Kris Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Hi Everyone, Never joined a forum before so please forgive any mistakes I may make. Help, have no idea what to do, having just taken charge of our very first 17ft motorhome. Head is spinning from all info that comes with it, but they dont answer all the questions I need to know. We intend to use our motorhome all year round, only in England (possibly Scotland in the summer). The water is very hard in our area so we have a water softner in the house . Is it a good idea to put this soft water into the motorhome toilet tanks and/or the "drinking water" tank (We will be taking bottled water for drinking)? Also is it a good idea to cover the water tanks with some kind of insulation in cold weather (an old blanket or something), as we wont be emptying them in the winter? We have just had a few inches of snow. Should the gas bottles be covered at all in cold weather? Sorry if these questions sound daft, but I really have no idea, and having read some of the answers on this forum it seems that many people suggest emptying the tanks in the winter. I would hate to find I have burst pipes only after a few weeks of my new toy. Thanks. Kris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trooper Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Hi Kris, I would like to welcome you to the wonderful world of motorhoming. As to winter water, I always drain everything carefully in the winter to protect from very expensive frost damage, and on long stand ups in the summer just drain the tanks. The reason being is that nasties could get in your system if stagnant water is left in the tanks, unfortunately most people don't realise the dangers of stagnant water not heated above a certain temperature to kill all bacteria. cheers. all the best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Hi Kris and welcome to the forum, don't worry about asking what you may think are 'daft' questions, we have all started there and learnt on the way! One thing that may help us give suitable advice is if you could say what motorhome you have, some put it in the 'Location' section on the info panel so that it is always displayed and people know how to respond if more specific vehicle advice is needed (look left to see mine), or you could just reply and say what you've got. I'll try to answer your queries though: Water tanks - do not leave them with water in them, apart from anything else it's a good way to make yourself ill, even if you don't drink it, you'll still use it for washing up, brushing teeth etc. Empty them every time you stop using the van, even if it's only going to be for a few days, otherwise you could end up driving round with a stagnant pond. In winter, you run the risk of the water freezing in the tanks and in the pipes and as it expands the ice then expands and bursts pipes, and can damage tanks. It can also damage the more delicate items like taps, water pumps and boilers which are more expensive to replace. Don't forget to empty your toilet cassette and flush water tank (if it has one) so that these don't suffer either. When laying your van up, make sure that you've drained out all of the water and leave all the taps in the open position and any boiler valves open so that any water left in them has somewhere to expand to if it freezes. Gas bottle - you really need to be using propane (red calor bottle) rather than butane (blue calor bottle) as propane continues to work below freezing whereas butane will stop once the temperature goes down to single digits. Depending on your motorhome you may have to check if it can take propane though if it was built with butane in mind ... more info on your particular motorhome will help us advise on this. Soft water - I wouldn't think there is a need to fill the water tank with the 'soft' water as, apart from anything else, you'll soon go through filter cartridges! If you're not going to drink it then just use your normal tap water for the tanks as it is only if you drank it that you would notice the difference. We live in a hard water area and haven't had any problems using our normal household supply in the van (and we drink it too!). I'll give someone else a chance to reply now. Enjoy your new 'toy'! Mel B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Kris - 2008-10-31 7:27 PM Hi Everyone, Never joined a forum before so please forgive any mistakes I may make. Help, have no idea what to do, having just taken charge of our very first 17ft motorhome. Head is spinning from all info that comes with it, but they dont answer all the questions I need to know. We intend to use our motorhome all year round, only in England (possibly Scotland in the summer). The water is very hard in our area so we have a water softner in the house . Is it a good idea to put this soft water into the motorhome toilet tanks and/or the "drinking water" tank (We will be taking bottled water for drinking)? Also is it a good idea to cover the water tanks with some kind of insulation in cold weather (an old blanket or something), as we wont be emptying them in the winter? We have just had a few inches of snow. Should the gas bottles be covered at all in cold weather? Sorry if these questions sound daft, but I really have no idea, and having read some of the answers on this forum it seems that many people suggest emptying the tanks in the winter. I would hate to find I have burst pipes only after a few weeks of my new toy. Thanks. Kris Hi Kris and welcome. From your description "17ft motorhome" I'm guessing that your motorhome is a panel van conversion, simply because I can't for the life of me think of a coachbuilt under 18ft. Generally speaking a panel van conversion (PVC for short) will not have the same level of insulation as a coachbuilt so all year round use could become cosy during colder weather. Water. You won't be putting anything like the amount of water through your motorhome's system (and a fair proportion of that which you