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When I had a caravan I put a dish of table salt at either end. It soaks up any moisture in the air and also helps to keep the caravan smelling fresh.

I also put citronella blocks in the wardrobe and toilet to help keep any nasties out.

I visited regularly to open up all the windows to air it out and to start the gas fridge and gas fire just to keep them operating so to speak. I also checked round for any water ingress or the dreaded mice! Visiting regularly helps to keep mice away but make sure nothing edible is left in the caravan. Even if it is in the fridge or a locked cupboard mice can smell it. I visited once a week because I worked next door to where it was stored but once a month or so would be fine.

If nothing else it made me feel comfortable that everything was in order and nothing bad had befallen the caravan

Try my list for winterising your van

Quote: Originally posted by Tentz on 06/9/2011

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Ensure permanent ventilation is not obstructed to allow air to circulate freely in & out of caravan. Leaving bowls of crystals or salt inside caravan to capture & store the moisture in the air that happens to pass over the crystals seems a bit odd tho. I would have thought the object was to keep damp out of the caravan not keep waterlogged bowls of crystals inside it.

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Have to agree we put some of those yellow bags in our van over one winter and they ended up soaking and dripped brown water over the cushions.

Now realise its a waste of time as they just absorb the moisture from the air outside as the van is well vented and is always dry even after long periods of being shut up.

Andy 

One of the main reasons for us having a van is to extend the season .
We have done winter camping in a tent and although we really enjoyed it ,it could be painfully cold sometime and a bit of  drag cooking in the dark and wet .

You are missing out if you odnt use it all year ,every season has its own merrits

we always take our cushions home now as we lost an entire set of cushions in our last van about 5 years ago to MICE, they had got in and eaten holes through every single one, and to make matters worse we were showing the van to buyers who had waited 3 weeks to see the van at the start of the season when the site i kept it on opened, needless to say they didnt buy it.

Quote: Originally posted by birder99 on 07/9/2011

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Take out sun tan lotion and put in hot water bottles and vacuum flasks then keep on using the 'van - simples

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