Unfortunately it seems summer has gone, and it will not be very long before winter appears. Many caravan owners will not be taking their pride and joy away during the colder months, so now is a good time to protect the caravan before it goes into hibernation. Having caravan insurance is great, but there are a number of jobs that will need doing to make sure that the caravan will make it through the cold months and be ready for spring and summer next year. Failure to carry out certain jobs may well mean having to pay for repairs that that could cost a lot of money which would otherwise have been spent on enjoying yourself on holiday; in the worse case scenario the caravan may become completely unusable.
Nobody who owns a caravan will want damp setting in, and so to prevent this happening open all of the cupboards and storage places inside the caravan, this will include the fridge/freezer if there is one. By doing this the owner makes sure that the air circulates through the entire caravan; the air will help to prevent damp ensuring that the air inside the caravan does not get stale. Also open all of the vents and windows and apply a light lubricant to them. After this is done make sure that they are all closed and most importantly locked, this will help to avoid not just the weather but also vandals and thieves getting in. Air circulation is important to ensure that damp does not set in, so do not cover vents. As an extra precaution a humidifier could be placed in the caravan to combat the damp.
Another very important job is the draining of the caravan’s hot and cold water systems by opening the taps and removing the drain plug. A good idea would be to do this job at the last place that the caravan will be used. That way on the drive home any excess water will be cleared out. Empty, clean and dry the toilet. By doing this job it will help to avoid possible corrosion during winter. All of the upholstery in the caravan will benefit from being removed. This is not always possible, but if it is store them in a dry place inside the home. If this is not done it will increase the risk of damp and mould.
Clean everywhere, taking special care to make sure that there are no traces of food anywhere in the caravan. Remove gas cylinders if possible and store them in a ventilated place, remove the leisure battery, it is a good idea to recharge it every two or three months which will keep it at maximum efficiency. Make sure that the battery being removed is not powering the alarm system in the caravan. This is unlikely but not impossible as most alarm systems now have a dedicated power source. Plug all of the caravan’s water and waste outlets and inlets; otherwise uninvited guests from the animal kingdom may well decide to move in for the winter months. Give the outside of the caravan a polish and throughout the winter keep checking the caravan for damp, vandalism and other damage on a regular basis.