do will be from other areas) that you use at home so limescale is not likely to be a major problem, especially as you will carry separate drinking water supplies. If you intend to use your motorhome in all weather conditions then insulating the water tanks is a good idea but I would reccomend that you drain them after each trip and definitely during winter periods unless you can store the motorhome inside a garage or farm shed. The gas bottles do not need covering but if you are camping in winter then you need to really be using propane (red cylinder) as butane will not gas in sub zero temperatures. D. Edit: sorry post crossed with mel B's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted October 31, 2008 Share Posted October 31, 2008 Welcome to the madhouse Kris and ask away as we all had to ask someone once. If you tell us what your van is and where you are advice can be tailored and you might even live close enough to one of us smart ar..., sorry - Alecs to be able to meet and resolve some problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 No such thing as a daft question - only daft answers!Not sure which Nu-Venture you have, there being two companies of that name. However, since neither makes one called a Hampshire, I guess that is where you live.Do not leave water in the motorhome when it is not in use, and especially at any time when it is liable to be exposed to sub zero temperatures. This applies to fresh tank, water heater, pipes and waste tank. Drain the lot carefully and thoroughly. Pay particular attention to the pump, as these are often mounted against an external wall, frequently with insufficient insulation behind their mounting, especially in panel van conversions. If using the van in cold weather, be very careful about filling the fresh water tank if it is underslung, as I suspect yours may be. If the temperature is low enough, no amount of insulation will prevent pipes or tank from eventually freezing - with expensive results. Insulation will slow the rate at which the pipes (seldom insulated at all), and tanks lose heat, but they will lose heat, so it will only be a matter of extra time before they freeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naittaw Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Agree with all the above, but care must also be taken of waste water pipes. There are usually bends and kinks in them where waste water can rest, then freeze, especially overnight, making the morning ablutions a pain ! If it looks like hard frost we often put a cup or so of anti-freeze (one kind not the other - I can't remember which !) down the sinks to keep the waste open till the morning's hot water. Scotland in winter is lovely ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neillking Posted November 1, 2008 Share Posted November 1, 2008 Just to add another perspective, we're also year-round campers including Dec-Jan in Scotland. I never drain down for the winter and use the tank for drinking water too. I do of course dump any residual stale water prior to a refill if we haven't used the 'van for some time. Otherwise the chlorinated top-up and our in-line water filter is just fine. In case you thiink I have no taste buds I should add that we have in-line filtering at home too and I tend to regard unfiltered water/tea/coffee as near-undrinkable! In winter I protect the whole 'van with mild heat ... at a 'frost protection' level when we're not in it. Both electric heaters and the on board gas system are equally effective as long as you open any doors and cupboards where there are taps, tanks, etc. My point then is that either scenario is possible you simply make your choice and manage accordingly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted November 2, 2008 Author Share Posted November 2, 2008 Thank you everyone that replied to my questions regarding winter usage. Our motorhome is a Nu-Venture Rio- Coachbuilt conversion (17ft long) (overall height 8ft 2") Nu-Venture based in Wigan. It has 1 red calor gas bottle (room for 2) so I guess that means it propane (better for colder weather, I believe). It has a cassett toilet/shower. It will be kept in the open all the time, ( have Thatcham cat 1 alarm), so open to all weather conditions. Hubby now retired, and bored, so we have penty of time to go places. We intend to use the motorhome most of the time, at least once or twice a week in the winter, even if its only to just drive around the countryside for a few hours. Roll on next summer, when we can really go mad, and actually have a real holiday. I suffer from IBS, so cannot normally travel very far from home (those of you who have it will know what I mean), so perhaps we had better keep the journeys very short, till the warmer weather comes, and we don't need to drain the water tanks. Just a quick stop for a cup of tea and watch the cars go by - on second thoughts, forget the tea. Thanks again for your help. Kris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Hello Kris, The better toilet fluids act as an anti-freeze if used according to the instructions. If you keep all tanks drained just carry a plastic can of water to flush the toilet on your days out. It does help to leave the taps open for some days to allow a drained system to dry out completly but then shut them to keep out hibernating insects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Hi Kris, Welcome to the Forum, Nice little 'van you have there, would get one myself but they don't do automatic, and I have to have automatic. A good friend of mine has IBS that is why he bought a motorhome, so that he has all he needs with him at all times. Should be very good MPG with that RIO, nice and stream lined very little drag. Being front wheel drive the traction will not be very good on wet grass, so get some plastic mats for grip. Enjoy motorhoming, when the weather is too bad to go out you can enjoy being on here....