Come springtime, after a long cold winter, caravan owners are generally itching to hit the open road, making the most of weekends for getting out and seeing the countryside. However, when your caravan has been in storage for a few months, LOOK Insurance believe it’s essential that you carry out these routine checks before leaving home. Using the information below, this is how to prepare for a caravan adventure.
How to Prepare for a Caravan Adventure
Tyres
During winter storage, it’s a good idea to rotate the caravan wheels every now and then so that the van’s weight isn’t exerted over one section of the tyre for a long period. However, even if you’ve done this, it’s still important to check the tyres for any signs of warping, bulging or bald spots and make sure they are at the pressure recommended by the manufacturer. Also check the wheel nuts are tight and there is no sign of excessive wear.
Damp
A lot of damage can be caused to a caravan by damp or water ingress in the winter months. When you put the vehicle into winter storage, take some steps to avoid the possibility of water damage. Move any non-fixed upholstery out of its usual position, so that air can circulate around it easily, and open up all the cupboard doors and drawers for the same reason. Drain down pipes and the water system so that you don’t risk having any burst pipes during the winter. Keep an eye out for any leaks around windows, skylights and doors – sometimes you’ll smell damp before you see it. Come spring, if there’s that particular musty smell, it should serve as a warning that damp is lurking somewhere. If you find any damp, take steps to treat it immediately, otherwise it will quickly get worse.
Safety and security
When preparing for the first trip of the season, you should test all safety equipment. Things to check include the security and smoke alarmsensors, and if you have a tracking device do a test drive towing your van a few miles before calling into the tracking company to make sure they can locate the vehicle. Make sure that physical security features like the wheelclamp and hitchlock are in good working order. You should have a fire extinguisher in the van in case of emergency. Most fires can be tackled with a multi-purpose dry powder ABC fire extinguisher, but cooking oil and fat fires require a fire blanket instead, so it’s worth having both in situ. Check the expiry date if you already have these items stowed in your van and that you’re up to speed on how to tackle fire in a caravan.
Check your paperwork
Before going on a trip, make sure you have all your paperwork in order. This includes checking on your caravan insurance and car breakdown renewal dates, as well as making sure your passport and travel insurance is up to date. An easy way to do this is to have one piece of paper that has all the renewal dates clearly marked on it. Leave this in the caravan and keep a copy at home, too. If you intend to take your caravan abroad to France, Spain or further afield, make sure that your insurance includes cover in the countries you’re visiting.
Spring clean and service
There’s no better feeling than setting off on your trip with a shiny, clean van – both inside and out. The first clean of the season shouldn’t be too hard, as long as you did a comprehensive clean at the end of last autumn! The better you maintain your van, the more years you will get out of it, and the better value it will hold. It’s also a good idea to run the caravan through its annual service before you head off anywhere. Remember to get all the appliances tested for safety too. Don’t leave booking the service to the last minute – caravan maintenance companies find spring is their busiest time of year.
Once the van’s ready, you can pack in whatever you’ll take with you, remembering to travel light where possible as every kg you carry will reduce your fuel efficiency. If you’re taking bikes so you can explore different areas when you get to them, make sure they’re in good working order too.
Of course, as well as getting the van in tip-top condition and your paperwork in order, you’ll also need to decide on an itinerary that includes everything you want to see and do on your trip as well as making sure it’s manageable in the time that you have available. But then you’ve probably been planning that side of the trip all winter long!