By William Coleman
So far we have had a relatively mild winter, which followed a very much extended summer, but it seems like the sunny mild days are about to come to a grinding halt as the Met Office warn of below freezing temperature over the next couple of weeks. So as winter touring is so popular here are a few tips on how to stay ahead of Jack Frost this winter.
We are due some very frosty mornings which will be followed by freezing cold cold days, made much colder by the north easterly winds that are set to batter parts of Kent and London.
A lot of people will still have their vans stowed away or tucked up under covers until things get a little bit warmer outside, and it is here where we need to really keep an eye on our caravans and motorhomes.
During my time on site or touring around the country I have seen some very good methods of defrosting and I have seen some absolute shockers. So if you have done your interior winter prep you will know the exterior upkeep does not stop until March/April time and you need to stay vigilant.
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Please do not shout at me for stating the obvious but I keep seeing it happen so it may be worth a mention. Do not use boiled water to defrost the windows of your caravan, motorhome or towcar!
I still cannot believe some people still think pouring boiled water directly on freezing cold glass is the best option, maybe they think it is the quickest and easiest?
But as we all know the heat from the boiling water makes the glass retract and then shatters leaving you with a rather costly repair bill and diminished holiday time.
If you really are in a rush to get the frost off I would strongly recommend taking the slower approach, as contradictory as that may sound. It will save you a lot of time stress and money.
Some Sneaky Defrost Hacks
If you do not fancy scraping away first thing in the morning and covering yourself in frost shavings I can suggest a very quick hassle free solution.
Some high alcohol volume gels mixed with some lukewarm water will eat through that ice in no time at all.
A light coating and let the window then a firm rub will not only remove pretty much all of the ice but will also get rid of any dirty, dust or grime. Two bird with one stone all thanks to a few steps if antibacterial gel and warm water.
Winter Touring Upkeep
For those lucky enough to keep the van out of hibernation and get some of those winter weekends away under their belt are at risk of facing some troubling times over the next week or so.
When you are between trips you do not exactly empty every single thing from the van, not unless this is part of your routine of course. So if you are home for a few days between trips you may want to think about think about actually doing some full on winter prep to avoid some frozen van drama.
If you have a more modern van with some of the new technology your van may actually do the hard work for you. The new Truma Combi blown air system has a facility to dump the water if the temperature drops below a certain level.
Not all vans will have this tech so make sure that over the next couple of weeks, if you are still touring, dump all the onboard water to make sure all the pipes are clear and cannot freeze.
Warming The Van Back Up
Once the incoming cold snap is finished the caravan is going to need to be warmed back and and you may want to check to see if the cold has done any damage. Despite best efforts there are sometimes things that are simply beyond anyone’s control.
I would suggest opening up all the cupboard doors whilst slowly increasing the temperature in the van. Some of the hot water pipes onboard can take an age to get warm and rushing the hot water can crack pipes so do be on the lookout for leaks.
