Winterising
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Winterising
Daves- Member
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Re: Winterising
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Paulmold- Donator
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Re: Winterising
Boaby
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Re: Winterising
Daves- Member
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Vehicle Year : 2014
Re: Winterising
Daves- Member
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Re: Winterising
marbarsymbol- Member
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Re: Winterising
Clearly all water drained, all taps open, pump off, of course!.
Doors open, beds raised, that's it.
If you have solar, it'll look after the batteries for you.
Well maintained engine should be fine, if not, check the antifreeze
IanH- Donator
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Re: Winterising
Sorry for asking another stupid question!
Sue
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Re: Winterising
You could do either, both have merits.
Using the outside one means running a live 230v cable from outside to inside van, that would need some thought, don't want it trapped in a door, for example, on the other hand it could be via a timeswitch?
Using the inside one should be OK and may, not too sure re Duetto, also charge the batteries? Someone else will answer that one very soon I imagine
IanH- Donator
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Re: Winterising
Daves- Member
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Vehicle Year : 2014
Re: Winterising
marbarsymbol- Member
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Posts : 102
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Location : Solihull
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Vehicle Year : 2014
Re: Winterising
I'm a newbie having just joined this evening. Just this week I p/ex my Bessie 462 for a new Warwick XL and we're looking forward to going away this weekend for a few days to try it out.
When I'm parked up in storage for the winter there's no lecky hook up so. with the old van I just used to take out all bedding and cushion etc, open all cupboard doors and drain down of course. I assume this will be OK with with Warwick or am I wrong?
I'm always open to any advice and suggestions and really looking forward to future chats with you guy's and probably going to ask lots of questions.
Cheers.
Sapper- Member
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Re: Winterising
However this year we won't be using it for several weeks so I've not bothered to put the heater in - as many here have argued in the past, dealers don't do so on vans on their forecourts and no harm seems to occur. I have drained everything down as usual and have fitted the external Silver Screens plus all the hab area blinds and curtains are closed. I've installed the dataloggers as usual and it will be interesting to compare with previous years results.
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Roger
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Re: Winterising
Daves- Member
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Re: Winterising
there will usually be two schools of though on the 'to heat or not' debate (our van is used all year round so we dont use a heater) but one thing you do need to think about as you dont have an electric hook up is keeping the batteries healthy....'for the winter' suggests months to me and many a battery has been wrecked through lack of charge..Sapper wrote:Evening all,
I'm a newbie having just joined this evening. Just this week I p/ex my Bessie 462 for a new Warwick XL and we're looking forward to going away this weekend for a few days to try it out.
When I'm parked up in storage for the winter there's no lecky hook up so. with the old van I just used to take out all bedding and cushion etc, open all cupboard doors and drain down of course. I assume this will be OK with with Warwick or am I wrong?
I'm always open to any advice and suggestions and really looking forward to future chats with you guy's and probably going to ask lots of questions.
Cheers.
does your new van have a solar panel?
does it charge both vehicle and leisure batteries?
is your storage are in the open?
in the first few weeks i would be popping back to storage and checking the charge state of the batteries as some solar set ups have been known to be a bit inefficent and have failed, in winter time, to keep up with the drain things like alarms/immobiliser/tracker put on the cab battery.
some suggest isolating the cab battery but this will also disable these electrical systems, check insurance before turning off.
good luck.
Guest- Guest
Re: Winterising
To me, letting the van assume outside conditions of temperature and humidity is the best way to go to prevent mildew and damp. I've had this van for ten years now and the interior has come to no harm whatsoever.
For anyone who does use an oil filled radiator, I remember there was a warning on here that some cheaper ones can dump their oil on the floor, so best to place it on a large tray.
Al.
bikeralw- Donator
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Re: Winterising
One point though, when we go overseas in the Winter for extended periods we remove all the upholstery, bubble wrap inside the roof lights and as above but no heat. Importantly the solar alone has never been enough on any of our vans to keep the batteries topped up so always keep plugged in on the timer for an hour a night and that keeps everything charged.
