teamholmes18 Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Hi there.. Im brand new to the whole motorhome game and in our first 12 months of ownership have fallen foul to a few blips that I cant help think are down to our own fault/lack of knowledge.. especially around storing the motorhome between trips and over winter. The blips we have encountered were all resolved, but a little costly.. including a blind spring over-stretching causing the blind not to retract - which we were later told should always be stored in the up position especially over winter and more recently... filling our water tank upon arrival at a site, turning the water pump and heater on, and the pipes bursting under the sink leaving us up to our ankles in water... This is only recently so we've not found out why this happens, but I am wondering if after last use the water system was left with air/ice in and that has caused the pressure build up to burst the pipes.... all fixed now though.. So really my question is - could you people in the know.. give me some guidance.. even a step by step procedure of things to do and check when we a) park our motorhome up after a trip for a few weeks between trips and b) what we should be looking to do to shut our motorhome down over the winter period ready for late autumn/spring use the following year. Many thanks Duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyder Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 The best thing for your MH is to use it as much as possible. It’s definitely not good for the engine to be sat unused for months on end. We try to use ours at least every three weeks (even in winter and even if it’s just for a day trip) We go away for New Year for a week. It gets the engine turning and the heating running, keeping air circulating through. In summer between trips we just empty the water tanks, give her a clean inside and park her up. If she’s looking dirty she’ll get a quick wash too. In winter we drain the water AND heating systems down between trips. We take out all bedding, lift all the seating cushions and leave the cupboards open, again to allow air to circulate. DO NOT close your blinds. Let the sunlight in as it helps to warm the air and minimises damp. We are lucky in that the storage area is only 5 minutes away so can just pop up to check things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Ditto the above ;-) ......... But saying that we have a car and caravan currently in storage in Spain for 7 months........ It's a bit of an experiment as we only use them in the winter ;-) ........ but we have paid extra for them to be stored indoors, as I know too hot is just as bad as too cold when it comes to storage :-| ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted June 22, 2018 Share Posted June 22, 2018 To over winter winter a van , you should drain down all the water system leave all Taps open , you will have difficulty getting all the water out of the pipes that feed the taps , try blowing through an open tap to force water out, if you leave the taps open any water left in the pipes has room to move as it freezes thus relieving any pressure build up and preventing burst pipes and damage to taps, make sure the drain valve to the water and waste tanks are left open, make sure your boiler is drained , and the drain valve is open. drive the van for a few miles after you have done all this so that residue water can escape the van, make sure the water pump is switched off electrically,if possible leave an electric oil filled radiator in the van on frost setting. Leave all cupboard and locker doors open so air can circulate in the van, keep all cushions away from the van sides to prevent mould build up, remove all soft furnishings from the van where practical.Alarms etc will drain your batteries, have solar panels operating where practical, close all blinds and use silver screens on windscreens if you have them, make sure your cassette is empty and leave the flap open , be sure to drain the cassette flush if you have a seperate supply of water to it.leave the fridge doors ajar and be sure all fresh food stuff is removed from the van to prevent spoilage and smells,, that is about it for the habitation side of the van , the engine is another thing, be sure your antifreeze is up to spec , try to run the engine from time to time to keep oil circulation and batteries charged , do not leave the handbrake on, chock the wheels and leave the vehicle out of gear. good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumblewagon Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 I'm with Spyder on this one. Don't let your van sit, over winter use it for the occasional day out or (as I do) use it for our fortnightly shopping trip. Even between trips, I use it occasionally. On returning from a trip, if necessary I empty and clean the loo cassette, empty any waste water, though I've never drained the fresh water - I don't use it for drinking. I clean the van before going on a trip - it's remarkable how grubby it can get just sitting around. Oh - and make sure you empty the fridge and leave it with the door slightly open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyder Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 vindiboy - 2018-06-22 11:17 PM close all blinds and use silver screens on windscreens