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted November 4, 2008 Share Posted November 4, 2008 Hi again Kris just a little thought for you, in the winter I keep a greenhouse heater in my 'van set to come on when the temp drops to 5 degrees C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Keep your van stocked and ready to roll,lot of capital tied up if you don't use it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Usinmyknaus Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 In addition to the excellent advice already posted. If you are keeping the van on your driveway you may wish to install an external electrical mains point close to it. Mine enables me in summer to plug the van in 12 hours before departure to bring the fridge/freezer to the correct temperature ready to load food and to top up the leisure and vehicle batteries. In winter it's more important. I plug the van in whenever the temperature is likely to fall below 8 degrees or so and I place an 800 watt oil-filled, thermostatically controlled heater in the centre of the van, with all clothes cupboard/drawers and other doors left open. In particular, I boost the heat (and batteries) 24 hours before departure and find this prevents the van becoming "cold-soaked". If you have ever left your house empty in winter with the systems drained down you will know what I mean - it can take a couple of days for the central heating to bring the house to a comfortable temperature. Well we find that pre-heating the van before departure means the matresses, seating etc are much more comfortable on the first night away. This arrangement also allows us to leave all our clothing, bedding, cosmetics, tinned and dry foods etc in place for the 10 days or so between our trips and cuts down on loading time. It also ensures that all the batteries are at peak power if we find ourselves on non-hook up sites for winter weekends. When you look at the capital, opportunity and fixed running costs of your van, using it throughout the winter IMHO makes it a much better deal. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tomo3090 Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 Our previous van was a Compass Avantgarde and we winter camped in that and the tmp outside dropped to -9 a couple of times. We had no problems with the pipes freezing, because we were in it and had the heater going, I assume. You must drain it though if it is standing about on your path. Hook up to your domestic supply and have some form of heating in it is a very good point some people have mentioned. You can also use "Silverscreens" if you have them. They keep the condensation away and add another layer of insulation to the van. Remember though as well a lot of the sites in the UK are closed over winter so you may need to use CS/CL sites and the facilities are less on these. You also might have to wild camp occasionally so the suggestion about taking an extra water carrier is a good idea too. It also means you don't have to leave your pitch to top up during your stay. Just remember to buy a "trolley" for it to save having to lug it to the tap and back! If you buy some of the stuff homebrewers use for cleaning their brewing equipment you can run a solution of it through your waterpies every so often and this will keep them algea free. Just remember to flush it through thoroughly afterwards with clean water! Then just fuel up and go for it :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted November 14, 2008 Author Share Posted November 14, 2008 Hi Everyone, Thank you for the latest comments for winter usage. we took our new toy out for the first time last week, to the New Forest, just for the day. I expected to see ponies etc, but not seven little piglets following behind the ponies ( yes, I did say piglets) Having a brew up and making sandwiches took me back 40 years to our first caravanette, but what a difference!. We intend to go to Lincolnshire for a few days very soon, so I hope the weather is kind to us, and doesnt freeze us, or the "toy". We will have the normal "cab" heating on, on the 200 mile journey there and back , and just for some of the time during the days while we are staying there, but not at night. Will this be enough to stop the tanks etc freezing up should the weather turn really cold? As the motorhome is parked several yards from the house when at home ,and not on a drive way, heating it is not an option when we are not using it. We do intend to get screens for the cab windows, (internal). Our cab is a Peugeot Expert. What screens would fit this make of van I have seen screens in the motorhome shops for Peugeot Boxer cab windows, are they all the same, and do the little "suckers" stay put on the windows? Another daft question. Reading about the chemicals that you put into the Thetford Cassette/tank (We already have Aqua Kem Blue and Aqua Rinse, that came with the "toy" when we bought it), but there are a few others from the Thetford range that I have seen, like Aqua Rince and Tank Fresh (said to be for daily use), should you add these every day or instead of------ Aqua kem blue etc?. Thanks. This is really a great place to come for newbies like us. Kris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libby Posted November 14, 2008 Share Posted November 14, 2008 I will only comment on the casset. I use one of the blue varieties and judge the correct quantity by the colour it ends up at when emptying. ie if its still blue that's fine otherwise I increase the blue quantity next time. I use ONE blue chemical ONLY, no fancy cleaner or whatever. If the casset seals are good there will be no odours into the van. When on site its emptied every two days otherwise its heavy. Cleaning..... I only rinse well. When at home, the casset is put in the greenhouse with all vents open until next time. When not being used in winter ALL WATER is emptied from the vehicle and all the taps left open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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