With the clocks about to go back, lots of North East owners are getting ready to park up their motorhome or caravan until spring. Half an hour spent preparing it properly now can save you a nasty (and expensive) surprise when you come to use it again.

Here’s the checklist we’d follow in our own workshop.

1. Drain down the water system – completely

Frozen water expands, and that’s what splits pipes, cracks taps and damages water heaters. The Camping and Caravanning Club warns that even a small amount of water trapped in a tap head can cause costly damage.

Switch off the water pump and open all the taps, including the shower. Leave them in the middle position (between hot and cold) over winter.
Open the water heater’s drain valve (on many Truma boilers it’s a yellow lever or knob) and let it empty.
Open the fresh and waste tank drain taps, and remove the shower head and give it a shake.
Empty the toilet cassette and flush tank. A light spray of silicone on the rubber seals and leaving the blade open helps stop them sticking or perishing.
Cover the tank outlets with mesh to keep insects and pests out.

A word about Truma frost valves: many vans have a Truma FrostControl valve, which opens automatically when the temperature around it drops below about 3°C. It’s a great safety net for the boiler, but it only empties the heater itself, not the rest of your pipes and taps – so you still need to drain down.

Got Alde wet heating? The heating fluid stays in all year round, but its antifreeze needs to be kept at the strength the manufacturer specifies. If you’re not sure when it was last checked, ask us.

2. Look after your batteries

A flat battery is a common spring headache. Trackers and alarms keep drawing a small amount of power the whole time the van is parked.

Charge your leisure battery fully and switch it off at the isolator (check your handbook first – some manufacturers advise keeping it connected).
Don’t let it go more than about six weeks without a recharge. A battery left flat can permanently lose capacity.
If your van is stored without mains power, a roof solar panel of at least 40W will usually keep both vehicle and leisure batteries topped up.

3. Keep the damp out

A van shut up for months with no air moving through it is an open invitation to damp and mould.

Open lockers, wardrobes and fixed-bed storage, and keep floor vents clear.
Leave the fridge door slightly ajar using the catch.
Stand seat cushions on their edge, or take soft furnishings home.
Pop a couple of damp traps inside, and if you use a cover, make sure it’s a breathable one.
Don’t use cling film on the windows – it can damage acrylic windows.

Winter is also when hidden leaks show themselves. If you spot a soft spot, a musty smell or staining when you check on it, get it looked at before it spreads – see our damp repairs page.

4. Tyres, brakes and gas

Tyres: pump them up to the maximum recommended pressure to help prevent flat spots, then set them back to normal before you travel. Caravan owners should turn the wheels every six to eight weeks.
Handbrake off: handbrakes can stick if left on for months. Use wheel chocks (and leave a motorhome in gear). On a caravan, wind the corner steadies down.
Gas: turn off the cylinder valves, and check with your storage site whether cylinders can stay in the locker.

5. Security and the base vehicle

Most insurers expect some form of mechanical security while a van is in storage – a wheel clamp, hitch lock or steering lock. It’s also worth asking your storage site about pest control, as rodent damage is usually excluded from insurance policies.

For motorhomes, fill up the fuel tank and top up the screenwash with a winter-strength mix.

Beat the spring rush

Laying up is a good time to get your annual work done. Book your habitation check or motorhome service over the winter and your van will be ready to go the moment the weather turns – without waiting for a spring slot.

Want us to check everything’s been done right, or have any questions about your van? Call us on 0191 694 1111, WhatsApp 07943 200793, or book online. You’ll find us at Davy Bank, Wallsend, NE28 6UZ.