Winter Care- Top 10 Tips for your Campervan

Winter Care- Top 10 Tips for your Campervan

While many of us would love to keep on campervanning throughout the winter, it simply isn’t possible for everyone during the winter months. Maybe it's family or work commitments, or maybe it's just too cold outside. Either way, you’ll need to think about caring for your camper. Winter care for your camper isn’t just about parking up for the winter, it takes some thought. Consider this... you enter your campervan in anticipation of the new season and notice a damp spot, surrounded with mould. Nightmare, right! When your camper isn't properly winterised you can easily run into problems like a broken pipe, battery drain or damp issues. Lucky for you, we have some tips to keep your camper in tip top shape this winter and beyond...

Wash and Wax

Give the exterior a thorough clean making sure to get any muck or dirt removed from your camper. Dirt accumulated can cause damage to your paint or gelcoat if left alone. Remember to clean awnings, wheel wells and window and door seals carefully. Why not top it off with a coat of wax or sealant to preserve the outside? We have a number of clean and repair items to help you both inside and the outside of your camper

Clean and Clear

Get rid of all food from cupboards and refrigerators including crumbs that could prove tempting for mice & rodents. Defrost the freezer if you have one and make sure to keep the fridge & cupboard doors open slightly to stop a build up of nasty odours! Remove all bedding and blankets to prevent mould build-up and close all curtains and blinds to stop any sun damage. Unplug appliances like kettles and toasters then turn off the main breaker.


Drain the water

Bursting water pipes can cause a lot of damage so draining the system will remove the chance of frozen water causing this. Leave water taps open in case there is any surplus water or pressure to escape. It is extremely important that all water is removed from heating systems as these can be very expensive to repair if they are damaged.

Product against damp
To further prevent moisture in your motorhome it is worth investing in a dehumidifier. You’ll find a large range of dehumidifiers available online that won’t break the bank.

Park at an angle

Consider the positioning of your motorhome during storage. Parking on a slope will stop water from lying in any pipes. If you have no raised ground use wheel levellers to raise the height of the vehicle. This will keep your vehicle elevated while also preventing flat spots in your tyres. Covering your electric hook-up socket over the winter will keep moisture out and prevent any rust forming that might then give you problems in the Spring. Covering outside vents will stop them getting clogged up with leaves or insects. Think about positioning traps inside and outside your motorhome close to possible entrances. Squirrels and mice can make small holes even bigger and cause a lot of destruction when they have entered. Cover possible openings with sealant where possible.

Water in these filters can freeze and cause damage to the system if not removed. To keep your water nice and fresh, we also recommend you start the new season with a new water filter.

It may sound obvious, but empty your toilet cassette and clean thoroughly to ensure you don’t encounter any nasty smells come Spring!

remove the car battery

Cold weather can cause your vehicle battery to die. To help maintain the battery life, take it out and store it in a warm, dry location. Remove batteries from any wall clocks, carbon monoxide alarms, smoke alarms etc as acid could leak from them and damage your device.

turn off the gas

Remove the gas cylinder from your vehicle and store it in a safe place. Make sure you also turn of the valve to stop any gas leakage. Wasps often like to build nests in motorhomes during the winter months. Make sure to move bathroom items like deodorants as these can also attract insects.

Don’t Forget!

Visit your motorhome every couple of weeks to check it over and run the engine for at least 45 mins. You can also take you camper for a drives if possible. This way, the pressure from the vehicle onto the tyre isn't entirely focused on one part. Whether it’s stopping damp from rotting your fabrics or removing traffic gunge from the sides, the more care you take of your motorhome, the longer it will last.

Winter supplies & Winter Care!

There's lots of useful accessories you can pick up for your winter care and protecting your camper. Check out our buying guide for a run down on our top choices! Or if you fancy braving the winter by campervan- here are some tips for winter on the road. At Camperco, we are always trying to improve our customer offering. If you need any more information or if you have any feedback let our customer service team know!