WINTERISING YOUR MOTORHOME
If you want to keep your vehicle in perfect condition and avoid costly problems, it pays to winterise it properly when it’s not being used, says Peter Rosenthal
Many people in the UK will only use their motorhome for three seasons, parking it up over the winter. You might think that not using your vehicle would be straightforward, but come the springtime, it can create problems if you don’t lay up correctly.
Switching off your ’van and parking up in October, then not switching it on again until March, is a surefire way to create potentially expensive problems. So how can you prevent this?
TOUR ALL YEAR
Resting your motorhome over winter never does it much good and with the vehicle’s rubber components – such as the drivebelts, cambelt and tyres – all set in one position, can cause problems, including flat spots on the tyres and premature failure of the drivebelts.
This is one reason why you should never miss a cambelt swap-by date, no matter how few miles it has done.
Happily, however, there’s a really easy solution to all of this: simply keep using your motorhome!
Take advantage of the quieter sites, thanks to the children going back to school, and discover the many joys of camping out of season.
One weekend away each month will be enough to keep the vehicle’s fluids circulating and help to stop the tyres and other rubber components sitting in one position for long periods.
Some people think firing the engine up every other week over winter and letting it idle for 10 minutes is a good idea. Well, it is and it isn’t.
Engine wear is at its maximum on a cold start and the engine really needs to be run fully up to temperature (the water temp gauge in its normal middle position) and at a variety of revs.
It’s best to get the engine hot and take it for at least a 10-mile drive, so that the emissions system gets fully up to temperature and can burn off sooty deposits built up at low revs.
If you just idle it for 10 minutes with the ’van stationary, you only help the drivebelt and cambelts – it won’t do your emissions system any good and won’t prevent tyres flat-spotting.
Using your motorhome really does keep it in the healthiest condition.
PACK WINTER ESSENTIALS
If you plan to use your ’van throughout the winter, it makes sense to carry a few seasonal essentials, to ensure you can stay safe. So as well as your usual bedding and food and drink, make sure you have a full tank of fuel and a fresh gas cylinder on board.
It’s also wise to take a few basic tools and spares with you, to avoid being stranded anywhere – bear in mind that the average breakdown call-out time in winter is over an hour and a half, so it pays to carry the essentials.
As well as a socket set, pack some spare fuses, jump leads (or a lithium battery starter pack), a hi-vis jacket, a torch and a first-aid kit.
The most important thing to take with you, of course, is your phone and a charging lead – these could be a lifesaver in an emergency.
It’s also worth putting ‘what3words’ on your phone – this clever app has divided the world into 3m squares, each of which is denoted by three words (for example, ‘banana cricket cheesecake’). It’s used by all of the emergency services and saves you having to muck about with longitude and latitude. It makes you far easier to locate if you’ve broken down and don’t know where you are. It’s also free, so put it on your phone now!
Some people like to pack a snow shovel, but if you’re having to resort to digging out a 3.5-tonne motorhome, you really are in trouble. Unless you’re built like Charles Atlas, just save your payload, put the heating on, make a brew and ring for help…
WATER WOES
If you want to lay up your ’van, you’ll need to empty the water tanks and drain the plumbing system.
This is because trapped water can freeze and as we all know from school science, water has the annoying habit of expanding in volume as it turns to ice. It can then crack almost any vessel it’s contained in. Boilers, pipes, taps, pumps and filters are all at risk if you don’t drain the system over winter.
Happily, motorhome manufacturers have your back here and have built in automatic valves on the boiler, which will prevent anyone from inadvertently damaging their vehicle.
Truma uses an automatic valve that triggers at 4°C and won’t reset until the ’van’s interior is heated to 8°C. Some people put a clothes peg on this valve to prevent it dumping the water in winter – don’t do this, because you will invariably forget to remove it and end up damaging something.
More recent designs of Truma valve are of the electric FrostControl twist type and can’t be held shut.
To drain the water system fully, empty out the waste-water tank (in a suitable place) and the fresh-water tank.
You’ll either have a valve on the top of the tank, or inside it in the base (you might need to remove an inspection cover at the top and reach inside), or an external tap. Open the boiler valve, too. While the tanks are draining, open all of the taps (switch off the water pump) and leave them in the ‘on’ position. Remove any water filters.
To remove all traces of water in the system, you can also buy drain-down kits, such as Floë (keepfloeing.com), which use compressed air. You need to make sure all of the diverter valves (if fitted) are set to open, the tanks are drained and the water pump is off.
Floë offers a manual system that is linked to a tyre compressor, while
its newer, all-in-one Induratec (about £220) has a built-in compressor and can be left permanently fitted to the water and electrical system.
To recommission your water system after winter drain-down, shut all of the valves on the tanks and boiler, refill the system and shut the taps.
Refit your water filter. Switch on the water pump and open the tap furthest from the fresh-water tap.
Water will start dribbling out of the tap, then begin to spit a little bit. Wait until it flows freely, then shut off the tap. Repeat this process with all of the other taps in the vehicle (don’t forget the shower). You might need a couple of laps of opening and closing the taps until water flows freely from them.
