winter lockup

[boylie]

Hi as you all may know by now this is are first m/h were away this weekend back sunday the question i'm asking and i will look at the replies sunday is what do i need to do before puting cover on for winter i know i need to drain pipe and some other things but how do you do these thing sounds like i'm stupid i hear you all saying but i just dont want to forget something or do it wrong thanks for any replies you lot out ther have been a great help over the past months with your ideas.

 

[cedas]

As another newbie would be pleased to read response to this - I plan occasional winter use - but without a garage I guess I should drain water tank - (and not even sure possible to drain totally) not sure whether gas will even work in low temps (live in rural area and use bottled gas for home cooker - there have been times over last two winters when it didn't work even when regulator and bottle were insulated ).

 

[vindiboy]

Hi as you all may know by now this is are first m/h were away this weekend back sunday the question i'm asking and i will look at the replies sunday is what do i need to do before puting cover on for winter i know i need to drain pipe and some other things but how do you do these thing sounds like i'm stupid i hear you all saying but i just dont want to forget something or do it wrong thanks for any replies you lot out ther have been a great help over the past months with your ideas.

First of all don't put a cover on the van for Winter, use the van, that's what it's for LOL. If you must lay it up , are you going to SORN it and save the tax? make sure all water is drained out of the water system, the method varies from van to van, If you have a water boiler this must also be drained, [ leave taps open , you may need to pull a fuse to prevent your water pump from operating, dependant on your vans system, don't forget the shower tap too] .it may have an automatic valve [ the boiler ] that opens and dumps the water at a low temperature to prevent freezing check this out,any clothes and soft furnishings may get Mouldy over winter so be aware of this , Batteries can go flat especially if you have an active alarm using power,so keep an eye on this,Vermin IE Mice like a warm van in the Winter so watch out for them moving in. Try and run the Engine up to temperature as often as you can to keep the oil circulated so the cylinders don't get rusty,leave the Fridge door open to prevent smells and make sure all fresh food is removed from the van .Your water pump is at risk from freezing too so make sure it is also drained [ domestic water ]Have fun Malc.

 

[vindiboy]

As another newbie would be pleased to read response to this - I plan occasional winter use - but without a garage I guess I should drain water tank - (and not even sure possible to drain totally) not sure whether gas will even work in low temps (live in rural area and use bottled gas for home cooker - there have been times over last two winters when it didn't work even when regulator and bottle were insulated ).

Hi, there should be a drain plug somewhere in / on the water tank to drain it, if you drive the van a few miles after draining the tank the motion of the van will slosh out any water left in the tank, If you are using PROPANE gas Red Bottles you should have no problem in cold weather as Propane turns from liquid to Gas at a lower temperature than Butane, Blue Bottles.Don't forget the toilet cassette ,it needs to be empty as well if left in the frost also you may have a separate water supply to flush your toilet, this must also be drained to prevent freezing.Waste water tanks should also be drained.

http://s394.photobucket.com/albums/pp23/malarth/TO PORTUGAL 1/?action=view&current=PORTUGAL1045.jpg

 

[carolinemoon]

First of all don't put a cover on the van for Winter, use the van, that's what it's for LOL. If you must lay it up , are you going to SORN it and save the tax? make sure all water is drained out of the water system, the method varies from van to van, If you have a water boiler this must also be drained, [ leave taps open , you may need to pull a fuse to prevent your water pump from operating, dependant on your vans system, don't forget the shower tap too] .it may have an automatic valve [ the boiler ] that opens and dumps the water at a low temperature to prevent freezing check this out,any clothes and soft furnishings may get Mouldy over winter so be aware of this , Batteries can go flat especially if you have an active alarm using power,so keep an eye on this,Vermin IE Mice like a warm van in the Winter so watch out for them moving in. Try and run the Engine up to temperature as often as you can to keep the oil circulated so the cylinders don't get rusty,leave the Fridge door open to prevent smells and make sure all fresh food is removed from the van .Your water pump is at risk from freezing too so make sure it is also drained [ domestic water ]Have fun Malc.

First of all don't put a cover on the van for Winter, use the van, that's what it's for LOL. HERE HERE!!!

 

[Rockerboots]

A van parked up for the winter is nothing more than an expensive garden ornament, if you must tho` follow the previous advise & move it occasionally to prevent tyre flat spots & leave the handbrake off to minimise brakes sticking after long periods.

Put a few moisture traps around the van (£1 each in the cheappie shops) to take out some of the dampness in the air.

Andy

 

[cedas]

Hi, there should be a drain plug somewhere in / on the water tank to drain it, if you drive the van a few miles after draining the tank the motion of the van will slosh out any water left in the tank, If you are using PROPANE gas Red Bottles you should have no problem in cold weather as Propane turns from liquid to Gas at a lower temperature than Butane, Blue Bottles.Don't forget the toilet cassette ,it needs to be empty as well if left in the frost also you may have a separate water supply to flush your toilet, this must also be drained to prevent freezing.Waste water tanks should also be drained.

