Opinions vary on what you should do to winterise your caravan. If you Google this topic, you’ll find loads of sites with helpful hints & tips. To save you the trouble, here are some of mine.

 

Crucially, you need to drain the water systems down – if you do just one thing to make your caravan ready for winter, then this is it.

 

You may have an internal freshwater tank, so don’t forget to drain this, too – it may have its own drain valve.

 

If you have an Alde heating system, make sure that the antifreeze is still good & is topped up as per the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

Don’t forget the toilet! Empty the toilet cassette and drain the flush water reservoir if you have one (some caravans use the fresh water supply to flush the toilet).

 

After that, how much you do is up to you.

 

In order to prevent damp, you need to allow as much air flow as possible. Empty out as much as you can from the caravan. Try not to leave anything in the caravan that may encourage mice. A near-empty caravan is ideal for having a good clean while you’re at it!

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Open cupboards and move upholstery to the centre of the caravan. If you have a fixed bed, leave it up. If you have to leave the mattress on the bed then you might want to wedge it open with something to prevent weakening the gas struts.

 

Make sure the fridge door is left slightly open. If you have a freezer compartment, use a cloth to wedge the door open.

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Some caravanners use moisture absorption crystals when they winterise. If you do, just make sure that there is no chance of any of the captured moisture leaking from the container.

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Unplug any electrical appliances.

 

If your blinds & flyscreens are the spring tensioned type then don’t leave them closed for long periods (such as over winter) as it’ll weaken the springs. Instead, close the curtains if you have them.

 

Wipe around window seals with a cloth sprayed with silicone spray – this should prevent the window seals sticking to the windows.

 

Make sure all windows & skylights are completely closed.

 

Disconnect the gas bottle in your gas locker.

 

Attach fridge vent & flue covers if you have them.

 

If you have a caravan cover then now’s the time to fit it. The best covers are breathable and should be shaped for your caravan. Alternatively, use an overwintering fluid that repels water, dirt and algae when the caravan isn’t in use.

 

Ideally the leisure battery should be disconnected & placed somewhere away from the cold with a smart trickle charger attached. This will disable your security alarm though, so check with your insurance if this is permitted.

 

If you can leave your caravan hooked up to the mains then it should be OK to leave the battery in place & allow your caravan’s built-in charger to keep the battery topped up. Another option is to fit permanent or temporary solar panels to trickle charge the battery. Leaving the battery in place without charging may result in the battery discharging to a point where it can no longer be charged up again.

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Leave the handbrake off if possible.

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Check tyre pressures and inflate if necessary. Consider fitting weatherproof wheel covers and regularly move the caravan slightly (or rotate the wheels) to prevent flat spots forming in the tyres.