The other water system in your ’van is, of course, the engine coolant system. This is water with added coolant.
As well as allowing the engine to run at over 100°C without boiling (thanks to the pressurised system), it contains antifreeze to prevent the engine icing solid during the winter.
The concentration of coolant should be checked by the garage in servicing work, so as long as you have your ’van serviced at the correct intervals, this should be nothing to worry about.
If you’re not sure, you can purchase testing gauges from your local motor factor that will allow you to check the concentration. It is worth checking, as ice can cause major engine damage, ranging from pushing out a core plug to cracking the block itself. Core plugs can be replaced cheaply and easily, but a cracked block is terminal.
BATTERY BOTHER
A quarter of all winter call-outs to the AA are for flat batteries. This is largely because battery capacity is reduced in cold temperatures and cold engines can be harder to crank.
Some people mistakenly think it’s because the engine oil is thicker when it’s cold: it’s not, modern multigrade oil actually gets thicker as it heats up.
What does get thicker and harder to vaporise at low temperatures is the diesel fuel, which is why some engines use glow plugs or starter burners, or alter the timing during cold starts.
But reduced battery capacity doesn’t only affect fossil fuel vehicles – the cold also affects electric vehicles and will reduce their range. Many makers add heating circuits to battery banks, but this still impinges on range.
As well as the vehicle starter battery being affected by temperature, so are the leisure batteries, which can be a major inconvenience.
While most motorhomes have solar panels, which in summer, will help to trickle-charge the leisure batteries, in winter, the angle of the sun, the
intensity of light and reduced daylight hours make them far less effective.
On my ’van, I’ve measured output from its 150W solar panel drop from 8A in summer to as little as 0.8A in winter. Some people use dashtop solar panels plugged into their cigar socket over winter. These are so low powered, they’re only of use in summer and even then it’s marginal. In winter, even less so – so save your money.
It’s simple: in the winter, plug your vehicle into a mains hook-up at home. Most motorhomes have chargers that can be left permanently plugged in and will keep the batteries healthy. Check with your ’van manufacturer or read the charger’s spec in the handbook.
If your motorhome charging system isn’t designed to be left plugged in, fit a battery conditioner – pick one to suit the capacity of your battery bank.
Some leisure battery chargers top up the vehicle battery when they’re being charged up (by solar, mains hook-up or battery-to-battery charger).
If yours doesn’t, it’s worth adding an automatic top-up device that does. The easiest one to fit on a DIY basis is the £69.95 Van Bitz Battery Master, although if you prefer, they can fit it for you, for an extra £60.
Sterling also has a battery-to-battery maintainer (about £55 from 12Vplanet. co.uk), which will top up the vehicle battery from the leisure battery. Having the vehicle battery always topped up by the leisure battery will ensure your motorhome always starts in winter or after lay-up. These are fit-and-forget products (our favourite kind!).
Another way to stop batteries going flat is to fit a battery isolator or remove a lead. This isn’t a good idea, though, as it will render your security system inactive (which might have insurance implications) and can cause all sorts of problems when you try to restart the vehicle in spring – from missing radio codes to dash warning lights.
If your motorhome uses lead acid batteries, they might need topping up from time to time – check them every six months or so. If there are removable covers on each cell – or the battery has a removable panel – it will need to be checked. The cell covers are usually unscrewed with a 2p coin and the acid level checked – it should cover the lead plates. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to add deionised water (not tap water!), which can be bought from any motor factor.
INTERIOR DAMAGE
Mould and mildew in a motorhome can be caused by water damage (external leaks or burst plumbing) and must be nipped in the bud and rapidly fixed.
Assuming your vehicle isn’t leaking and you’ve shut all of the windows, you don’t really need to do a great deal to preserve the interior during lay-up. Some people like to open the cupboard doors and prop up cushions to allow air to circulate, but so long as the vents around the rooflights (mandatory for gas regulations) are not blocked, air should circulate sufficiently.
It’s also a good idea to use gel or drying crystals to remove moisture from the air, or a mains-powered dehumidifier (probably not the most appealing item at current energy prices).
Some like to add a small heater, but this isn’t a good idea. Aside from the energy use, it can actually promote the growth of mould and mildew, especially if there’s any moisture in the air.
IT’S A GAS!
If you are planning to use your ’van all year and you are using butane (which
is usually denoted by blue bottles), it might be sensible to switch to propane (usually in red bottles).
This is because your motorhome draws fuel from your gas bottle from the top, in the form of a vapour. The regulator then sets the pressure and the gas flows to the appliance(s) that require it – that could be the fridge, hob or heating system, for example.
The ability for a liquid to turn to gas is determined by its boiling temperature – for butane, this is -2°, while propane will boil at -42°.
In other words, if the temperature is below -2° (for example, in a Scottish winter), butane is not going to work in your appliances.
Most motorhomes tend to come with propane these days, but if your vehicle doesn’t and you want to have heating in winter, then switch to propane.
If your vehicle has an underslung tank – and many do nowadays – then you’ll be running on LPG, which is a mixture of propane and butane.
