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Things to do before storing your caravan

All good things come to an end, they say, even for some of the hardiest and most seasoned caravanners. As Autumn rolls around once again, it’s that time of year to think about putting your beloved trailer into temporary storage during the coming winter months.

Like most things, of course, just a little forethought and preparation can go a long way in finding the best solution when it comes to storing your caravan – and the following considerations might prove important:

Choosing your storage site

  • probably your first decision is just where you plan to store your caravan;
  • the Caravan and Motorhome Club suggests that your options boil down to two essential possibilities – storing your caravan on the driveway at home (if permitted), or paying for its storage elsewhere;
  • your choice may be influenced not only by the price of storage but, more critically, by the security offered by the respective options;

Security

  • keeping your caravan secure whilst it is in storage is clearly a concern for your insurers;
  • one of the biggest disadvantages in keeping your caravan on the driveway at home, for example, is the ever-present risk of theft – a posting by the company Tracker on the 3rd of June 2021, revealed that at least £1 million worth of caravans and motorhomes was stolen in 2020 and the upward trend continues;
  • you might also want to check whether any covenants or local bylaws restrict the storage of a caravan on your property;
  • whether you choose home or a purpose-made storage site, you will want to establish whether your present caravan insurer is going to continue to extend comprehensive cover whilst the caravan is at your chosen storage site;
  • Caravan Storage Site Owners’ Association (CaSSOA) registered storage sites – of which there are around 450 or more situated across the UK – are specially graded according to the level of security, access, facilities, and the effective measures in place to prevent theft and vandalism;
  • the heightened level of security offered by a CaSSOA storage site allows us here at Cover4Caravans to offer a significant discount (from 5% up to 20%) on annual touring caravan insurance premiums for owners who make use of such secure storage facilities;
  • a further level of security is achieved by ensuring your caravan has a valid “logbook”, confirming your ownership and the trailer’s history, by formally registering it under the Caravan Registration and Identification Scheme (CRiS);

Preparing your caravan for storage

  • your aim, of course, is to ensure that your caravan remains in peak condition during storage so that it is all ready to take to the road again come the Spring;
  • since fire remains one of the major risks of destruction of your caravan, even, or especially, when it is over-wintering in storage, the Camping and Caravanning Club recommends that you disconnect all its gas cylinders, remove them from your trailer, and store them in a separate place;
  • to guard against the serious damage that might be caused to water systems during freezing weather, you need to thoroughly drain both drinking, waste, and heating systems of any water – paying particular attention to drying out all fittings, valves, and taps, by blowing hot air from your vacuum cleaner through the pipes;
  • mould is one of the worst enemies of any caravan owner, especially when the trailer is not in use for any length of time – make certain, therefore, to let the interior continue to breathe by keeping open all air vents and removing any soft furnishings that might be especially vulnerable to the damp;
  • as a further aid to ventilation, leave open all cupboard and storage locker doors – remembering of course also to empty the fridge;
  • strategically placed saucers of bicarbonate of soda may also help to absorb damp-laden air inside your caravan;
  • it might still be the Autumn, but a thorough Spring clean at this time of the year may help to ensure that your caravan is neat, tidy, clean, and ready to go when the new season begins;
  • before eventually taking it out of storage and hitching up your tourer for the new season, remember that you have a legal responsibility for ensuring that it is fully roadworthy – with particular regard to the brakes, lights, and running gear;
  • this and other essential maintenance tasks might best be carried out by an approved workshop recognised by the Caravan and Motorhome Club, the Camping and Caravanning Club, and the NCC;
  • the same workshop might also inspect and check other essential items such as water, gas, electrical, gas, water, and heating systems.

Preparation is the key to putting your touring caravan into storage for the Winter. Choose your storage site carefully and pay particular attention to the level of security offered by the site you have chosen. Ensure that adequate touring caravan insurance remains in place – taking advantage of those discounts that might be available – perform a range of simple precautions to protect your caravan during the winter, and arrange an annual maintenance service before you hitch up and take to the roads again in the Spring.