No. Ours and countless others are kept in storage and never have heating applied when not in use.
Good ventilation is the only prerequisite requirement. Just make sure the vents are clear.
We also go over about once a month and open it all up for an hour or so. Gives an opportunity to check it over at the same time.
Not necessary so long as well ventilated and no leaks that allow interior to become damp.
Mine's in storage some miles away (as are an awful lot of other people's vans) so not really an option to heat short of frequent visits to periodically run gas heating as no EHU in storage yard!
Warm air contains more moisture than cold air, so periodic heating in a generally cold ambient temp is likely to make condensation/damp MORE likely as you will introduce humidity that otherwise wouldn't be there!
Simply ensure all vents are unobstructed (DO NOT 'seal' any of the normally open vents, floor drop vents, kitchen roof vents etc., other than maybe fit winter covers on the large fridge vents, which are not a complete seal but only reduce area), keep windows and skylights shut tight, open all internal cupboard/locker doors, move cushions/mattresses to allow air circulation with no trapped air dead spots, AND ensure fridge door is open/ajar on the 'ventilate' catch setting, and microwave door is ajar.
I do empty the van cupboards of 'stuff' over winter out or service period, partly to give good ventilation, and partly to ensure that the van doesn't suffer 'possession creep' whereby more and more 'tat' accumulates over the years! .... but many don't bother.
My van has sat unused for up to 8 months some years from Autumn to Summer without any issues. I do visit every 2-3 months to make sure all is OK, and check battery is OK (it's on a small solar panel trickle charger), but in 6 years, never had a problem. Never had any mould or any smell of mustiness.
Worth removing battery from Smoke Alarm and CO Detector if disposable battery type, and Motor Mover remote etc. during storage, they serve no useful purpose and if they leak they may render device unrepairable from terminal corrosion damage.
Like most aspects of caravanning, make a check list, then you don't forget anything, and you can just do the reverse procedure on recommissioning the van next season.
I completely agree with Monty15. Our caravan is at home when not in use, but we never heat it when we aren't using it. We take all the bedding in, wash it and put it away until spring. Drain all water down and open all the taps, take the battery indoors for a top-up charge every now and then, and that's it until next year. Only time I might heat it briefly is if I have a little job to do inside it before we use it again, but that is rare as I would usually wait until the weather warmed up again, unless I found something that was urgent on one of my checks. I like to have a quick look inside once a month, or more frequently if we have any really serious amounts of rain for a prolonged period of time.
I also have 2 or 3 blinds half open to let a bit of sunlight in. Not sure what my thinking is, but feel a bit of 'daylight' in there is better than pitch blackness 24/7.
Thank you all for your advice our van is stored at home on the drive and as colin15 we look after the battery and will make sure there is good ventilation
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Topic: Caravan care
via mobile 02/12/2023 at 12:28pm
