Winter caravanning tips offered for reducing fire risks
For some, caravanning is a year-round hobby
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Wednesday, 22, Feb 2012 04:49
by Chris Jefferies
During the winter when the weather is at its coldest, the brave hardy souls who carry on caravanning will surely be very grateful of their trusty heating systems.
However, over time a battered old heating system can become a liability and indeed a fire hazard if not properly checked and regularly serviced, as Towergate Insurance has recently highlighted.
Most caravan heating systems run off butane or propane gas fuel and these are both highly inflammable substances.
For this reason, the broker suggests that caravan owners regularly check their gas pipes and make sure that heating vents are not covered up with damp clothes, in order to avoid a dangerous gas leak or even a damaging caravan fire.
Towergate insurance expert, Edward Cross, said: "We don't insist on regular checks but we suggest it. We do get fire claims and gas explosions do occur. This tends to come from faulty gas bottles and connections. We would expect people to maintain their tourer and have it regularly serviced.
"We are not prescriptive about it, but if people are not looking after their tourers then it can get to the point where there is a fire hazard. At the end of the day, you have an obligation to look after your caravan."
For more advice from Towergate on how to avoid a blaze in your tourer, read their original article: Top tips for reducing the fire risks of winter caravanning