Preparing your motorhome for winter

As we move hesitantly into October, it is vital that motorhome owners start to prepare their home on wheels for the inevitable cold winter that will no doubt creep up on us quicker than we would like! The most common mistake that people can make is to not use their motorhome during the colder months. However, at it’s motorhome insurance we understand that sometimes, using your motorhome during the winter is most unlikely. The next best thing to do is to protect your vehicle against the harsh weather.

For example, by giving your motorhome a thorough wash as we approach the winter and by coating it with at least two layers or wax afterwards, this will help keep the frost away.

Draining the water system and water heater leaving the taps in the ‘on’ position and replacing inline water filters are sure ways to stop them freezing.

As unpleasant as it may be, emptying the toilet before storing your campervan for 3-4 months will be much more pleasant than leaving it to fester for all that time. Trust us. Also for an added tip, try a small amount of olive oil on the blade of the cassette, in place with the blade open.

Remove any batteries and leave them somewhere warm and dry and hooked up to an intelligent battery conditioner if necessary. Make sure you turn the gas bottles off and if possible remove the bottle completely and store it somewhere safe, remembering to turn the gas control valves off.

An extremely handy tip is to leave the refrigerator door open a tiny amount. By keeping the door ajar will eradicate any smells and growth that may occur in months that the motorhome is unused.

Finally, the chocolate biscuit test is something that a few motorhomers have picked up on over the years; leave a small piece of chocolate biscuit on the floor and if it is still there in the spring the mice and rats have stayed away. However, if you discover that it has gone it is a sure sign that you may have had some unwelcome visitors during the winter month