Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
caravan tips
Like your motor vehicle, your caravan needs special care and service to last you for a long time.
1. Keep it in shelter
Leaving your caravan unprotected from the sun and adverse weather can result in premature damages to your caravan or motorhome. Make sure that your caravan is covered in shelter at all times. The sum can have a damaging effect on your caravan’s or motorhome’s interior.
2. Keep windows closed
This may seem to be an obvious thing but I have instances where the windows of the caravan were not securely closed. This simple tip help prolong the life of your caravan or motorhouse. The slatest gaping hole on your window will eventually led to dust and moisture to the interior and will eventually led to your interior fading away. So securely close your windows and door will go along way in protecting your caravan.
3. Keep it roadworthy
Your caravan is a road vehicle so you are legally obliged to keep it roadworthy. The best way to do this is to have it serviced annually. The service will cover running gear, brakes, and lights.
The service will also include the habitation side of the caravan. The water, gas, electrical and heating systems will all be checked and maintained.
4. Empty your caravan
Taking care of your caravan or motorhome means that after that enjoyable outing, empty everything as you prepare to store your caravan for a long time until your next trip, usually some few months. Get rid of all food, water and all your left over’s. this will help prevent malodour, moisture and unwanted insects in your caravan.
5. Clean your caravan
After each and every trip, I clean my caravan. This is what I do to clean my caravan:
-I clean out the pipes throughout the caravan। I tend to use Milton Sterilising Fluid (the one you use for babies bottles, etc) when sterilising the pipes. I fill my Aquaroll with water, add the Milton fluid to it and then block the waste pipes. Then turn on all the taps and fill the pipes until the water stays in the sinks.
6. Do your own inspection
- Make sure the Leisure battery is fully charged and that all 12v appliances are working okay.
- Put the gas bottle back in the caravan and make sure that the cooker, heater and fridge all work okay using gas. We normally run the fridge and heater on electricity but it is always best to check that they work on gas as you never know when you might need to use them on gas!
7. Drain your caravan
• Turn off the gas supply।• Turn off the water supply।• Locate external water drainage plugsunderneath your caravan and open them।• Turn on all taps including the shower andleave open। Make sure that nothing obstructsplugholes and leave the showerhead in theshower tray or bath.• Flush the toilet and ensure that all wateris drained from the cistern.• 8. Taking care of your caravan in winter
My winter caring for the caravan is a little different from the summer one.
The first thing to do is to remove all the contents from inside the caravan, including all the caravan cushions and the mattress from the fixed bed. If they are left in the caravan they could become damp so if you have room in your house it is best to remove them.
After giving the inside of the caravan a good clean and polish (including all the appliances) you have nearly finished the inside. Leave the fridge door open to prevent mould building up inside. I leave all the taps in the open position and put plugs in the drain holes. That's the inside prepared for the winter.
1. Keep it in shelter
Leaving your caravan unprotected from the sun and adverse weather can result in premature damages to your caravan or motorhome. Make sure that your caravan is covered in shelter at all times. The sum can have a damaging effect on your caravan’s or motorhome’s interior.
2. Keep windows closed
This may seem to be an obvious thing but I have instances where the windows of the caravan were not securely closed. This simple tip help prolong the life of your caravan or motorhouse. The slatest gaping hole on your window will eventually led to dust and moisture to the interior and will eventually led to your interior fading away. So securely close your windows and door will go along way in protecting your caravan.
3. Keep it roadworthy
Your caravan is a road vehicle so you are legally obliged to keep it roadworthy. The best way to do this is to have it serviced annually. The service will cover running gear, brakes, and lights.
The service will also include the habitation side of the caravan. The water, gas, electrical and heating systems will all be checked and maintained.
4. Empty your caravan
Taking care of your caravan or motorhome means that after that enjoyable outing, empty everything as you prepare to store your caravan for a long time until your next trip, usually some few months. Get rid of all food, water and all your left over’s. this will help prevent malodour, moisture and unwanted insects in your caravan.
5. Clean your caravan
After each and every trip, I clean my caravan. This is what I do to clean my caravan:
-I clean out the pipes throughout the caravan। I tend to use Milton Sterilising Fluid (the one you use for babies bottles, etc) when sterilising the pipes. I fill my Aquaroll with water, add the Milton fluid to it and then block the waste pipes. Then turn on all the taps and fill the pipes until the water stays in the sinks.
6. Do your own inspection
- Make sure the Leisure battery is fully charged and that all 12v appliances are working okay.
- Put the gas bottle back in the caravan and make sure that the cooker, heater and fridge all work okay using gas. We normally run the fridge and heater on electricity but it is always best to check that they work on gas as you never know when you might need to use them on gas!
7. Drain your caravan
• Turn off the gas supply।• Turn off the water supply।• Locate external water drainage plugsunderneath your caravan and open them।• Turn on all taps including the shower andleave open। Make sure that nothing obstructsplugholes and leave the showerhead in theshower tray or bath.• Flush the toilet and ensure that all wateris drained from the cistern.• 8. Taking care of your caravan in winter
My winter caring for the caravan is a little different from the summer one.
The first thing to do is to remove all the contents from inside the caravan, including all the caravan cushions and the mattress from the fixed bed. If they are left in the caravan they could become damp so if you have room in your house it is best to remove them.
After giving the inside of the caravan a good clean and polish (including all the appliances) you have nearly finished the inside. Leave the fridge door open to prevent mould building up inside. I leave all the taps in the open position and put plugs in the drain holes. That's the inside prepared for the winter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)