It’s time for some motorhomers to begin the process of putting their beloved vehicle into hibernation for the winter months. If you’re coming to the end of your touring season and are looking for a helping hand with winterising a motorhome, we’re here to help.
While some of us will be reaching for the best heater for a campervan and intending to continue touring during the offseason, some of us will be putting our ‘vans into storage.
Following some simple steps will mean that come spring, when you’re ready to set off on your first tour of the season and stay at one of the best motorhome sites, your ‘van will be ready to go. From the essential cleaning tasks to carry out to the motorhome security steps to follow, we’re here to talk you through what you need to know.
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Winterising a motorhome:
Protecting your motorhome with a cover
Tyre maintenance
Clean up the interior
Toilet cassette maintenance
Where to park your ‘van
Keeping your ‘van safe
Don’t forget the fridge
Soft furnishings
Staying dry
Remember the keys
A final checklist
Getting a motorhome ready for winter:
Protect your motorhome with a cover
After thoroughly cleaning a motorhome and ensuring it’s spotless, it will be time to cover your ‘van. For this, you’re going to want the best motorhome cover – this will be well-made to ensure your leisure vehicle is protected from the elements during the colder months.
We’d advise steering clear of cheaper, low-quality options. You could inadvertently end up damaging your ‘van with such a product, as the abrasive material they’re made with flapping against your motorhome in the wind could impact the panel finish.
Instead, the best options will be made with the right materials and fit your ‘van well. Brands to look out for include Specialised Covers or Protec, which both offer custom-made covers, which fit your motorhome’s exact dimensions. Providing a durable waterproof exterior and made with breathable materials so moisture can escape, they also offer soft-touch linings, to prevent damaging your ‘van’s exterior.
When you think of it like that, it’s easy to see why you need a motorhome cover.
They can cost between £300 to £600, so they’re not cheap. We’d suggest thinking of a cover as an investment – one which helps to protect your pride and joy and also helps it to maintain its value, should you decide to sell it on down the line. However, a universal-fit cover is another option if you only have a limited budget, retailing for around £150. These can still offer good all-round protection.
Then you’ll just need to make sure you know how to fit a motorhome cover.
Tyre maintenance
Rubber compounds deteriorate when they are exposed to sunlight and strong artificial light with a high UV content. This is because the protective waxes in the rubber dry out, leaving the surface vulnerable to degradation.
Rarely used tyres, stored outside, are particularly vulnerable, and the damage manifests itself as fine crazing and deeper cracks.
I treat my tyres with Meguiar’s Endurance Tyre Gel. This not only makes them look great, it will also help protect against UV damage and browning – and, in theory, should keep the tyres in better condition.
When you are checking your motorhome tyres, have a look at the production date, which is printed on the sidewall.
It’s a four-digit number, usually in a lozenge. For example, ‘1219’ means a tyre made in the 12th week of 2019.
By applying the major touring Clubs’ guidelines of replacing rubber at five years old, this tyre has less than a year of advisable use left. You could leave it on over the winter, but be prepared to replace it before you tour next year.
If your tyre is in excellent condition, with no wear, cracks or damage, and plenty of tread depth, the Clubs suggest seven years as a maximum lifespan. Seek the advice of your dealership about this the next time that you have your vehicle serviced.
Finally, check your motorhome tyre pressures when you park up, as underinflated tyres left for extended periods can cause flat spots, which will increase vibrations when you are on the road.
Clean up the interior
Another important step when you’re winterising a motorhome will be cleaning the interior of your ‘van. Wipe down all of the kitchen surfaces and clean the interior of the fridge with disinfectant wipes or a spray.
Don’t forget to give your motorhome a thorough vacuum too, taking care to get rid of any crumbs and bits of food that could otherwise attract vermin to your ‘van. The best motorhome vacuum cleaner will help here, providing lightweight portability and a good runtime for getting into all those nooks and crannies in a ‘van.
If you fail to do this and end up with rodents in your ‘van, you could face severe damage if they start chewing through your electric cables, water pipes or even the upholstery.
Where you’re thinking of storing a motorhome can be a particular issue. For instance, if it’s on a farm, it can be more of a problem, so take extra care to seal up all cable access holes in the bottom of your ‘van.
Mice can get through tiny holes the same diameter as a pencil, and have even been known to chew through the plastic mesh that covers the gas drop-out vents. This may be the case, but definitely avoid sealing these with tape, because you want air circulating through the stored vehicle.
Always try to avoid parking on long grass or anything that could make mouse access to your ’van easier.
Next, thoroughly wash down the shower and handbasin, ensuring all the water drains away, and empty the waste- and fresh-water tanks. Don’t forget to empty the boiler, too.
Remember to remove any hair from plugs and pipes, especially if you have long-haired family members. This might require the (gentle) use of a plunger!
