WINTER LAY-UP

Preparing your van for storage involves a few key tasks, says Sammy Faircloth

THE COLD, DARK evenings are not for everyone, and some of us like nothing better than to snuggle up at home in front of the fire. Nothing wrong with that, but it is advisable to carry out some simple jobs before storing your caravan for the winter, or you could find it costing you when you return to it next spring.

Indoor tasks

n Cleaning It would be remiss to leave any caravan in a mucky state, so give it a thorough clean before putting it away. Be very careful about which products you use on plastic fixtures and fittings. Avoid household bleaches: these will damage the plastic. Products such as Thetford Bathroom Cleaner can be used not only in the bathroom, but also inside the fridge. Alternatively, you could make up a solution of one teaspoonful of bicarbonate of soda in half a litre of warm water. As a precaution, I take out removable carpets, cushions and upholstery, because these can get damp in colder months. n Drain-down Draining down is one of the most important jobs. Water freezes at 0°C, of course, so it is essential to drain down your caravan before storing away. Any water that is left in the pipes will expand if it freezes, which can split them. To drain down the water heater, switch off the pump and turn the yellow tap to the open or drain-down position. Once it has finished draining, open all of the taps, including the shower tap. If you have a single-lever mixer tap, ensure that the lever is in the middle, raised position, to open both hot and cold feeds. For absolute peace of mind, you could use a Floë Caravan Drain-down Kit. This connects to the water in-supply at the side of the van with a foot pump or a 12V tyre compressor. Make sure it is set to no more than 15psi. Then it quite simply blasts air through the pipes to push out any residual water. Next step is to drain down the flush-water tank to your toilet cassette, which is often