Sorry But Someone Had to bring it up, Winter Looks Like its Here

[Braunston]

Sorry But Someone Had to bring the subject up, as winter fast approaches have you prepared your MH if you aren't going to use it for extended periods, just a few items that may be worth stating:-

Have You

Drained the Main Water Tank
Drained the Pipework
Drained the Toilet Flush
Drained the Toilet Cassette
Drained the Waste Water Tank
Emptied any Drinking Water Bottles
Emptied your Kettles
Checked Your Anti-Freeze

You may also want to consider some form of heating to help keep any dampness away.

You may also want to remove the foam furnishings to a dry storage area


Please Add to the list

Hope that helps some people

 

[Jim]

Don't forget to ensure that any in line water filters are removed or are completely empty. A full winterisation check-list is included in the check-list book that you might have noticed in my signature

 

[stagman]

Sorry But Someone Had to bring the subject up, as winter fast approaches have you prepared your MH if you aren't going to use it for extended periods, just a few items that may be worth stating:-

Have You

Drained the Main Water Tank
Drained the Pipework
Drained the Toilet Flush
Drained the Toilet Cassette
Drained the Waste Water Tank
Emptied any Drinking Water Bottles
Emptied your Kettles
Checked Your Anti-Freeze

You may also want to consider some form of heating to help keep any dampness away.

You may also want to remove the foam furnishings to a dry storage area


Please Add to the list

Hope that helps some people

I am thinking this winter of keeping my van heated by using the blown air system on low with also the hot water on.The ducts for the heating not only come into the living area buy also around the lockers and fresh water tank.I shall also use my ceramic fan heater on low just as a top up or standbye. :thumb:

 

[madbluemad]

Hi Braunston

There has been a lot of chat about it. I Hadn't thought about the soft furnashings, good tip.

The only thing I cant seem to be able to do is open up my hot water tank to drain it. I'm hoping it drained when I drained everyting else off. Jims Checklist gives a comprehensive guide to winterisation.

Cheers

Jim

 

[scotjimland]

Can someone give a scientific reason why using a heater keeps damp away.
Damp in a van comes from occupants and cooking, not from outside, unless you have a leak, a cold van doesn't attract damp air, where is this alleged damp coming from?

Before fulltiming our RV stood all winter without heating and was never damp.

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[madbluemad]

Can someone give a scientific reason why using a heater keeps damp away.
Damp in a van comes from occupants and cooking, not from outside, unless you have a leak, a cold van doesn't attract damp air, where is this alleged damp coming from?

Before fulltiming our RV stood all winter without heating and was never damp.

TRUE !!!

Jim :thumb:

 

[buccaneer]

I have a temp gauge and hygrometer in the habitation area of my van yesterday morning the hygrometer read 80% I switched on the dehuminifier I use in the van and by 6pm last night the reading was 40%. and I'd guess about 1L of water had been collected.
I have noticed when the outside weather is very wet as recently, I will collect more water in the dehumidifier if I site it in the U shaped lounge at the rear so that must be more humidity/water stored in the upholstery/foam.

 

[Ralph-Dot]

not done any still using it

 

[madbluemad]

I think that more to the point is that if you put heating in the bus whilst its cold outside there is likley to be a lot more humidty/damp than if it was left alone all together

Am I right ?

Jim

 

[camcondor]

I am thinking this winter of keeping my van heated by using the blown air system on low with also the hot water on.The ducts for the heating not only come into the living area buy also around the lockers and fresh water tank.I shall also use my ceramic fan heater on low just as a top up or standbye. :thumb:

Its quite pricey to keep the blown air on permanently as well as the boiler, plus its an inevitable heavy use for which the motorhome heating and boiler are not intended - I used to do this, but now keep a small oil heater (700w) on in the van, and keep the bathroom door and boiler access open so the low heat extends there. You can also drain the boiler and switch the pump off if its not being used which saves on wear and tear and electricity bills!!

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[scotjimland]

I have noticed when the outside weather is very wet as recently, I will collect more water in the dehumidifier if I site it in the U shaped lounge at the rear so that must be more humidity/water stored in the upholstery/foam.

Nature is a funny thing, it likes balance and abhors imbalance, for example, salt water always migrates to fresh water, dry air attracts moist, heat migrates to the cold, we can slow these processes but never stop them.

My point is this, if you put a dehumidifier in a van it will lower the humidity below the outside air humidity, therefore it will attract more moisture to replace what has been removed.. unless of course the van was hermetically sealed, even then nature will overcome..

 

[camcondor]

I think that more to the point is that if you put heating in the bus whilst its cold outside there is likley to be a lot more humidty/damp than if it was left alone all together

Am I right ?

