maggyd Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 As we have never had a fixed bed before, and always were able to stand the cushions on other vans on their ends :-S I'm now wondering what is the best way to overwinter a mattress on a fixed bed? would you leave the mattress protector on ? I'm thinking prop the bed frame up so air can circulate ! what do others do ? we always put in two damp traps on the work tops but I would hate to get mildew on the mattress, I know it doesn't always need damp to cause this, as I have had trouble in our bungalow on the vertical bedroom blinds. Any hints and tips gratefully received :-D Also what do you remove when taking your van for its first habitation check? All the paraphernalia stored under the bed??? the water heater is under there!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Take it to Spain ;-) ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnerontheroad Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Put something underneath to lift it off the bed so the air can circulate, mind you the best way is to take it to Spain or Portugal :-D Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 Is the mattress on a slatted bed?, and doesn't it lift? if so just lift the frame, if not remove mattress and stand on edge or put a couple of cardboard boxes(or similier) to lift mattress and allow air to circulate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 Yes thanks it is on a slatted frame that lifts I was unsure if it would do the mechanism harm by leaving it up, Ill prop it rather than cause strain on the arms, Ill probably have to remove the felt I had put under it to stop the frame wearing the mattress . :-D Id love to take it to Spain only O.H cant be talked around. (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted October 3, 2013 Share Posted October 3, 2013 Then go on your own, maggy, and sleep on it when u get there. Then OH can 'sleep on' the idea of being in a climate 20deg warmer than home, strolling along lovely smooth proms watching the blood red sun sink slowly into the Med.......... Sounds so good, just a shame that we can't get away for a really looooooong break till springtime. We have a couple of friends who sometimes come away with us, the wife is desperate to get some winter warmth due to poor circulation and arthritis but her OH has suddenly developed a phobia to ferries, tunnels, foreign food, driving on the right, the language barrier, etc, etc.........now is never too soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted October 3, 2013 Author Share Posted October 3, 2013 (lol) Tempting but no thanks, anyway I like to look forward to our 6 week summer break :-D anyway we have family responsibilities one of them a 99 year old M.I.L who needs us. Heck I only asked for tips. (lol) not travel advise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Maggy, point taken. Tho Pelmet and I replied a bit tongue in cheek, I thought that laying up for winter was what caravanners did? Don't you slip away for the odd winter weekend or short break, when the weather turns out to be better than the forecast? Especially as you have a PVC, you can go at the drop of a hat and park almost anywhere. To be concerned about shutting down your lovely van in the first couple of days of October makes me think it will be the end of March before you use it again which seems a long way off.... If you really mean that you are looking for the best way to keep a mattress aired between regular trips then my advice is stand it upright in the van but not for very long.....using it is by far the way to keep all things 'van' shipshape and Bristol fashion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted October 4, 2013 Author Share Posted October 4, 2013 :-D Yes I know BB but just you wait until you are as old as us (him) (lol) Im guessing your not!! we have more nurses appointments and children baby sitting duties the month of Oct; is going to be gone before we know it, and the vans first habitation check! then Christmas is coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *-) we will be taking it out on runs anyway, so as you said March will be here and we will be off again ;-) our neighbours though think we gallivant too much as it is. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Well Maggy, I wouldn't want to be so impertinent as to guess your age, far too polite for that.....but I have been retired for 7 years (although pretty early) and to just breeze through 6 months of your life in a couple of sentences, where a couple of medical appointments and a habitation check seem to be the highlights (although interrupted by Christmas) seems to be wishing time to move a little too quickly for my liking. As you say, you'll be taking the van out for runs, so make one of those runs a couple of days away just to give the habitation items (including the matress ;-) ) a bit of use. Sleepy van syndrome can be a van killer, as the Judge said in another thread....use it or lose it. Enjoy, there's no right way to use a van, and yours is the one that suits you best, so have a great time doing it. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 Maggie posts raises a conundrum that many motorhomers face..............ie by the time you can afford the time and the money to buy a camper, often ones parents are at an advanced age :-S........ Not to much of a problem if you have plenty of siblings to share the responsibility.......but if not.......then what are the options??? :-|........ I have thought that a useful option is to buy a granny annex for the camper ;-)...................ie a small caravan to tow behind the camper, then we'll be able to take the MIL with us.......thus do what we want to do, and share the burden of an aged parent...............well that's the theory :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted October 4, 2013 Share Posted October 4, 2013 You're on the money there, Dave. My parents are in their mid 80s and Mum has had a couple of strokes. When we are 'home' we call in 2 pr 3 times a week just to check on things and to run errands. This not possible when we are 'away' and my sister is local too and she takes more of the load than we do anyway. However, life still has to be for living and my wife definitely wants to spend her retirement in the manner to which she has become accustomed. This is not a callous or thoughtless view, we have worked long and hard to save for our dotage (years away yet, lol) but we have to use the active years we have now or they will be gone in a trice.....as