Table of Contents
10 Winter Caravanning Tips
1. Check The Site Is Open
Before you even set off on your trip, you will want to ensure caravan park is open. In the colder winter months, many sites may remain closed as it simply isn’t profitable for them to remain open during the quieter season.
2. Keeping Warm
Whether you use an electric, halogen or ceramic method of heating up the caravan, it’s advised that you keep it on a constant temperature. Although tempting to blast it at full heat, caravans become hot very fast and it may get to the point where the heat is unbearable and you will have to open some windows.
3. Warm Bed Clothing and Bedding
An obvious tip but something that many people forget to pack is of course warm clothing and bedding. Unlike your home, caravans are a lot thinner, which can make the caravan feel much colder during the night. However, as long as you have some comfortable bed clothing and a thicker duvet, you shouldn’t feel the cold.
4. Install an Awning
Installing a caravan awning is not only a great way to create additional space within your caravan but it also comes with two other benefits that’s ideal for winter caravanning. The first is that it provides an area to keep all of your wet clothing and muddy boots. The other benefit is that it helps to stop some of the heat escaping the caravan as you open the door.
5. Avoid Soft Ground
In the winter, the ground may be soft, which can cause the caravan to sink slightly into the ground. In order to prevent this from happening, it’s advised that you take some plywood with you to keep the caravan firm on the ground when parked.
6. Increase Ventilation
During the colder and wetter winter months, damp in caravans can cause havoc and you will want to try your best to reduce any condensation. We strongly recommend leaving a window on a latch if possible to avoid it.
7. Entertaining Yourself in Your Caravan
If the weather is absolutely horrendous, you may not want to leave your caravan. If that’s the case, you will want to ensure that you can entertain yourself with plenty of board games or even a 12V caravan TV. Depending upon how good your leisure battery is, you may also have access to a whole range of other electrical devices to keep you entertained.
8. Fresh Supply of Water
Depending upon how cold it gets, you will want to ensure that you have a fresh supply of water. This is due to the fact that the taps and water pipes could potentially become frozen and may take a while to defrost depending on the weather.
9. Insulate Pipes
Along with the potential for the water supply to become frozen, other pipes such as the waste can become frozen too. To help prevent this, it’s advised to insulate any pipes with soft padding and also add salt to the wastewater container.
10. Install Thermal Blinds or Curtains
Blinds or curtains are fairly easy to switch for summer and winter caravanning and it’s recommended to switch depending on the weather. Installing thick curtains or thermal blinds can block the cold coming in as well as stopping heat leaving.
Conclusion
Winter caravanning is very popular among keen caravanners and although you have to remember quite a lot, it’s still a great break. Many people even prefer caravanning in the winter due to the fact that its quieter too. If it’s your first time winter caravanning, our ten tips above should help you enjoy it regardless of what the British winter weather brings.