The good news is, this is formulated to suit the climatic needs of wherever you fill up with it. So in the UK, it’s mainly propane and should be fine anywhere within these shores.
The only thing to be aware of is that if you fill the LPG tank in France, then plan to visit Scotland in winter using the same fuel, it might not work so well. But this is a fairly unlikely scenario.
FUEL CONCERNS
One problem with diesel vehicles left stored in winter is that if they don’t do a lot of mileage and are stored early, they might have a fuel tank that has been filled with summer diesel.
As the UK is classed as ‘cold climate’, the fuel companies switch to winter diesel from around mid-October to mid-March. So if you filled up before October (or came back from France, having filled up over there), you could still be running on summer diesel.
The problem with summer diesel during the winter is that the paraffin wax in the fuel (added to increase viscosity and lubrication) can start to thicken and create waxy crystals.
This forms a cloudy mixture in the fuel, which can clog lines and filters. So before winter lay-up, fill your tank with winter diesel. If your vehicle is used regularly throughout the winter, this is unlikely to be a concern, but it’s something to be aware of if you have a low-mileage vehicle that is rarely used in the colder months.
Another new question, which has arisen with the increased use of biofuel (plant-derived ethanol) in fossil fuels, is that of damage to seals and injectors.
Diesel (B7) has 7% biofuel, while regular petrol (E10) has 10% biofuel and super-unleaded has 5%.
It’s tempting to think of biofuel as organic and natural, but it’s chemically aggressive and actually quite nasty.
This only affects older vehicles not designed to run on these fuels – if your ’van is pre-2000 and has a carburettor (very old petrols), and metal or rubber fuel lines, it might be affected. Modern vehicles use Viton seals and plastic fuel lines, which are unaffected by biofuel. Many modern European vehicles are designed to run on up to 85% biofuel.
The problem with biofuel in older vehicles is that if a seal is immersed in it, then left to dry out (for example, empty fuel tank) it can swell or crack, leading to leaks and failures.
The best thing to do is fill your tank before winter lay-up. In a petrol engine vehicle, use super-unleaded or add an ethanol stabilising additive to the fuel tank, such as Classic Valvemaster Plus (this product can be bought online for around £21 for 250ml, which will treat up to 250 litres of fuel).
However, most modern vehicles are not affected by the biofuel question, so if you have a new motorhome, you won’t need to worry about it.
TYRE ADVICE
Before you put your vehicle away for winter lay-up, inflate the tyres to the maximum pressures indicated on the sidewalls, and then leave a note on the dashboard to remind you to reset the
correct pressure before driving it. Alternatively, you could simply drive the motorhome every couple of weeks during the winter months.
This is to prevent the damage caused by flat-spotting. Leaving your vehicle for long periods with the tyres in one position can damage the tyre structure, causing it to fail prematurely.
My own Renault Trafic suffered this problem over the lockdowns, when it wasn’t used for several months – the tyres went egg-shaped and vibrated horribly. It felt as though they had just gone out of balance, but the local tyre centre found that large patches had been worn through the pointy bit of the egg shape. This could have caused a blowout, so new tyres were needed.
Some flat spots are not permanent and will come out after driving the vehicle for a short period of time.
The usual method is to get the tyres warm and then (safely) lift the vehicle up in the air while they’re warm, to help them reshape. It doesn’t always work and obviously, isn’t practical to do on a motorhome, so the best bet is going to be inflating them to the maximum or driving the ’van regularly.
KIT FOR ALL-YEAR USE
Adding heated pads and insulation to your water tanks is an excellent way to prevent frost damage, and some of these 12V pads can even be linked, so they will activate automatically at a preset temperature.
At the point of purchasing your motorhome, if there’s a winter pack option – which often includes heated water tanks – tick it, as it’s far easier to do this while the vehicle is being built. Equally, for all-year use, look for motorhomes that offer a minimum of Grade 3 thermal insulation.
Typically, A-classes with double floors will provide the best insulation, but coachbuilts can be nearly as good. The main areas of heat loss tend to be through steel bodies or windows, so pay particular attention to these – thick curtains that seal off the cab can be very effective in coachbuilts.
Another item to consider is a set of winter tyres – denoted by the Three Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol on the sidewalls (aka 3PMSF).
Most camper-specific Camping tyres are generally mud and snow rated, denoted by M+S on the sidewalls, but they will not be as effective as those with the 3PMSF symbol.
If you’re planning a trip to the far north – to Scandinavia, say, to see the Northern Lights – you’re best off fitting a set of dedicated Nordic or Ice rated snow tyres. These use super-soft compounds and tread patterns with lots of sipes (small wiggly lines cut into the tread), which are excellent at biting into icy surfaces to find that extra bit of grip when needed.
VERDICT
The military’s traditional ‘seven Ps’ motto is useful to bear in mind for winter prep (expurgated version!): Particularly Poor Planning Promotes Particularly Poor Performance.
There is no reason to have any issues with your motorhome, so long as you put a little thought into winterising. Don’t be the one on your street who has to call out the recovery service because you have a flat battery – this is an entirely preventable problem!