Seven Top Tips for Preparing Your Touring Caravan for the Winter

Oct 9
09:02

2010

Peter Richards

Peter Richards

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As the summer draws to a close and your season of caravanning comes to an end, you may be looking for ways to protect your Touring Caravan over the winter months No matter where you park up your tourer for the winter, there are a few basic steps you should take to ensure that your caravan is ready to hibernate.

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Seven Top Tips for Preparing Your Touring Caravan for the Winter

As the summer draws to a close and your season of caravanning comes to an end,Seven Top Tips for Preparing Your Touring Caravan for the Winter Articles you may be looking for ways to protect your Touring Caravan over the winter months.

There are a number of ways to do this, such as storing it at a storage park, outside your house or on a driveway.

No matter where you park up your tourer for the winter, there are a few basic steps you should take to ensure that your caravan is ready to hibernate.

1. Clean your caravan inside and out

Cleaning your caravan thoroughly can prevent damage from occurring to your caravan while in storage. Damp, mould growth and rodent infestations can all be caused by failing to clean your Tourer.

Make sure that you clean your Touring Caravan inside and out; emptying and cleaning your fridge, cupboards and bathroom. To keep your Tourer fresh it’s also a good idea to leave cupboard and fridge doors ajar to allow air to circulate.

You may also want to leave bowls of salt or dehumidifying crystals in your caravan to absorb general moisture.

2. Avoid burst pipes

It would be horrible to open your caravan in the spring and find a soggy mess. To avoid this, drain your water systems and pipes thoroughly to reduce the risk of them cracking and leaking during a frost.

3. Protect moving parts

To safeguard your moving parts such as hinges, hand break and stabilizers, oil them well before hibernation. This will drive out moisture and ensure that everything moves freely come the spring. You can also cover external components from the elements using plastic sheeting to give added protection.

4. Remove batteries and electric devices where possible

Batteries and electric devices could become damaged if left unused in cold weather so it can be a good idea to remove them altogether when leaving your caravan for sustained cold periods.

If you are unable to remove some of your batteries, such as larger batteries powering fridges etc, then disconnect them from their appliances and wipe the terminals to remove any residue. This can help to prevent terminal corrosion from occurring.

5. Put your Touring Caravan on blocks

If your Touring Caravan is left standing for prolonged periods in the cold then your tires may become damaged.

To avoid this, many caravan owners put their caravan on blocks during the winter months to reduce the weight pressing down on them. Alternatively, if you cant lift your caravan, moving it from time to time to rotate the wheels and keeping them pumped up can also reduce the risk of damage.

6. Use security devices 

Although storing your caravan at a storage park does decrease the risk of damage or theft, it still makes sense to use a security devise such as a wheel or hitch lock. Purchasing such a devise will give long term value as you can also use it to protect your Touring Caravan when on your travels. 

7. Make sure your caravan’s insured - even when not in use

No matter how much you prepare for the winter, accidents can still happen. When they do, having adequate Caravan Insurance could save you from being out of pocket.

Some Caravan Insurance policies, such as those from Simple Caravan Insurance will even cover your caravan when it’s in storage. Simple also offer cover against accidental damage to the interior or exterior of your caravan by water and fire. So make sure that you protect your caravan with Caravan Insurance this winter.