It’s served you well over the spring and summer, you’ve enjoyed a few weekends away during the autumn but the time has come to lock your motorhome down for the winter. Follow our tips and your motorhome will be ready to hit the road once the bad weather shifts and the tulips poke their heads out of the ground.
Wash the home – Give your motorhome a good clean with warm, soapy water, rinse it off let it dry. Then go over the bodywork with a coat of wax, rub it off and repeat the process. This double layer of protection will keep the bodywork gleaming and even if you use a protective cover or store your motorhome inside it’s a sensible precaution to take.
Clean the interior – Vacuum and clean the seats, wipe surface areas down, wash the floor and clean out the cupboards. Make sure there are no packets of food left in the motorhome over the winter, empty and clean the fridge and leave the door open to prevent any issues with smells or bacteria.
Empty and clean the cassette toilet – Don’t leave this until the spring, the sight and smell will put you off motorhoming for life!
Drain water and heater systems – Empty water to prevent it stagnating or freezing over winter, use the drain tap fitted to the vehicle or a pump if you don’t have this luxury.
Shut off gas valves – Turn gas valves into the ‘off’ position and remove the gas bottles fitted to the vehicle. Store them safely until the spring.
Block off vents – Tape up outside vents to prevent dirt, debris or rodents from getting into the motorhome, plastic sheeting and tape should do the trick.
Park in gear with the handbrake off – Handbrakes can seize if you leave them on for too long, use wheel blocks if you are worried about the vehicle rolling.
The above guidelines should see your motorhome through the worst of the winter, you might want to spray the electrics with a water-displacing spray such as WD-40 as a final measure and try to check on the motorhome as often as you can. Start the engine and bring it up to temperature, move the home slightly to prevent the tyres sitting in the same position and the home should be fine over the winter months.
