Consistently sub-zero temperatures can leave your caravan with
cracked taps, split pipes and even damage to the water tanks and
systems themselves – bringing your winter escape to a premature
end. The best way to avoid this sort of damage is to prevent these
services from freezing by keeping the caravan warm and
well-insulated. Remember to check your caravan
insurance policy for information on winter damage.
This isn’t a problem when you're actually in the caravan, but if
you are planning on staying out for the whole day and temperatures
are struggling to climb above freezing, it’s worth thinking about
leaving the heating on very low just to keep the ambient
temperature inside the van well above freezing.
The likelihood of seriously sub-zero temperatures obviously
increases at night, so even if you’re warm enough under the duvet,
again it’s worth leaving a little bit of mains heating on to make
sure the pipes don’t freeze.
Most caravans’ Achilles heal in the depths of winter is the
external water carrier or Aquaroll, which is very vulnerable to
freezing in the conditions experienced in the UK last winter.
The solution is to wrap the container in insulating material
like fleece or down. Caravanners use everything from plastic
bubblewrap to old duvets or quilted coats, but in extreme
conditions, even these sort of measures may not be enough.
If your van also has an onboard water tank, like a Bailey
Pegasus or Swift Challenger – or provision for one – like the
Bailey Olympus, it’s worth investing in the extra kit you need to
operate it. These tanks will typically hold 20-30 litres of water
under the seats, thus benefiting from the warmth inside the van and
remaining unfrozen.
You’ll also need to switch from Butane to Propane cylinders.
Propane operates at a high pressure than Butane and can still be
used when temperatures plummet as low -40 degrees Centigrade. This
also means changing the regulator – as it won’t be interchangeable
between the two cylinders. Speak to your regular gas supplier about
getting set up for winter touring and make sure you follow all the
safety procedures. Upon returning the caravan to the driveway or
winter storage compound, to eliminate the risk of damaging water
heaters, pipes and other services, it’s a good idea to drain down
all the water systems – including easily overlooked items like the
toilet flush reservoir water heater and toilet cassette.
Once you’ve got rid of any residual water in the pipes, return
the taps to the central ‘open’ position so they can release any
pent up pressure caused by the expansion/contraction action of
repeated freeze/thawing.
Consult the manual relating to your specific make and model of
water heater to locate the drain-down valve and make sure every
last bit of water drains out.
In early March, give everything the once-over and check that all
the water, gas and electric systems are fully functional, so that
when the first warm weekend of spring arrives, you’re ready to make
the most of it.
