Follow us!

Practical Guide to Winterising your Motorhome and Caravan

With winter fast approaching, only a minority of motorhome owners can avow to having a
fully winterised vehicle, your van is prone to damage and a multitude of complications that
can occur if you fail to take the relevant steps. This guide lists the successive measures you
can adopt to ensure your vehicle is ready for the winter.
Throughout the winter your motorhome or caravan will go through severe changes in
temperature which often provides optimal conditions for the build up of condensation and
mildew. Consider placing moisture traps or dehumidifiers around the interior of your caravan
or motorhome to help combat this. In turn this should reduce damage and eliminate any
unpleasant musty smells. Remove your electronic equipment, if left idle there is a strong
possibility condensing water can infiltrate and impair your devices, removing batteries from
your devices (aside from those in security and alarm systems) such as satnavs or clocks will
also be necessary as they can corrode if exposed to cold temperatures for protracted
periods

white and red house on snow covered ground

Water is typically the largest threat, exposing caravan water pipes to cold temperatures can
cause freezing and potentially bursting, prompting a flooded caravan, or at the very least an
excessive plumbing fee.It’s therefore critical to empty the water pipes and systems in the
caravan. Initiate this process by simply shutting off the main water supply. Once the water is
off, turn on all taps inside the caravan, including any exterior taps as well as the shower.
Leave them running until the residue water has stopped flowing. Adding antifreeze to all
plugholes is advisable,as it will guarantee that any remnant water left won’t freeze. Lastly,
locate and drain the water heater, followed by flushing the toilet to ensure water from the
cistern is adequately cleared.
When your vehicle is not in use, remove the batteries, especially leisure batteries, they are
often vulnerable to cold climates, which can often impair their overall power and ability to run
the vehicle.

Consider charging your leisure batteries, removing them, and then proceeding to
move them indoors. Safekeeping your batteries in a warm and dry environment can extend
their lifespan and maintain sufficient performance. Another important step is to disconnect
the gas bottles, moving the canisters to a safe place.
At this part of the year, correctly inflated tyres are a requisite. Whilst winterising the vehicle,
it’s important to use this opportunity to check the tyres ,date of manufacture, as well as tyre
conditions and pressure. Many experts recommend increasing the standard tyre pressure
by 0.2 bar, and moving the motorhome on occasion to prevent the emergence of flat spots.

If you have had any experience with our security devices, please consider leaving a review here

No Comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.