winter heat (1 Viewer)

[mariner41]

Hi all .
just want to pick your brains if you don't mind thanks.:thumb:
Our motorhome is parked in the driveway as we wont be able to
use it untill the spring.
It is our first winter so I have drained it and prepared it by the book.
I was worried about cold and damp so I connected the hookup cable
into the garage so I could use the internal heating system at intervals
if required.
But being a novice I dont know if it is a good/bad idea or if there is a
better alternative.
our first summer was brilliant, cant wait for next year.
thanks for your time.
Jim.

 

[madbluemad]

I have my rv hooked up all year round and its not a problem.

A lot of people have heaters in their mh- rv, small fan heaters or oil filled radiators so that they can be turned on and off whenever it gets really cold. It tends to keep the damp away.

Jim

 

[GJH]

Our van is parked on the drive as well - though we do try to get away in winter as well as other times of year when we can.

The built-in heating is gas only so we have a small oil-filled radiator which can be turned on during colder nights. We used it quite a lot in our first winter but then realised that we didn't need to use it quite as much. We now keep an eye on the weather forecasts for cold nights and switch on just when needed.

Graham

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[Spacerunner]

A small heater with a 'frost guard' setting is ideal as it comes on automatically when the temperature drops to a critical level.

I also use a dehumidifier. Ok, I know that the 'van will not be hermetically sealed but it will keep the soft furnishings and upholstery from absorbing too much moisture.

As a side effect the dehumidifier will whoosh air around the interior at a very slightly higher than ambient temperature. This will prevent pockets of stagnant air which would otherwise encourage dampness and mildew.

A decent dehumidifier can be purchased for about £100-£130.

 

[tony morris]

Hi Jim we use a small ceramic heater very low running costs, what we do is plug it into a timer switch, you can ajust when you wan't it to come on, and go off they have 2 heat settings with a fan we find this keeps the chill off without any proplems. you don,t have to worry about taking the seating, cushions, or any of the bedding out of your van you can buy them from argos,homebase,comet,focus,currys etc, cost under £20 good luck Tony

 

[Larrynwin]

We are hooked up in drive and use an oil filled rad through winter months. Keeps it dry and aired ready for a quickie, trip that is

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[savantuk]

Hi,

In the winter in UK, and in Europe, if a hook up is available, I use a small and very quiet fan heater on .5kw setting. It heats up our 6.5m motor home very quickly indeed, using none of the van's resources. Mine came from Comet a few years ago, costing around £5.

This for me is a no brainer.

 

[johngee]

Mine is parked on our drive and I plan to keep using it through the winter for daytime trips at weekends, or at least take it for a bit of a run once a week.
When it gets cold I was thinking of hooking up to the mains and turning the Truma on to a low setting as necessary.

Does anyone see any issues with that?

 

[mariner41]

Thanks folks for all the Ideas.
Tony's timer switch sounds sounds good.
never thought of that.
thanks once again
All the best
Jim.

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[pappajohn]

Hi,

In the winter in UK, and in Europe, if a hook up is available, I use a small and very quiet fan heater on .5kw setting. It heats up our 6.5m motor home very quickly indeed, using none of the van's resources. Mine came from Comet a few years ago, costing around £5.

This for me is a no brainer.

hope you realise if its on 24/7 its costing you £50 per month.

 

[Boadicea]

We had an old Autotrail last year and we did'nt put any heat on through the winter. Just used the crystal bags to soak up any condensation and stood the cushions up. It was fine.

 

[geoff1947]

Wintering

As it will be on your drive you can monitor the weather and heat the van accordingly. NOT a good idea to leave for too long so go for a drive at weekends if you can. It will do it (and you) the world of good. I note that there is an article in the December issue of Practical Motorhome (Broused at Tesco today) re lying up for the winter Worth a read

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