Winterising your Motorhome

Winter is well and truly upon us and many people around the UK are making their final preparations for going away for Christmas. Although motorhomes are normally seen as the perfect summer holiday vehicle we know that a lot of you hard core motorhome enthusiasts will still be using yours over the holiday period.

However, if you are planning to use your motorhome this winter there are a few preparations you should make to help winterise your vehicle and avoid frozen pipes, freezing temperatures and breakdowns:

Keep it Warm

There are a few ways you can help keep the cold out of your motorhome this winter; firstly, you should close all the vent grills when parked up to avoid any cold draughts coming into the cab. You can also keep some of the warmth in by buying extra silver screens for the windows and replace the rubber door seal to stop cold air coming in.

Most motorhomes do have heaters that can be used to keep warm, although these can drain the battery and should only be used when on the move. If you are looking for extra heating whilst stationary, you could also invest in a battery powered electric heater, although there are safety concerns with these and you should check that your motorhome insurance policy will cover you against a fire started by an electric heater.

Avoid the Frost

As well as keeping yourself warm during winter in your motorhome, it is also important to make sure the vehicle itself doesn’t get too cold, because if it does the pipes can freeze, which can lead to no water coming through and even bust pipes and a claim on your motorhome insurance policy.

One way to avoid freezing pipes is to park up your motorhome on a slight slope, which will stop the water from sitting in the internal waste pipe work and freezing in the u-bend. You should also make sure you use or at least have anti-freeze in the motorhome to avoid freezing pipes.

Be Prepared

As well as avoiding the cold it is also sensible to be prepared for the possibility of getting stuck in the snow. With plenty of room in your motorhome you should carry with you a shovel, snow chains for your tyres, a good supply of water and food, a mobile phone and plenty of blankets in case you get stuck over night.

A lot of this may sound obvious but every year people all over the UK get stuck in the snow, break down or suffer from burst pipes. However, by following these simple steps you should be able to use your motorhome this winter without any problems at all!