Clean the toilet, but avoid coating the bowl with strong chemical cleaners and leaving them in place, because this could damage or discolour the surface if left for many months, especially if the bowl is plastic.
If you’re looking to give the exterior a freshen up too, make sure you don’t forget the motorhome roof cleaning task either.
Toilet cassette maintenance
Having cleaned the cassette and prepped it with some toilet chemical solution, consider lubricating the slide valve to keep it in tip-top condition.
This is a simple job involving a quick spray or rub with silicone lubricant – some motorhomers even use olive oil. I give the slide-out handle mechanism a quick blast as well. This is also a good moment to give the unit a check over.
Where to park your ‘van
I’ve already recommended avoiding parking in long grass as it can help rodents get in your ‘van. As well as this, if you can, I’d also avoid parking your motorhome under trees: they will invariably deposit sap onto the roof and increase the chance of corrosive bird droppings landing on it, too.
That’s before you even start to consider the potential damage from falling branches in a winter storm.
Always aim to park your vehicle on a dry, well-drained, hard surface.
Keeping your ‘van safe
Even the best campervan leisure battery will need topping up every so often, even if alarms and trackers don’t consume massive amounts of battery charge.
At home, you might be able to leave a trickle-charger attached. Models such as Ctek’s MXS 5.0 have built-in software to manage your battery charge, thereby extending the life of the leisure battery.
Another option for motorhome owners is to get a solar panel fitted. By installing one of these, you should be able to keep your vehicle’s battery topped up throughout the colder months.
Something I will point out though – if you’ve opted to get a bespoke cover made, make sure it includes a clear window section for where the solar panel will be positioned. This will ensure it can stay topped up after you’ve got your cover in place. For those who don’t have a cover, you will have to keep an eye out for tree sap, bird muck and general grime which could all diminish the charging abilities of your solar panel.
It seems like basic common sense to fit a full arsenal of security devices, such as the best motorhome wheel clamp, when storing your vehicle. You might also find that your insurance is invalidated if you do not have certain security devices fitted.
Ideally, you should start the engine every month and allow it to run at idle for a couple of minutes. Move the ’van slightly while you’re there, so that the tyres do not develop flat spots.
Don’t forget the fridge
Clean your fridge’s interior thoroughly, dry it and leave the door ajar to allow air to circulate. This will prevent the build-up of odours. Many fridges have a catch to hold the door open.
Some people also maintain that you can prevent bad odours accumulating in your fridge by leaving a small dish of sodium bicarbonate inside it.
Soft furnishings
If you have the option and are able to, you should remove either some of or all of the upholstery in your ‘van during the winterising period, instead storing it in your warmer home.
This has two benefits. Firstly, it helps to keep the soft furnishings in good condition, and secondly, it can be a further deterrent to thieves. It’s also worth bearing in mind a settee cushion for your ‘van can end up costing a fair bit to replace.
Some people close the silver-backed blinds when not using their vehicle, but it’s perhaps better not to.
Potential thieves won’t be able to see that there are no valuable contents inside the ’van, and reflective blinds will repel all of the sun’s heat, keeping the interior cooler – and quite possibly, damper. Blind mechanisms can also become damaged if left in the ‘closed’ position for long periods.
Staying dry
Some people swear by moisture traps to keep their motorhome’s interior drier. These contain moisture-absorbing crystals and are fairly cheap. Those living in wetter areas of the country might find them beneficial and there are some suggestions in our best motorhome dehumidifier guide if you’re looking for some ideas.
Remember your keys!
At the end of the touring season, make sure you have all your keys and remotes in a safe place, away from the vehicle.
These might include the motorhome keys, security lock keys, the locking wheel-nut adaptor, bike-rack keys, the remote controls for your TV and air-con, and more. A clearly marked plastic storage box is ideal, and should be kept somewhere accessible but secure, away from the motorhome.
While you’re doing this, make a note of your key numbers, in case you ever need replacements, and you could also remove batteries from remote controls.
The final checklist
- Turn off your gas bottles and consider removing them from the motorhome. Gas bottles are very valuable!
- Ensure that all of the windows and rooflights are securely closed.
- Using the supplied thin nozzle tube, put a squirt of WD40 into each of the motorhome’s lock mechanisms and work the key in and out.
- Treat all seams of sealant with great care while you are cleaning the ’van.
- Remove any valuables.
Future Publishing Limited, the publisher of Practical Motorhome, provides the information in this article in good faith and makes no representation as to its completeness or accuracy. Individuals carrying out the instructions do so at their own risk and must exercise their independent judgement in determining the appropriateness of the advice to their circumstances. Individuals should take appropriate safety precautions and be aware of the risk of electrocution when dealing with electrical products. To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither Future nor its employees or agents shall have any liability in connection with the use of this information. Double check any warranty is not affected before proceeding.
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