Jim

Jim, I think that the presence of DRY heat, as with oil / fan / convection / panel heaters, in a small space like a van, has the effect of drying out any humidity in that small space - furnishings, foam etc all hold varying amounts of water naturally and a low, dry heat will reduce the water content (which is quite natural) and make it feel less cold and clammy. Heaters can dry out the environment they are used in to the point where people were advised to keep a bowl of water in a room when heating is turned up high, with adequate ventilation, of course, otherwise condensation would be a problem potentially.

 

[Road Runner]

I have 2 x 500 watt panel heaters fitted front and rear of the bus but no longer have hook up (but a blinding storage pitch) :thumb: thank you Eileen:loveyou:

My first two days of use with heating on while living in the bus is a pain in the ar$e condensation wiseoh:

 

[Wildman]

Can someone give a scientific reason why using a heater keeps damp away.
Damp in a van comes from occupants and cooking, not from outside, unless you have a leak, a cold van doesn't attract damp air, where is this alleged damp coming from?

Before fulltiming our RV stood all winter without heating and was never damp.

The damp comes from the circulating moist air or is your van totally air tight, I know tools rust well in my unheated workshop but not in a heated one.

 

[Stephen & Jeannie]

just use it every so often ! ! ! this avoids flat spots on the wheels and the hinges on the grog locker don't seize up, plus you are not in the house worrying about what is happening in the MH ! or do what i do and live in it !!! :thumb:

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[Jaws]

Couple of things ..If you have a petrol engined vehicle you should put some stabilizer in the tank and go for a couple of mile run, just to stir it in and get a bit in the injectors/carbs.
Modern petrols go 'off' quite quickly.. A stabilizer in it will prevent gumming and help the poor old thing start at the begining of the season.

It is also worth either unhooking the battery completely or investing in a cheapo small solar panel and leaving that hooked up all the time. ( If you remove the battery do not stand it on concrete, no one knows why but it def adversly affects the things.. stand it on a bit of wood )

Last thing ( promise ) If you are lucky enough to have big sturdy drop down legs, get the motor partially up on them to take a fair old percentage ( if not all ) of the weight.
Having your tyres sitting in one position for several months is NOT the way to ensure long and reliable service from them !


Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

You could do as we do and use it all year round ! After all, you have paid for all that lovely insulation and warm air blowers etc, why not use them !

 

[Decmac]

Winterisation

Couple of things ..If you have a petrol engined vehicle you should put some stabilizer in the tank and go for a couple of mile run, just to stir it in and get a bit in the injectors/carbs.
Modern petrols go 'off' quite quickly.. A stabilizer in it will prevent gumming and help the poor old thing start at the begining of the season.

It is also worth either unhooking the battery completely or investing in a cheapo small solar panel and leaving that hooked up all the time. ( If you remove the battery do not stand it on concrete, no one knows why but it def adversly affects the things.. stand it on a bit of wood )

Last thing ( promise ) If you are lucky enough to have big sturdy drop down legs, get the motor partially up on them to take a fair old percentage ( if not all ) of the weight.
Having your tyres sitting in one position for several months is NOT the way to ensure long and reliable service from them !


Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

You could do as we do and use it all year round ! After all, you have paid for all that lovely insulation and warm air blowers etc, why not use them !

If your van runs on diesel I have been told to fill it up to the brim before winter to stop condensation (water) getting into the tank, I suppose it is a kind of seal for the tank. Good idea to take out mattress(es) also (store inside the house) where there is better heat. Also if parked up on your driveway, take off the handbrake (provided it is safe to do so without rolling away) because there is a possibility of it seizing up - truck driver with a lot of years driving gave me this tip.

 

[WillH]

The reason vans get damp when left unheated is because of the temperature differential that may exist from time to time during cold weather. As the outside temperature rises during the day, the van, being relatively well insulated, warms up much more slowly. Thus the moisture in the air inside can condense on all cooler surfaces.

For many years I have used a small tubular loft heater, 400w, to ensure the temperature iside the van is more than the temperature outside. Running costs are minimal when compared to the reapirs that may be required or the funny smell that apperars in the springtime.

Rgds
Bill

 

[badger1]

Over winter heating

I too use a couple of the tubular type mains heaters ,one 80 watt and one 120 watt.
When I first got them I thought they would not be a lot of good,ie not much better than a couple of light bulbs, however the difference they make to the internal temperature of the van can readily be felt ,even in the coldest weather.
Result no condensation anywhere that I can determine, they are cheap to buy and cheap to run and need no looking after! They are fitted with brackets which I have screwed to plywood bases just to keep them off the plastic flooring. I ran a household size dehumidifier in it all one winter but came to the conclusion I was pulling most of the moisture in through the vents , also quite expensive to run as it never seemed to switch off. Regards Badger1:thumb: