By William Coleman
Over the coming weekends I am sure quite a few hours are going to be dedicated to getting our caravans in order ahead of the new season. For some this is an exciting time, for others it’s just another part of touring lifestyle. Here are a few tips and hints on what needs to be done to get the van road and holiday worthy once again.
The Spring Clean
I cannot help but really enjoy a good spring clean. In no way am I ‘clean freak’, but I do love getting stuck into a good clean and clear out before the van goes back on the road.
Get all the cupboards opens, pop open the roof light and doors and get some fresh air running through the van. That is always a good first step which should get you in the mood to go through the entire van with a fine toothed comb to see what needs sprucing up.
For some handy van cleaning hacks check out our previous article here, and save yourself a lot of time getting things clean and ready.
Check For Leaks And Damp
Whilst going through the van hoovering and polishing keep an eye out for any damp that could have occurred. During storage periods water leaks can occur and cause a good amount of damage throughout the van. Always a good idea to pop into the van a few times over the storage period to check for leaks before they get out of hand.
There are a few locations that are always worth checking during storage. The main spots are the window edges, doors and skylights. These are more common leak hot spots that sometimes show little to no sign of damage so a lot of people do not notice until it’s too late.
If you have not had a chance to check the van over whilst it has been in storage the damp should hit the senses like a ton of bricks once you open the door. The smell of damp interior is unmistakable and your sense of smell should be able to lead you to where the issues are stemming from.
If you do run into this get yourself a dehumidifier and wash all the removable covers as soon as possible and get rid of any mould that has grown.
Bulbs
The lights on the caravan are an essential part of the safety of a van and other road users. It is vital that these checks are at the top of your check list.
Spend some time checking the plugs for potential cracks in the housing or blown bulbs. Once you have given them a go over connect the caravan to the car and get someone to help you check they are in full working order.
If the bulbs are in good condition but you’re still having issues you may want to check the electrical connections to your tow car. The 13 pin plug could be misbehaving which will need a lot more attention and testing.
Batteries
During your winter storage the batteries will have been left idle and uncharged, something they really do not like at all. Hopefully they were disconnected when the van was stored away so as not to run completely dry to the point of no return.
When going through your spring clean pay some attention to the caravan leads and battery terming. A dust and clean are essential for a smooth running caravan.
Once the batteries are safely reconnected give a quick test by turning some lights on and off a few times and then test the water pump.
During the winter months, if you’re not using the van, it is always a good idea to keep the battery charged. If you are going to test the battery make sure you do it well ahead of the date you plan to go away as you are going to want a good few days of charging time before you set off.
Get The Professionals In
Hints and tips are well and good but nothing beats a visit from an industry professional. If you feel comfortable enough doing your own thorough checks more power to you. If not then always get the van professional serviced. A workshop will usually have a lot more tech to find faults or small issues before they get bigger.
This will also provide some piece of mind when you finally get on the road. There really is nothing worse than pulling up on site to then discover a major issue that prevents you from enjoying your trip, or worse yet when you’re towing.