illustrated in Maggy's comment, we all measure time in different ways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Most fixed beds have split mattresses I thought so they can be removed if you wish. We have done both, brought them home for the winter or last year left them in as I could not be bothered carting them up the stairs to our flat. In both cases they were fine but were rather cold the 1st night of use. If you are worried about propping up the bed why not just put a seat cushion under it as a support. That will lave a big enough air gap. As for wintering in Spain, we have just returned and to be honest were quite happy to leave as the site was filling rapidly with what we unkindly call the 'geriatrics'. They are all over 70 and flock in large numbers down there each Autumn. The first thing that gets set up is the satellite dish so Corrie is not missed. By the end of October you will not get a pitch at all and people wait at the gates hoping someone will leave. They all book each year so we probably unkindly again nickname them all as Caravan Clubber types clogging the site. Actually a lot of UK campers do seem to be of that mould and I swear I saw long sleeve striped shirts and slacks being flaunted round the site before we left. I prefer my scruffy shorts as a uniform. For a number of reasons, some of which follow, we prefer to spend the summer months there although we do escape for a few weeks in August as it just gets too hot. In winter the nights are long and is dark by 5pm, so you have over 12 hours to look at each other in the van. Even last week it was dark by 8pm and closing rapidly. At home at least we have more than 1 room and so will not end up murdering each other so quickly. Yes, there is sunshine but surprisingly in Scotland we often have more sunshine in winter than summer. Yes, it is cold but we can still enjoy a brisk walk before hiding inside again. Plus the sea is freezing in winter unless you are a 'loony dooker'. One can also get a lot of rain in Spain and very cloudy days. We are also amused at watching the campers when the temp drops below 20 all wearing big fleeces and anoraks as if it was Artic. . However this year Spring was very late and it seems that has pushed the seasons round so actually summer lasted well into September and even now it is till in the mid to high 20's. Last year was quite a bit different, so it is a bit of a pot luck. Some go for the social life, and good luck to them. But again i suspect that meeting the same people for 6 months and getting boozed probably far too often on cheap wine (price, not quality) would do my health no good at all. Other points my dear wife mentioned were that the shower blocks on the site we use are not heated. Not a problem in summer when it is 30+ but at say 7 deg in the morning can be a bit nippy and you lie in bed hoping someone else will heat the place up with a shower. You may gather wife does not like cold shower blocks and actually nor do I. She also mentioned washing (not my scene) and that the machines tend to get overused whereas when we are there, we take our choice. Small things I know, but important to a woman. Another point on the social scene is that at home if we get fed up with each other the 'boss' can disappear into town for an afternoon of perusing M&S or John Lewis while I can do what i like. In Spain we would need to drive to the shopping malls, no M&S or JL, and would still be under each other's feet. Plus at home boss can watch her tv programmes while i hide in another room. In the van we have to both watch whatever. Funnily enough winter in Edinburgh is a lot of fun as there is a lot going on. So our social life is very different from Spain but just as good. If you live in the country then maybe things look different and Spain is more attractive. So, although I admire those that do overwinter, I personally, and boss, see nothing in it that attracts us as yet. Roll on April when i know things are going to get warmer and sunnier. All the cafes and restaurants will open, the shades will come out and I can get my bucket and spade out on the beach. Loverly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 Dave, so very valid stuff there and many on here should read and digest. Living for months in a van when it gets dark early may not be easy for some and drive than to drink, in the van or the site bar, lol. We did our first longish recce to Spain last year and it went well. If you like the warmer weather in wintertime there aren't many places in Europe you can drive to, Spain the most popular, I guess. My parents couldn't understand why we would want to be away over Christmas so next time we will go after new year and be back in April/May so that we can enjoy what we have for a summer here. In the late summer, early autumn, we will be back again in France.....and possibly Italy .....for a few months. We like the warmth, have enough room in the van not to be on top of each other all the time, and we are both fit and able enough to do our own thing either on foot, bikes, or public transport. As we get older.....things may change but for now we feel blessed to be getting away from it all.....well, most of it anyway! Good travelling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted October 9, 2013 Author Share Posted October 9, 2013 I agree with Dave he and his O.H sound much like us :-D when the nights draw in we like to cosy up in our nice warm bungalow after all at 69 and 76 (no I don't mind being older) better than the alternative >:-) the bit about the sat dish being the first to go up though made me laugh !! its a bone of contention with us (lol) he says its for me?? don't you believe it !! and yes being able to walk into another room stops us from killing each other ;-) I like company over Christmas but family not strangers! I do like a natter when were away in France or Germany in the summer as you do get a bit frustrated when you cant speak the lingo. :-D Ill prop my bed up and put in the damp traps as per usual :-D it is one mattress though not two singles which would be easier to stand on end ! I don't fancy a creased mattress!