK. THE CARAVAN COMPANY