Dan Cartwright has over 12 years of experience in the caravan and motorhome industry. He is a judge for a number of prestigious leisure vehicle awards and regularly heads off in his motorhome with his family. Every week, Dan shares his insights with the community. Here’s what he has to say this week.
As we approach the August bank holiday, most of us are already overwhelmed with every supermarket’s back-to-school promotion – the true mark that summer is actually coming to a close.
If you can give your caravan a few hours’ love and care at the end of the season, you’ll set yourself up for a much better start when the holiday season arrives next year.
This is a lesson I learned from my family and have practised ever since. If you own a caravan, it’s probably hit peak usage by this point in the summer. Some might have been off skiing earlier in the year, but for most, Easter and those first hot weekend getaways in May would have been the busiest periods.
Most readers who own a caravan will be planning one last outing over the bank holiday weekend before it heads back into some form of storage, whether that’s on the driveway or in a centre. You might use it once or twice more this year, but it’ll be in worse weather.
So, while we have long, sunny days and light late into the evenings, here are some of the things I’d strongly recommend you do to your caravan.
Fix it up
Take a very good look around your caravan to work out if anything is broken. You’d be amazed at how many things can go unnoticed which, if you take the time to fix, will set you up perfectly for next year.
There are the obvious habitation checks, like your sink and pipes for leaks, or your water pump, but don’t forget to check the outside too. There’s nothing worse than going back to your caravan and finding a flat tyre! Have a think about how old your tyres are and make sure all of the bolts on the wheels are nice and tight.
Air it out
While the weather is still favourable, open the windows and allow ventilation throughout your caravan. Give it a good airing, move in and out and, if possible, have your kids run around in it.
With airflow throughout your entire caravan, there will be much less chance of damp and that musty smell when leisure vehicles are left alone for an extended period of time.
This also provides an opportunity to ensure all of your window catches are shutting and locking properly. Lots of people only realise they’re broken when they put their caravan in storage, which means they have to ferry it to and from the centre for repairs.
Service it
Check your leisure vehicle’s handbook and you will find there are regular maintenance intervals. This varies from one caravan to another, but there is one thing they all have in common – maintenance is much easier to do on a bright summer bank holiday than on a rainy November afternoon.
If you have a motor mover, consider its service and greasing. Even though it’s often very sunny at the end of August, once you’re finished using your caravan, fully drain down the water ready for freezing temperatures.
Photo credit: Roadpass / Unsplash
