Winterising Your Caravan / Motorhome - External Prepartions

Seven Tips for External Winter Preparations

• 1. You can increase the tyre life, suspension and the running gear on your van if you take the weight off the wheels for just a few weeks of the year. To do this support the axles with axles stands and remove the wheels and bolts for storage (Please note some insurance companies may not cover this in the policy). If this is done store the wheels out of direct sunlight and in a place where contact with oils and greases is avoided and cover with natural materials such as Hessian, not plastic.
  
  
• 2. If your van is fitted with shock absorbers clean the rods and coat in Vaseline, don’t forget to remove the Vaseline at the beginning of next season.
  
  
• 3. Ensure that the handbrake is left off, to avoid the drums sticking.
  
  
• 4. Ensure that the awning is washed and clean and completely dry before storing for winter, if you do not do this it could result in mouldy patches on the awning, or worse. It is better to store the awning in the house rather than the van if you can.
  
  
• 5. Thoroughly cleaning and polish your van makes it easier after winter to keep the van looking shiny. There are many products on the market to use and a suggestion is Fenwick’s Overwintering. Using a product like this or similar protects your caravan during winter storage, it helps to protect against algae, mould, fungus, airborne pollutants, acid rain and bird lime.
  
  
• 6. You can cover your van and if you do this use a breathable cover because if it is not, the cover will do more harm than good.
  
  
• 7. Coat window seals with olive oil to help prevent subsequent sticking.

Summary