if you have them, Don’t close the blinds if they are silver backed. In the manual and on our windows they advise only half closing at most if the sun is out as it can cause the windows to explode! Likewise, do not shut out the sun with silver screens. You need the sunlight to warm the air in the MH whilst it’s not used and the sunlight kills bacteria in the air. The last thing you want is the interior all shut away in the dark for months on end, you’re almost asking for damp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vindiboy Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Spyder - 2018-06-23 3:22 PM vindiboy - 2018-06-22 11:17 PM close all blinds and use silver screens on windscreens if you have them, Don’t close the blinds if they are silver backed. In the manual and on our windows they advise only half closing at most if the sun is out as it can cause the windows to explode! Likewise, do not shut out the sun with silver screens. You need the sunlight to warm the air in the MH whilst it’s not used and the sunlight kills bacteria in the air. The last thing you want is the interior all shut away in the dark for months on end, you’re almost asking for damp. I disagree with all that , I have had caravans and Motorhomes for over 45 years and always keep the blinds closed and silver screens on the windscreens when the van is not in use and have never had a problem with this, but hey ho others may do as they please, this practice also keeps prying eyes out as what one cannot see in the van ,one cannot lust over ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gp1 Posted June 23, 2018 Share Posted June 23, 2018 Windows may explode? Does it matter what gases are coming up thru the ground. Is it argon? Not sure. Something. Best thing about storage is you can forget about it. Infact most of the vehicles at place where i store look like theyve been forgotten about for a very long time. It probably is a surprise to go back and see how a winter has affected a van. im going to try and do some winter camping. The person i bought van off said they spent christmas in snowdonia. I suppose if you dont have a dog the next best thing to get you out of the house during winter is a motorhome. Especially if you find bleakness strangely breathtaking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyder Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Exploding windows! Apparently so. If you have the silver backed blinds and close them fully during a sunny day they heat the air in the cavity between the window panes and they can explode. I was sceptical but on looking on our windows there is a little sticker and diagram showing not to close them beyond halfway in sunlight and it is mentioned in the manual somewhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumblewagon Posted June 24, 2018 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Sounds mighty unlikely. Consider a polycarbonate double skinned window that is totally sealed. The pressure of the gas /air between the panes is proportional to the temperature in Kelvin. So suppose a nominal temp of 17 deg C. That = 290 deg K. If the temp between the window and the blind goes up to say 50 deg C, that is 323 deg K. The pressure rises to 323/290 = 1.114 or an 11.4 % increase in pressure. I doubt if that would cause an explosion! Perhaps if you had a glass window, you might have more bother. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelmorris Posted June 25, 2018 Share Posted June 25, 2018 For winter storage, don't forget to drain the toilet flush system as well. In the summer, we drain down the water system (including the hot water boiler) before putting it into storage. We also leave the bathroom door open as it can be a little damp in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spyder Posted June 26, 2018 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Very good grumblewagon but I’m not a scientist I was just quoting from our manual, maybe your MH is different. From our MH manual: In case of prolonged exposure to the sun roller blinds should not be completely closed as this could cause excessive heat concentration at the top of the window, due to characteristics of the glazing material the windows could be adversely affected. Roller blinds that shade from the bottom upwards it is necessary to leave a gap of a few centimetres open at the top, this way the heat between window and blind can escape. A fly screen does not cause an obstruction. Roller blinds that shade from the top downwards must be kept completely open, or be opened regularly to allow the heat to escape. Keeping the windows in ventilation position allows heat to escape. Never fully close a roller blind system when storing the vehicle or when not in use for longer periods! Therefore for optimal window life it is recommended: Blinds starting at the bottom of the window a gap should be provided for ventilation at the top with the window in its ventilation position. For vehicles containing blinds from the top downwards or with other types of reflective blinds / curtains, please make sure that these blinds are also ventilated or not fully closed. Ensure that all windows and roof vents are closed when the vehicle travels on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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