Hello I tried to do a search for this topic but couldnt think of any key words.
Our van is stored at a friends house (inside a shed) about a mile away from us and at the moment we have left almost everything in it. Do other people do this?
Secondly we thought in winter we would empty out anything that would be affected by cold - do you remove the cushions? What about curtains?
We leave most things in the van but no foodstuffs other than condiments which are left in a suitable container. We only have clothes/poersonal items/TV/phones etc in the van for the time we are away. The awning always travels in the car anyway as we sometimes take a different one. Bedding and towels come out when they need washing, and always come out over winter. We leave in all cushions etc, making sure they are slightly away from the wall of the caravan (most caravans these days have a protector board anyway). Cutlery, kitchen ware, glasses, melamine tableware, tables, chairs, washing up stand, toilet fluid, cadac, aquaroll, wastemaster, broom, buckets, washing line, wasing/washing up liquid, surface cleaner, dishcloths, soap, hair shampoo and anything like that we leave in the van all the time.
P.S. Edit: cutains stay in and closed, blinds left open.
Mostly the same as DSB bar we take the cushions home and store them in the house,will cost a fortune for a thief to replace.All fluids are took out and that includes the stuff for the toilet flush and bottom.
Never had a problem yet ( touches head ) We camp all through the winter so really couldnt be arsed fetching stuff backwards and forwards ,it all just stays ready to go ,including toiletries ,bits of food etc .All we need to do is throw some clean undies and a couple of changes of clothes in a bag and we go :)
Same as David, apart from personal items that I need in everyday life, it all stays in.We go away over winter now, but before we did, cushions came out when stored.
------------- "I'm a fool for my dogs"
Adopt a rescue, rescue dogs make great pets, don't support puppy farms.
The road can be tough and rough,but what you put in you get back 10 x more.
Good point Jeff makes about liquid. We've always left toilet fluid (top & bottom) in the van, but might think about this again for next year. After saying that we don't keep a lot in and have never had a problem. Perhaps I might store the original plastic container in another plastic box in case of a split/leakage. Good thought though, Jeff.
We took everything bar cushions/curtains out over the winter after our last trip of the year.
Once it is in use we keep it ready to go, just adding clothes, perishable food & bits'n'bobs. Bedlinen, towels etc get washed when we come home and put back in the van ready to go. I can't be bothered taking everything in and out each time & having to store it in the house - too much like tent camping!
Quote: Originally posted by mrs skippy on 02/7/2011
Everything is left in ours bedding, towels etc gets washed when needed only time it gets emptied is for service.
I just basically take out line/towels over winter. Don't even empty mine for service - in fact, exactly the opposite. We're having our van done in about 3 weeks. Van full. Start from home at 5am. Arrive at Lady Bailey at about 9am. Leave van for the day for service. Have a day on the beach at Sandbanks in Poole or wherever. Pick up van at 4pm and then on to our first site at the beginning of an almost 5 weeks away in the van.
we take out a lot of stuff, tv, bedding, personal bits n bobs, but the cushions stay.
when we winter it, we open all the lockers and prop the cushions up on their ends to allow the air to circulate.
We also pop a disposable dehumidifier either end of the van to collect any moisture that might be present.
we leave most of it in, our van is stored at home and plugged into the electric so I can put the heating on over winter (or a panel radiator) and never had a problem, We use it all year round so would be a pain to take everything out,
On the other side of the coin my mum and dad remove literally everything even the wheels, the cushions, all that is left in theirs is the fixtures and now the battery to work the alarm, Not sure why, think they like to make extra work for themselves, silly sods!
------------- Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
We leave everything in the van but all out of sight with the curtains and blinds open so if anyone looked inside to see if it was worth breaking into they would think it was empty. I have always been weary of leaving curtains or blinds closed as it looks like you have something you want kept out of sight. There is no one item in there that is worth a fortune, I guess the tv is probably the most valuable single item but that would cost under £100 to replace with a similar model, possibly slightly better. Besides the caravan itself, the mover would be the most valuable thing that could be stolen but that is mounted outside and thinking about it would be quite easy to steal. I removed it from the last caravan in under an hour and that was being careful. If I were a thief I could probably butcher it off a lot quicker. Of course, if you stole a mover you would need to buy the control box or break in to remove it but even if you bought a new control box and remote, it would be a lot cheaper than a complete second hand mover. The more I think about this the more concerned I am about improving the security of my mover.
Unless you are absolutely certain that there is no way mice can get in then I would remove all soft furnishings , and anything they can eat or make nests from. These are persistent little blighters and you would be amased at how small a gap they can get through. Also make sure that your waste outlets are closed as a sink/shower rose wont stop them!!!
Brian
------------- there are 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
That is one of the reasons Brian i take out the cushions etc.The blinds are left open during the winter as the spring in them might get streched but we close the curtains.
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Leaving stuff in van