But frost rarely happens down here in the far SW!
groundhog- Donator
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Re: Winterising
By mid November I noticed that the toilet and wardrobe doors were starting to stick due to the doors swelling then I found out the 12v lighting was not working. On investigation, I discovered the lighting fuse was corroded, a quick clean and all was well.
That was enough for me and my heating/dehumidifying regime has been reinstated and the van always feels crisp and dry thoughout the winter.
I do however live in central Scotland where the winters are fairly cold and wet.
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Dave C.
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Re: Winterising
As well as all the other precautions listed in other posts, I remove the bench seat backrests, unscrew the bases, and place the four parts flat on the spare bed in our house. Every surface gets a wipe down with disinfectant, and all cupboard and cabinet doors opened.
I do the same as hog regarding the batteries, as we get snow here that can cover the solar panel for weeks.
Also, always leave the toilet cassette slide open as it can stick and ruin the seal lip.
The external thermal blind is a must in my opinion, it cuts out any condensation on the inside of the cab windows. Some say these shouldn't be left on for extended periods, but in my experience it's not a problem and I leave it in place for four months or more.
Al.
bikeralw- Donator
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Re: Winterising
"We advise that any use of the 'Silver Screen' during extended periods of vehicle storage could significantly shorten the life of the product. Remember, your 'Silver Screen' could be used on the inside of your motorhome cab by reversing the door mounting envelopes, this will help to stop fading of the upholstry and keep the cab area private."
Note- the spelling of upholstery is silver screens, not mine.
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Paulmold- Donator
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Re: Winterising
Al.
bikeralw- Donator
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Re: Winterising
If left on for a long period they do accumulate some green algae especially around the seams but a wipe over with a mild solution of mould & mildew cleaner soon gets rid of that. Then in the spring, bring them indoors for a thorough drying out before rolling and packing in their bag ready for site use.
Dave C brings up a good point on dampness effects on fittings and corrosion. As the temperature falls, the air is capable of holding less humidity so it condenses out, especially on cool surfaces, so maybe using a small de-humidifier rather than a heater is the best answer? We have one we bought from Aldi last year which wasn't very expensive and is cheaper to run than a heater. Might try that.
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Roger
rogerblack- Donator
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Re: Winterising
Taylormade make a point of the fact you can leave their screens on all year. I checked before buying and current sreen is 8 years old and perfectPaulmold wrote:Not just 'some' that say you shouldn't leave silver screens on for extended periods but the manufacturer says so....
"We advise that any use of the 'Silver Screen' during extended periods of vehicle storage could significantly shorten the life of the product. Remember, your 'Silver Screen' could be used on the inside of your motorhome cab by reversing the door mounting envelopes, this will help to stop fading of the upholstry and keep the cab area private."
Note- the spelling of upholstery is silver screens, not mine.
groundhog- Donator
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Re: Winterising
I've changed the 3.5 tog duvet for a 10.5!
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mikemelson- Donator
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Re: Winterising
In my personal experience of 'van ownership from September 1977 to date, my winterizing technique has been to drain the water, lock the van and check inside once a week / fortnight (never found any problems) and at the start of the new season, fill with water and use the van.
I see no point in dehumidifiers, if the 'van has a leak, fix it, otherwise why bother? Just come back from a fortnight in Yorkshire after the 'van had stood unused for three weeks and did not feel any dampness (to be damp there must be a leak, if you have a leak, fix it, otherwise just use the 'van)
I see no point in heaters, I am not in the van, so what does it matter how cold it gets?
I have a solar panel and that takes care of the batteries.
I do not remove cushions, or bedding, why bother? (they warm up very quickly on site when the heater is on)
The above is my personal experience, not my opinion, your experience may be different as may your opinions.
Spospe- Donator
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» Winterising a Duetto for the first time.
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