Using your motorhome through the winter

[Jim]

All the magazines this month run the same tired old articles about storing your van safely over winter. But we know so many of you use your van all year. So what do you do and where do you go between Bonfire night and Easter? City breaks, skiiing, chasing the sun, tell us and show us. See if I can make a nice article from your stories. Thanks.

 

[emjaiuk]

Off to Setthorns in the New Forest next week, been using them in winter since our caravanning days, for the best part of 40+ years. First trip when we changed from RV to European camper was Honfleur for New Years Eve, still remember the floating Xmas decorations in the harbour.

 

[Southdowners]

We’re in northern Norway at the moment in -16c daytime temps. We were in Sweden a week or so ago where the temperature in Sweden went down to -22c

We’ve had a few issues. The first was the water pump freezing... I wrote about it on the forum the other day. Concorde have been informed and will make alterations to the heating route to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Yesterday we had another issue... we couldn’t get the flap on the fuel filling cap open as it was frozen solid. We also couldn’t get the LPG locker door open. We poured copious amounts of hot water on them but ended up loosing the barrel of the lock in the fuel flap. We managed to get the lpg flap open after half an hour or so.

All the outside lockers and the garage have locks with flap type opening mechanisms. You insert key, turn then open using the flap. The fuel and lpg have the different opening mechanisms that you turn the key and the inner piece pops out, you then rotate to open. In these temperatures they just didn’t work. In future we won’t lock them.

 

[Jim]

We’re in northern Norway at the moment in -16c daytime temps. We were in Sweden a week or so ago where the temperature in Sweden went down to -22c

We’ve had a few issues. The first was the water pump freezing... I wrote about it on the forum the other day. Concorde have been informed and will make alterations to the heating route to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Yesterday we had another issue... we couldn’t get the flap on the fuel filling cap open as it was frozen solid. We also couldn’t get the LPG locker door open. We poured copious amounts of hot water on them but ended up loosing the barrel of the lock in the fuel flap. We managed to get the lpg flap open after half an hour or so.

All the outside lockers and the garage have locks with flap type opening mechanisms. You insert key, turn then open using the flap. The fuel and lpg have the different opening mechanisms that you turn the key and the inner piece pops out, you then rotate to open. In these temperatures they just didn’t work. In future we won’t lock them.

Got any photos?

 

[Southdowners]

Of the flaps? No. We were far too busy trying to get them open. General photos... hundreds!

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[LesW]

Not much planned here, but we going to Oxford for a couple of nights next month for the Christmas Market.

 

[Gellyneck]

Just back last week from D&G.
Got some stuff on at home over next few weeks and then off to Scottish Borders for a week or so.

 

[596]

I’m going to Wales to explore the beautiful winter scenery and wonderful people ?. No stopping me in winter, I’m welcome in UK sites as I don’t have a continental O/S opening has door van or tag axle, winterisation is for pussys ??

Regards,

Ex pussy

 

[denisejoe]

Haven't done it for a few years but we used to go over to Normandy every year from just before Christmas until just after New Year. We always managed to find water and often EHU on the aires which we stayed on. Only once did we find an aire where we couldn't get water but that wasn't because the water was switched off but because it was frozen!

Think I'd quite like to do it again if I can get Joe to agree.

Denise

 

[Southdowners]

Got any photos?

Yep.... here's one

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[Southdowners]

Don't know why more than one came through... but you get the idea!

 

[canopus]

Why dont you edit the other two pics out?

 

[Ivory55]

I don’t think it’s just the weather in the winter, your employment status or work load etc plays in to it as well. Or like Xmas you have that legal obligation to spend time with family.

 

[Lanerboy]

Let's have a couple more pics please looks amazing

 

[Southdowners]

Why dont you edit the other two pics out?

Why, does it bother you?

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[Southdowners]

Let's have a couple more pics please looks amazing

I'll post some later if folk want to see them. Here's a couple of fellow travellers

 

[irnbru]

We are being FLTs at El Grao Castellon De La Plana
We even had the mayor around chatting to us , some aren’t happy though.

 

[Gellyneck]

We are being FLTs at El Grao Castellon De La Plana

Sun's melting the tarmac at home today! Well, the sky's cloudless blue!

 

[PhilMary]

I just carry on doing the same, away Mon. 'till Fri. anywhere I can ride my bike but I do try to locate new places. After Christmas I'll head off back to across the Channel.
Phil

 

[cliffanger]

We usually go away for a week before Christmas.

We’ve done the Lake District, staying at the C+C C site at Keswick, walking every day, which was lovely.

We’ve toured Devon and Cornwall, where we moved every day, stopping in official stopovers. The weather was glorious and the empty beaches superb.

Kent and Sussex. A week visiting Canterbury, Dungeness, Whitstable, Broadstairs, Rye, and towns and villages in between was brilliant.

Not doing the week away this year though - it’s Off To Beni again for the latter part of the winter this year!

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[irnbru]

Well, the sky's cloudless blue!

And minus 2

 

[Gellyneck]

And minus 2

Yi wurrni meant tae know that bit!

 

[Kim H]

We use ours all year round. We’re setting off soon for the Cotswolds and then Cornwall. We always like to be away for New Year too. Last year, we had a New Years Day dip in the sea at Luce Bay Scotland, bracing but wonderful ?

 

[chenderson1965]

I'll post some later if folk want to see them. Here's a couple of fellow travellers

View attachment 344659

YES PLEASE! Wonderful pics. Making me think about a trip next Sept/Oct (not sure we're up for -20!).

 

[Coolcats]

All the magazines this month run the same tired old articles about storing your van safely over winter. But we know so many of you use your van all year. So what do you do and where do you go between Bonfire night and Easter? City breaks, skiiing, chasing the sun, tell us and show us. See if I can make a nice article from your stories. Thanks.

Jim and all

I have posted this pair of full timers a couple of times, they have some great video's and a facebook page, sometimes fixing issues or discussing what has gone wrong they have a Adria PVC so I think it is a reasonable resource for those who haven't come across them before

Vantastic

We are a couple living in a van full time and travelling trough Europe. We mainly do wild camping. We have a self sufficient van with solar panels and everyt...

www.youtube.com

Vantastic

Vantastic. 2,542 likes · 3 talking about this. We live in a van full time, so we get to take our tiny home with us wherever we go!

www.facebook.com

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[Southdowners]

Got any photos?

This photo shows where the two offending flaps were. If you look below the line of the underfloor lockers you'll see two other lockers, one with dirty diesel marks below it. Those are the gas and fuel lockers.

 

[Jim]

Any pics of motorhomes being used in snow and ice would be great

 

[MajesticBee]

Off to Longleat for out first stop over, looking forward to it.

 

[Southdowners]

We have loads Jim. What sort of 'being used' do you want? I can give hints and tips too if folk would be interested. We've found that there's a whole different way of travel when in very low temperatures.

 

[scotzsue]

We do use the van, but not as much, in the winter, mostly a couple of days at a time meeting up with friends, all of whom we met when motorhoming abroad spend new year, weather permitting, at a friends cl. biggest bugbear is the deisel heating, it uses so much power on startup and even the fan seems to drain the battery(ies). could use the genny when not on hook up, but the noise annoys me so don't think any neighbours would be too happy.
Also hav a Doblo, no heating brr but am contemplating using it next week if i can find a site with electric closer than 45 miles to where i want to visit.

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