Site Content

ADM Caravan Repairs TIPS  & ADVICE for WINTERISATION:

If you put your Caravan in storage away for Winter here’s a few key steps you need to take to ensure it will be in good condition when pulled out of hibernation in the Spring.

STEP: 1
CLEANING THE CARAVAN INSIDE & OUT:

. Before putting your Caravan into storage, you should give it a good and thorough clean on the outside. 

. Make sure you get rid of any mud and moss, as these both retain moisture, which can damage your Caravan!

. After cleaning the Caravan outside, use Fenwick`s Over Wintering (Exterior Protector). It produces a barrier that repels moisture, then in Spring, just wash it off.

. Waxing the Caravan exterior (car wax will do), will also form a barrier to repel water and moisture.

. Also, give your roof a good polish if possible.
You’ll thank yourself in Spring. 

. While you're up there check for separation of rails.
There should be NO GAPS, between your roof and trims, which is the major culprit of possible Water Ingress.

. Tilt the Caravan slightly, to prevent water sitting on the roof.
This will also freeze and could damage the awning rails, seals or around the sky lights, etc.

. If using a COVER, be careful!
As there are both positives and negatives to using a Caravan cover.
But if you are going to use one, then the best option is a breathable one, that lets fresh air in but keeps out the wind, rain and snow, otherwise the cover, can cause damp and mould to grow. The benefits of using a cover are that your Caravan is protected from the weather, dirt and any bird poo, which can cause damage, so your Caravan is looking fresh  and clean for when you come to use it next year.
Although be aware, a cover can scratch the windows, with the wind moving them about and rubbing against... Make sure that they are property secured.

. Avoid parking under trees!
If you’re not storing your Caravan in a covered location - then avoid parking it under any trees. This will reduce the amount of bird poo on your Caravan, which can damage the exterior if not cleaned off promptly.
It will also avoid any tree sap or branches damaging the paint and bodywork - which can end up on a costly repair.

. Clean inside all of the cupboards.
It’s important that you give the inside of your Caravan a good clean!
Take all the food out, specially salt & pepper. As the salt will attract moisture. It’s OK to leave a couple of food tins for emergency. But any other food that might go off, must be removed. This also helps to deter mice (they can cause extensive damage to your Caravan, including wires, bedding, upholstery, curtains, carpets... Also, pay attention to any crumbs that might be left out - for the same obvious reasons. MICE! 

 MICE DETERRENT TIPS:

. Unfortunately if you’ve seen or found one, it’s likely that there will be more. Mice leave a strong trace of urine for other mice to follow...

. Battery operated sonic repellent.
(Amazon sells them.)

. Use Humane Traps and once caught, take the mice for a ride to be dropped off far away from your Caravan. Although this option is only advisable if you visit your Caravan often enough, otherwise the poor mousse will starve to death.
And we don’t want that! As it would be a cruel death.

. Mousse trap.

. Pure peppermint oil on cotton wool balls or on tumble drier sheets, also peppermint tea bags everywhere.

. Mothballs.

. Garlic cloves - peeled off.

. Spray jays fluid under your Caravan, smells like a predators urine, they don’t like it!

. Vacuum everywhere!!!
Including inside the lockers.

. Leave all the cupboards and drawers open, including the cooker door and the fridge door... everything needs to be left open!!! By doing so, it allows air to circulate throughout the Caravan, reducing the chances of DAMP and MOULD!

. All the cushions, curtains, padding and bedding, ideally should be taken out of the Caravan. If that’s not an option, gather everything into the centre of the van.

. Also, remove everything that might be stored UNDER the seats & bed, to allow air to circulate!

. Blinds should be left OPEN!
If you leave the blinds down over a long period of time, the spring inside tends to get a bit weak and you might have problems with them not to roll up neatly, when you come to use them again.

. And also, by closing the blinds or curtains, when the Caravan is standing for long periods unattended, causes mould to grow on everything!!!
By leaving the blinds up or half way up and the curtains open, basically allowing sunlight into the Caravan STOPS the growth of mould, although  the sunlight will fade your upholstery over a period of time, hence why is advisable to place all your upholstery into the middle of the Caravan, if possible away from the sky light. Better still, remove all upholstery from the Caravan altogether! Also ideally, you should return to your Caravan every couple of weeks, to air it out...

. Also, don’t close the roof light blinds, so that some daylight gets inside the Caravan, (for the same previous reasons).

. Remove the batteries from smoke and CO alarms, as well as from the clock and the fridge igniter and any other items like torches left in the Caravan. As the extremely low temperatures over Winter can cause the batteries to leak, and ruin your equipment.

. Spray WD40 on all the internal hinges and metal fittings to stop them from rusting.

Use of Dehumidifiers / Damp- Catchers / Silicone Crystals to absorb any moisture in the air: 

. Use only around the areas where its more likely to attract moisture, (minus near the sink area), like in the bathroom, cupboards at the top, as every Caravan is already equipped with gas escape holes. 

. Alternately, use a couple of cat litter trays, or bowls filled with salt (it will also help to attract some of the moisture) as recommended by a costumer of mine.

