Spring Clean your caravan in readiness for your first outing
After our dreadful Summer and the amount of rain experienced this Winter most people will be thinking of when they can escape to some sunshine. whether your dream destination is in this Country or abroad you will firstly need to ensure your caravan or motorhome is the best condition for your holiday.
Get ready for your first outing with these handy hints.
It's a good recommendation to book your caravan or motorhome in for a service, this may highlight any problems which could get worse without proper attention. If your first outing is in the South West you could take your van to Mullacott Caravans in Ilfracombe,where you will find experienced staff an working in an approved workshop. Most services only take a day so you could plan it into your holiday. Find them at www.mullacottcaravans.co.uk
Meanwhile in planning for the service why don't you give your unit a thorough clean, inside and out?
Caravan Exterior
Unless your caravan has been stored inside or has benefitted from a good cover, you should give it a general clean to remove general dirt which has collected through the winter.
Cleaning the exterior you will need:
1. A non-abrasive caravan shampoo such as
Fenwicks Caravan Cleaner or
Fenwicks Motorhome Cleaner if you have a motorhome.
2. A large sponge
3. A Bucket with lots of hot water
4. Long handled brush such as
a Heavy Duty Extending Wash Brush will make life a lot easier.
5. Some Polish such as
Fenwicks Bobby Dazzler which provides a protective coating and enhances shine.
7. Step ladder (for the roof)
8. Small soft bristle brush for cleaning awning channel
9. Window cleaner such
Dometic Plastic Window Cleaning Kit plus a clean soft cloth.
Check:
1. Road lights - make sure these are operational, it's a good idea to have a set of spare bulbs.
2. Tow hitch, always grease the hitch overrun mechanism and handbrake assembly.
3. Look for signs of damage or corrosion with the 13 pin or 12N/12S 7 pin sockets.
4. Tyres- jack the caravan up and look for signs of cracking on both outside and inside of tyre, especially if the caravan has been sitting unmoved all winter. Check tyre pressures are correct.
Caravan Interior
1. Test your battery- use a multimeter such as a
Digital Multimeter or a voltmeter to check the state of charge.
2. Gas bottle, weigh your gas bottle to make sure you have suffiecient supply.
3. Thoroughly flush the water system, then clean with proprietary steriliser such as
Puriclean, remember,never use domestic bleach in the water system.
4. Check the hob/grill and oven burners of the cooker, the flame should be a steady blue. The cooker should always be checked during a full service, but if you have concerns report them to the workshop.
5. Your fridge should also be checked during a full service but if it is running on gas check the flame (same as above). Any concerns report to the workshop when booking in your van for its service.
6. Interior lights - check for blown bulbs.
7. Clean the toilet with a toilet bowl clea