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 I was trying to be diplomatic as some of the thoughts we had on the subject were probably best kept to ourselves. Things like 'cliques', crowding, organised activities, too many Brits, nobody under 75, etc but I will refrain from details. However on our way north last week we passed umpteen UK registered motorhomes and caravans all heading south so obviously a popular idea for many retirees. The oldest we met was 99 and still driving a motorhome. Sorry, but a bit scary to me. Just as long as they have all b......d off back north by the time we go back in Spring, I do not care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 So Maggy's got a toyboy ;-).................As a toyboy myself :D...........I have to agree with Dave, that at that time of year we are outnumbered by the Saga louts (lol)..............but it doesn't bother us as we'll mix with anyone :-> .............BUT walking around in my shorts in January.......priceless B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted October 9, 2013 Author Share Posted October 9, 2013 pelmetman - 2013-10-09 7:57 PM So Maggy's got a toyboy ;-).................As a toyboy myself :D...........I have to agree with Dave, that at that time of year we are outnumbered by the Saga louts (lol)..............but it doesn't bother us as we'll mix with anyone :-> .............BUT walking around in my shorts in January.......priceless B-) (lol) (lol) Toy Boy ?? do you mind he is 7 years older than me !!! I take it that you were walking around in your shorts in Spain (lol) that's nothing we have a mad neighbour (not close than G) that walks his dog in his shorts when there is snow on the ground (lol) and yes the dog is a BOXER >:-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolero boy Posted October 10, 2013 Share Posted October 10, 2013 Oops, Maggy, your post did say "after all at 69 and 76 (no I don't mind being older)" which I (and others) must have took to mean you were older......? ;-) Still, your only as old as you feel, apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggyd Posted October 10, 2013 Author Share Posted October 10, 2013 bolero boy - 2013-10-10 9:21 AM Oops, Maggy, your post did say "after all at 69 and 76 (no I don't mind being older)" which I (and others) must have took to mean you were older......? ;-) Still, your only as old as you feel, apparently. Too right (lol) and over the last 3 weeks suffering with sciatica I feel 90 (lol) I blame it on carrying a laundry bag full of the clothes I would need for a week away to put in the van, in G.Yarmouth >:-) well you never know what you might need this time of year?? in the event it was lovely and I didn't need half of what I took.!! B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave225 Posted October 12, 2013 Share Posted October 12, 2013 pelmetman - 2013-10-09 7:57 PM So Maggy's got a toyboy ;-).................As a toyboy myself :D...........I have to agree with Dave, that at that time of year we are outnumbered by the Saga louts (lol)..............but it doesn't bother us as we'll mix with anyone :-> .............BUT walking around in my shorts in January.......priceless B-) I can do that as well. OK, it is indoors and the heating is on but........I can even skip the shorts..........? However, I do agree it is nice to have winter sunshine, but one has to be quite choosy about where you go. All of Spain certainly is not in that category. It is mainly the bit between Valencia and Alicante that seems to have the micro climate, which is why Benidorm is so popular. Also the Malaga area can be very pleasant, but elsewhere maybe not so good. Forget places such as Mallorca as it is very drizzly and damp in winter. Some head for Morocco to 'guarantee' sunshine but even there certain years have seen a lot of cloud and rain and even on occasions, snow. Talking with the snowbirds in Spring before they left, they had had a reasonable winter they told us, but an awful lot of wind and temps were slightly down on previous years. Certainly when we arrived in April it was still very cool and we had to wear fleeces etc. By June all that was forgotten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Back to the OPs question, we have never "over wintered" any van, just leave locker doors open which ensures a trickle of air from drop vents, and your roof vent open a tiny bit, as for the fixed bed if it is on slats as most of them are it will in my experience be fine. But we do take our van for a spin for maybe 20/30 miles or so at least every couple of weeks just to keep things hunky dory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-11-04 6:24 AM Back to the OPs question, we have never "over wintered" any van, just leave locker doors open which ensures a trickle of air from drop vents, and your roof vent open a tiny bit, as for the fixed bed if it is on slats as most of them are it will in my experience be fine. But we do take our van for a spin for maybe 20/30 miles or so at least every couple of weeks just to keep things hunky dory. Taking van for a spin, may be good for engine and tyres, but you are putting moisture internally from your breathing, and the heater, when it cools down We put moisture traps in , and keep a check on it from time to time, as we do not (are unable) to keep van at home. we have taken seat cushions out before, but storing them, in spare room on third floor, bit of a pain, as we come into the well over 70 brigade PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 1footinthegrave Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 Think about it, we live in a damp environment, the vans are not airtight, humidity is in the air, and we have never found the need living as we do in Wales where it's damp a lot of the time to remove soft furnishings,. I doubt dealers who have masses of stock to "over winter" do either, or employ moisture traps, de humidifiers and all the rest, just a bit of ventilation seems to be sufficient in my experience, although we have the van parked up to receive some winter sun as well, but others no doubt have other opinions. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Peter James Posted November 4, 2013 Share Posted November 4, 2013 1footinthegrave - 2013-11-04 10:11 AM Think about it, we live in a damp environment, the vans are not airtight, humidity is in the air, and we have never found the need living as we do in Wales where it's damp a lot of the time to remove soft furnishings,. I doubt dealers who have masses of stock to "over winter" do either, or employ moisture traps, de humidifiers and all the rest, just a bit of ventilation seems to be sufficient in my experience, although we have the van parked up to receive some winter sun as well, but others no doubt have other opinions. ;-) I'm inclined to agree. Our bodies are 70% water. A bit of moisture in our fabrics won't kill us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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