. Use a couple of air fresheners, (ideally one at the front & one at the back).
It will keep your Caravan smelling fragrant.

. Also, add some talc to your opening window rubbers, before closing for a long period.

STEP: 2
WATER WINTERISING:

.The most important thing to do when draining down is to make sure as much water as possible is removed from the system to avoid any frost damage such as in shower heads, taps, pipes, pumps and tanks, which can be a costly repair. 

. Drain all internal fluids: When water freezes it expands and in enclosed spaces, this process can lead to burst pipes and damaged, tanks, pumps and filters. 

. Open all taps in your Caravan to a central position.
This will ensure the hot and cold pipes are both drained.

. Remove shower head from wall and place it in shower tray.

. Locate the yellow valve, which is usually located under the seat, next to the water heater and turn in the upright position - this will unsure the tank is drained.

. Locate the toilet flush drain tube and remove the rubber bung to drain the toilet flush liquid. 

. It`s also good to do it regularly throughout the year, especially as water stagnates in the system after only a few days if not being cycled through and refreshed constantly.

. Firstly, locate all the draining points and these will most likely be found serving the fresh water tank and the water heater.

. If you have a water filter fitted, the best way to insure it is empty is to remove its element, which is sometimes located inside the body or in the shape of a removable cartridge.

. By removing the water filter prevents cracking, if the water freezes inside it. If it`s stored inside a sealed jar, it will help to keep it moist, until the next time you`ll need it!

. Other areas that are easy to forget, but needing attention, are the waste system and toilet.

. It`s also a good idea to check that the waste (grey water) tank is fully empty too. And if your cassette toilet has its own flush water tank, make sure that is drained.

- TOP TIP: Go for a short drive and plan a route around plenty of corners to dislodge remaining water. Turn on the pump to make sure no significant water is left in the system. Operate the toilet flush too.

- BEWARE: Submersible pumps can only be run dry for a short period without damage - say no more than 20 seconds. Diaphragm pumps can run dry without harm, but again 20 seconds should be enough.

. When it`s time to fill the system once more, a pre-use clean is a good idea to make sure the fresh water system is sterilised and the waste tanks are clean and nice smelling. NEVER USE bleach  based cleaners as they can do damage to pipes, tanks, heaters, pumps and valves and toilet waste cassette seals.

. Finally, if your van is equipped with a wet radiator heating system you do not have to drain the water from the radiators, just the fresh water from the water boiler.

TOOLS YOU NEED TO DRAIN YOUR CARAVAN WATER SYSTEM:

This is a simple process, but you`re likely to need:

* A torch
* Screwdrivers
* Spanners
* Pliers

TOILET:

. Make sure that the flush tank is completely drained and clean it.

. After draining the toilet flush, always blip the pump a couple of times to get the water out of it, the pumps are usually near the outer wall of any van and can easily freeze, subsequently breaking the pump body.

. Remove the tank and clean it.

. Clean inside the cassette thoroughly...
There`s lots of good products available, to remove the build up and to refresh the tank as well.

. Buy some special lubricant to use on the toilet seal, or (simply use olive oil) on the rubber ring as well, so the slider opens & closes perfectly every time.

. Make sure that the cassette is also left open, so will not trap any moisture or any bad odours inside the cassette.

 . Clean the toilet thoroughly with a good cleaner.

STEP: 3
GAS:

. If your gas bottles are to be left in the van whilst in storage disconnect and make sure that everything is switch OFF, relieve the pressure in your system and isolate. Or alternatively, the ideal solution is to remove the bottles from the van to avoid any risk of leakage altogether. 

STEP: 4

ELECTRICS:

.The leisure battery!!!
Leisure Battery: Disconnect it and ideally remove it and store it in a warmer location. The cold weather can reduce their lifespan.

Either remove the battery completely from the Caravan or get a solar panel, that supplies constant (weather permitting) charge to the battery.

. When visiting the Caravan do make sure that the electrics are OK and that the battery is up to charge. Failure to do that, the battery will discharge and during a period of time will be useless. 

. If you are to remove the battery, take it home and keep it warm and occasionally attach a charger to it and that will keep it in very good condition.

STEP: 5
BRAKES & TYRES:

 . Hard-Standing: Grass and gravel is your worst enemy! 

The daily evaporation process will rot your timber floors and cause rust. Best parked up in a solid concrete floor. 

. Handbrake Off: Block the wheels of your van and avoid leaving your handbrake in the ON position. You may return to your Caravan to find the breaks are stuck on. You need level ground!

. Make sure that the breaks don`t stick on, by chalking the tyres and release the hand break and it`s worth while every few weeks to move the Caravan back & forwards, paying particularly attention to the tyres, so they don`t land in the same position.

. Alternatively, jack the Caravan up and physically move the tyres around or, just move the Caravan forward if you have enough space.

. Also, it`s a good idea to cover the tires, as sunlight can cause the sidewalls to perish.

Hope that you’ve found some of these tips to be useful.
And if you need any further help or advice, feel free to give me a call.

Tel: 07890660014

Cheers, Alan.