Winter caravanning

[Peter_374350880]

Hi there. I intend to use my caravan over the winter, something I havent done before in 30 years of caravanning. Are there any little gems of information that you more seasoned caravanners out there would like to pass on?
obviously concerned about water and waste freezing, are there any other things I should be aware of?
My van is a 2007 Bailey 460/4 if that makes any difference

 

[UKHunk]

Empty post (likely not intentional - probably an Internet Explorer issue!)

 

[Dustydog]

Hi Peter
We were away last Christmas and New Year in minus 10 degC.
We found the porch awning very useful because of muddy boots and the two Springer Spaniels. I made good use of the internal water tank but more importantly placed the external aquaroll on some plywood cut into a rounded shape.This stops the cold from the ground creeping up and freezing the water. Secondly I used a purpose made jacket for the aquaroll including insulation for the feed pipe. You can buy these things easily or you can make them yourself. Just make sure they are reasonably water proof.
Use Propane gas , not Butane. Propane freezes at a far lower temperature than Butane.
I emptied the wastemaster every day just after we'd had a wash . The hot water from washing cleared any ice.
Take a broom and shovel just in case it snows heavily.
Driving wise just take your time and be more careful in areas of ice. We found all the major roads well gritted.
Hope you enjoy the winter. Well done.

 

[WatsonJohnG]

All the above from Dustydog but if its very frosty I would fill the onboard tank (if you have one) and empty the aquaroll overnight just filling it when you want to top up the tank
Under the aquaroll for insulation I would use a section of 4in polystyrene as used in building walls and I used an old fleece jacket as aquaroll insulation with the pipe through one sleeve
If you use a submersible pump take it inside the caravan overnight if heavy frost is forecast
Obviously think about pitching if possible so that you drive off on the level or downhill in the event of snow or heavy frost and hard standing is better than grass
We had a 2 step rubber treaded step and it was very slippery when it froze so either have a different type of step or sprinkle salt on it at night against freezing

 

[Steve L]

Hi Peter.
Winter caravanning is realy not hard to do, you just have to think ahead and prepare for the worst, then anything else is better.

We are fulltimers, so having to cope with winter has been a priority for the last 3 years.

I use a scenic porch awning set up on the right hand side of the van to cover the aquaroll and waste carriers. This does keep frost at bay a treat. I also use a XXL sixe puffa jacket bought for a fiver from a charity shop to insulate the aquaroll, and I use the sleeve of the jacket to insulate the pump feed pipe from the barrel to the van. I use a cup full of cheap table salt added to the wastemaster to combat freezing there. Also a bottle of cheap vinegar can help. As a last resort some car anti freeze could be used.
I have made a stand for the aquaroll using a decking plank from B & Q to make a platform that is 10cm off the ground to stop the bottom of the barrel freezing.
We also keep a 10 litre can of water inside the van for hot drinks. This alone will normally last a weekend for drinks.

As Dusty has said, a shovel and broom come in handy for snow. I have found that the telescopic caravan hose brush is better for clearing the awning as it's longer than a broom. Don't be tempted to take the awning down even with a couple of inches of snow. We tried that last winter and it was bloomin heavy.

In the car you shouls have an emergencey kit.
Jump leads (to start the car off the caravan battery if stuck.It isn't ideal but does work.)
Tow rope
Shovel
A hand winch is handy to pull the van.
Fully charged mobile phone and car charger.
Hi Viz builders jacket (Very warm and bright so you can be seen)
Gloves & thermal hat
A couple of car blankets.
A torch (wind up one is best)
Hazard triangle
Basic first aid kit.
Wellingtons.
A windscreen cover and a couple of black bags to cover the front doors of the car. Slit them down one length to make a door sock. This helps to stop the door freezing shut.

There's probably more, but that should help you to enjoy winter.

If you can, tell a friend or relative of your travel plans and arrange a time to call them to say your safe. That way, if you're say more than an 2 hours late and you have not updated your contact, they can start to check your safety, firstly by ringing the site your going to, then if no success, the police to report the situation.

It might sound a bit ott, but if you get stuck miles from anywhere, you can be assured that someone will automatically initiate a search, even if your phone won't work and the car is stuck.
Most of all, keep a sense of humor. There's no point in getting annoyed at being stuck or things not working. Calmly "thinking outside the box", often brings a result.

 

[PaulRT]

Hi Peter
We have been caravanning all the year round for some ten years - (lowest temperature -12C in Mid -Wales).
Our tips as follows:
Use a cover on the aquaroll and pump input to the caravan - we have used the one from Bags2cover and we had never had the system freeze up externally.
In extreme temperatures, there is a danger of the water pipes internal to the caravan freezing up (happened to us once).This is because the vents under the seatbox can keep this area very cold, even if you have a reasonable temperature inside the van. The trick here is to wedge the door to the seatbox slightly open.
If you are on an EHU, it is worth taking a hair dryer and an extension lead - then you can unfreeze any drainpipes that block.
Despite confidence at all your precautions, keep a jerrycan of water in the van overnight, just in case.
As we have recently acquired a dog, we have now invested in a porch awning and this makes entry and exit much more civilised and provides storage for wet anoraks etc.
Have fun.
Cheers
Paul

 

[joeby]

every one has covered every thing , but if you have an onboard tank make sure the cap on the top is screwed down tight , years ago the cap ours was loose and when we refilled the tank the overflow pipe under the van was frozen and the water came into the van over the floor , it was a good job we had plenty of news papers to soak it up

 

[Parksy]

Please Click Here for instructions on how to activate IE9 compatibility mode for this forum Ed

 

[keithp]

We use the caravan in the Alps at Christmas and it often gets down to -15. One other tip i would suggest is don't use the caravan handbrake as it will freeze on.