TO PORTUGAL 1 :: PORTUGAL1045.jpg picture by malarth - Photobucket

Nothing to do with wild camping but at home I use propane bottles for cooking (no mains gas where I live) and last 2 winters had problems Last year had no cooking gas for almost 3 weeks. Fortunately have an ancient camping cooker - double burner and grill - just brought that into the house complete with its butane cylinder and that worked fine. My van (c15 romahome) uses butane but I'll see how it goes this winter and if I have problems may consider changing regulators next year and using propane.

 

[Channa]

Even in the Highlands of Scotland you shouldnt have a problem with propane, at standard atmospheric pressure the boiling point is - 42 degrees centigrade ? even taking in account your height asl and ambient temperature there shouldnt really be a problem ... Are you using a 37 mbar regulator ..;and Is your gas stored in a bulk tank or cylinders if the latter how big are the cylinders ? the offtake of gas using to small a cylinder can be a problem...not in motorhomes but certainly in a domestic arrangement

Channa

 

[Northerner]

Not everyone can use their 'van in winter owing to work or other commitments and I'm sure that you given this thought. My advice would be not to cover it as this can often cause more problems such as condensation under the cover and chafing where it will rub in the wind. Views will differ on this put I would never cover a motorhome or car. Leaving it in the fresh air can do less harm than covering it.

I would also advise against leaving it in situ and just moving it a little bit to avoid flat spots on the tyres. It's far better to take it for a drive at least once a month so as to give everything a workout. Take it for a twenty mile round trip or even longer if you can, so that the engine gets up to normal operating temperature. If for whatever reason you can't take it for run then moving it to avoid flat spots and running the engine is good advice but nothing beats a good longish drive.

Very important is your batteries. Have you made any provision for charging whilst it's laid up? If it's next to your house you can plug in your lead and connect it, if possible, to a plug in your house or garage. Use one of those inexpensive timers that goes into a normal 13 amp socket and set it to charge the batteries for a couple of hours every day. Keeping them topped up is vital. You can buy a small adaptor lead which converts the end that you plug in on a site, into a normal household 13 amp plug.

I'm not sure I'd ever SORN a 'van, although I can see the sense in this if you know for certain that you're not going to move it for three months but, if it's not taxed, you can't take it for a run and, in an emergency, where you have to move it, you'll be illegal.

Finally, leave doors open, including the fridge, so that air can circulate. If you leave your fridge closed for several weeks you may well find a lot of nasty mould has taken over!

 

[polo99]

Another reason to use the van is most modern vans have all round disk brakes. not using these to keep the disks polished can result in pitting of the disks then MOT failure which is an expensive bill.

 

[Polly]

Hia

I also run a radiator to keep the chill off

 

[John H]

Another reason to use the van is most modern vans have all round disk brakes. not using these to keep the disks polished can result in pitting of the disks then MOT failure which is an expensive bill.

True, but sometimes there is no option. We take our van to the Med every other winter but in the intervening winters we are in the UK for Christmas, then put the van in storage and head off in search of warmer climes with rucksacks on our backs. We therefore cannot regularly move the van. We have stored the current van for six months and for four months over winter and will be storing it for four months this coming winter. We take the precaution of not leaving the handbrake on but leave it in gear. The battery is kept charged through the solar panel and on both previous occasions the engine turned over first time when we got back. We fortunately also had no problems with the disc brakes or uneven wear on the tyres (which are still the original set on a six year old van). But I'll let you know if we have any problems this time next spring!

 

[John H]

Put our van to bed for the winter, today. Drained all the fresh water, left taps open (with the mixer handle in the middle position), put olive oil on the loo casette seal and left it open to avoid sticking, left all the cushions and mattresses standing up to ensure an air flow, left the fridge door open to avoid mould, emptied waste tank but left the tap slightly open, put plugs in all the drains, set up de-humidifiers, removed all traces of food and kissed it goodnight. But there's always a sneaky suspicion that you've forgotten something - anybody spot anything missing from my list?

And another thing - will have to get used to living in a house for a whole month - not going to be easy!

 

[David & Ann]

Put our van to bed for the winter, today. Drained all the fresh water, left taps open (with the mixer handle in the middle position), put olive oil on the loo casette seal and left it open to avoid sticking, left all the cushions and mattresses standing up to ensure an air flow, left the fridge door open to avoid mould, emptied waste tank but left the tap slightly open, put plugs in all the drains, set up de-humidifiers, removed all traces of food and kissed it goodnight. But there's always a sneaky suspicion that you've forgotten something - anybody spot anything missing from my list?

And another thing - will have to get used to living in a house for a whole month - not going to be easy!

I will be putting mine to sleep properly in the next couple of days. I think I will follow your instructions, sounds very sensible.

 

[cedas]

Even in the Highlands of Scotland you shouldnt have a problem with propane, at standard atmospheric pressure the boiling point is - 42 degrees centigrade ? even taking in account your height asl and ambient temperature there shouldnt really be a problem ... Are you using a 37 mbar regulator ..;and Is your gas stored in a bulk tank or cylinders if the latter how big are the cylinders ? the offtake of gas using to small a cylinder can be a problem...not in motorhomes but certainly in a domestic arrangement

Channa

Home cylinders are 47kg propane- not sure about the regulator . many people round here using cylinders had same problem in last 2 winters. Height asl negligible-.