 

[JamesH]

One problem we have encountered in the past has been the site water supply freezing up. Not a lot you can do about that except keep a container of water in the van.

 

[graham_somersham]

I find it easier to use a bucket instead of the wastemaster as an ice cube of waste water is easier to empty from a bucket. the downside is sometimes the bucket is too tall and I then revert to the shallow plastic storage crate that I store my pegs etc in.

Its surprising just how little water you have to use in a caravan on a site with good heated facilities. So long as the site management keep the showers etc frost free and provide at least one tap for potable water you can survive. On some caravans it might be worth checking that the waste water pipes are well insulated and that there are no big sections acting as U bends and trapping water that will freeze.

In bitterly cold weather I put awning skirts on both sides of the caravan to reduce the cold airflow under the van whilst still allowing ample ventilation front and back. I'm not sure how much it helps but it makes me feel better

If you suffer from cold feet consider under carpet trace heating mats as they use very little power and they put the heat where it is needed.

 

[Peter_374350880]

Thanks to all for your advice I knew I could count on your support. You seem to have thought of everything. i shant bother with the awning as i am on my own and can manage the muddy boots etc, can always use the boot of the car if needs be. think I might try and do away with the aquaroll altogether that seems to be the biggest concern. If I just have the inside vessel of water it just means boiling the kettle for hot water which isnt the end of the world. Bottom line is that the longer I can stick it out, the less time I have to spend in a b and b to get thru the winter

 

[Steve L]

Hi Graham.
Thats an interesting tip on the under carpet heat pads. I get terribly cold feet, mainly due to the fact that I can't bend down or ly flat and crouch to put socks on, due to a compressed disc and crubling virtabrea.
Having that bit of warmth to my tootsies would be heaven.
Where could I purchase these mats?

One thing I carry with us is, a Hoseleck connector that clamps over sink taps. It comes as a kit with various rubber washers to suit the majority of tap nozzels. This and 4ft of garden hose with a hoselock connector on it and the screw on type outside tap adaptor work much better than trying to hold those blue plastic caravan shop barrel filling pipes over the tap and trying not to spill water everywhere,
One tip wardens and caravan site owners could take from us on PCwould be, to fit an outside style water tap beside the washing up sinks. You can still fit a push type tap valve to it if you think some fool might forget to turn it off, bue in actual fact you would reduce water spillage on the floor cause by folks having to try to use hoses at the sink.

 

[graham_somersham]

Steve, I got my mat a couple of yuears ago from ufh.biz in Chatteris Cambridgeshire. The version I have is not listed on their site now but give them a call and explain what you are looking to do and they guy there will advise. I found them really helpful and honest about what the products would do. The most expensive part of the setup is the thermotstat and controller but that can be used to control several mats.

 

[Tukums]

Winter caravanning...... cancelled, not very happy. Just had to cancel a long weekend away in December, due to some reoccurring car problems. Do have a new Skoda on order (June), to be built the second week in December (hopefully!), looks like I may take delivery mid-January (seven month wait). Then it has to be ‘run in’ for 1,000 miles before towing; so now the Sprite has to be fully winterised, until at least March.
The things I will miss: Helping the local authority clear a tree blocking the road, clearing snow to get into a pitch and put up the awning, getting the farmer with his 4x4 to pull the van the last two miles to a 5 van site on a snow covered hill, driving through Avimore in a blizzard and the M42. Yes, the joys of winter caravanning and of course, the New Year’s Day BBQ.
Hopefully in March, I can then attend a rally on a nice muddy field to try out the Haldex 4x4 system!!!!

 

[Willi-Wonti]

Our van came with electric underfloor heating.

Great unless there is no lecy

 

[diesel-do]

Skoda / Haldex 4x4 system / sounds a bit complicated to me ( I'm the wrong side of 50 now so don't like new fangled things)
It sounds like its it's electronically controlled, rather than mechanically controlled, My Lad knows all ablut these things but he leaves the Old Land Rovers and Discoveries to me... He tells me that you can get upgrade controllers available from Haldex themselves to change the charachteristics/ tweak their performance ....WOW!!!! Son I said I've heard enough.... You spend all that money on a car and then you may need to upgrade the controllers.............NO my Son it's not for me I said,,.. Give me a lever that goes clunk and engages four wheel drive Thats the old Series Land Rover of better still give me a Discovery thats already in four wheel drive and the lever that you clunk locks the diff ...Now that will just about go anywhere and pull most things out of a bog.................... Anyway hope you get on OK with the new Skoda..........and if iI see you stuck up in Glenshee over the winter I'll give you a tow with my Disco.