W hy not cam p in w in ter?T h e U K su m m er can be brief an d u n predictable to rely on th e su m m er m on th s for captu rin gT h e U K su m m er can be brief an d u n predictable to rely on th e su m m er m on th s for captu rin g

great ou tdoor experien ces. M odern caravan s an d m otorh om es h ave good h eatin g an d in su lationgreat ou tdoor experien ces. M odern caravan s an d m otorh om es h ave good h eatin g an d in su lation

system s so w h y n ot exten d you r cam pin g year in to th e w in ter m on th s? It also m akes sen se to pu tsystem s so w h y n ot exten d you r cam pin g year in to th e w in ter m on th s? It also m akes sen se to pu t

you r expen sive asset to good u se rath er th an h avin g it sittin g in a storage com pou n d.you r expen sive asset to good u se rath er th an h avin g it sittin g in a storage com pou n d.

Ge t more fre e he lp and advice w hen you jo in the C lub .

T he basicsThe tw o e s s ent ia ls fo r w inte r camping a re to be ab le to keep w a rm and fo r your w a te r s upp ly and dra inage no t

to fre e ze up. Even w ith the la te s t h igh ly-spe cif ie d and w e l l-insu la ted un it you can e xpe rie nce prob lems if you

do no t ta ke s ome s im p le pre caut ions . Th is da ta s hee t s how s how to dea l w ith the se and o the r po tent ia l

p rob lems o f w inte r camping.

Fre sh w a te r supply

Exte rna l w a te r tanks a re a t ris k from fre e z ing in w inte r e ven w hen w e ll insu la ted , un le s s you can provide w ith a

hea t s ource . A ba s ic re qu irement fo r us e o f an Aqua ro l l o r o the r e xte rna l po rtab le w a te r tank in the depths o f

w inte r is an insu la ted ja cke t tha t a ls o cove rs the vu lne rab le in le t p ipe to the ca ravan.

D ATA SH EET#18 W inter to u ring in carav ans and#18 W inter to u ring in carav ans andm o to rh o m esm o to rh o m es

#18

A n in s u lat io n jacket may help p ro tect yo u r waters upp ly fro m the fro s t

D rain ing to a bucket can help keep yo u r was te tank fro mfreez ing up . It ’s eas y to d is po s e o f fro z en was te fro m a bucket

U s ing such a ja cke t fo r tempe ra ture s clo s e to z e ro degree s

Ce ls ius (0C) is he lp fu l but le ft ove rn ight w ith tempe ra ture s

w e ll be low ze ro you a re l ike ly to f ind the contents a t le a s t

pa rt ia l ly fro zen. O nce fro zen, no rma l dayt ime w inte r

tempe ra ture s may mean your w a te r s upp ly ta ke s an

ino rd ina te t ime to thaw . Hence it is be s t to ensure your

exte rna l tank is d ra ined during the co lde s t pe riods , s uch a s

ove rn ight w hen sub-ze ro tempe ra ture s a re fo re ca s t . W hile a

dra ined e xte rna l tank shou ld come to no ha rm w hen le ft

outs ide , your s ubme rs ib le pump shou ld be brought ins ide a s

it may re ta in s ome w a te r in the pump body and be a t ris k o f

fro s t damage .

A sma ll conta ine r o f w a te r can be kept ins ide ove rn ight fo r

e s s ent ia l us age l ike making a cup o f te a f irs t th ing in the

morn ing . I f you regu la rly ca ravan in s ub-ze ro tempe ra ture s , it

is w o rth cons ide ring f it t ing a w inte r kit s uch a s the T ruma U lt ra f low . Th is enab le s an U lt ra f low exte rna l w a te r

in le t to be b lanked o ff and the in le t to be t rans fe rred to an inte rna l w a l l . Thus you cou ld f it the w a te r in le t on

the ba throom w a ll w ith an Aqua ro l l lo ca ted in the s how e r.

Exte rna l unde rs lung tanks on moto rhomes shou ld be w e l l insu la ted and the re a re a fte r-ma rke t products

ava i la b le to a ch ie ve th is w he re no t o rig ina l ly s pe cif ie d . 12V e le ct rica l tank hea te rs a re a ls o ava i la b le tha t

shou ld ensure the w a te r is ma inta ined a t a tempe ra ture above fre e z ing po int ove r longe r pe riods . Such hea te rs

may f la t ten your le is ure ba t te ry i f le ft on fo r long pe riods s o they a re be s t us ed w hen you have an e le ct ric

hook-up.

Some un it s come w ith an automa t ic fro s t cont ro l va lve in p la ce o f the s imp le manua l d ra in va lve to pro te ct

your ho t w a te r bo i le r in co ld w ea the r. Th is va lve ope ra te s a t about 4C, w hen it dumps the contents o f your

w a te r bo i le r and usua l ly the contents o f your w a te r tank a s w e l l . A lthough th is p rovide s fro s t p ro te ct ion to your

expens ive w a te r bo i le r i f you fo rge t to dra in dow n a fte r a w inte r out ing , it is annoying to lo s e your w a te r

supp ly w hile you a re o ccupying your un it . W ith e a rl ie r automa t ic fro s t cont ro l va lve s and current one s w ith an

e le ct rica l conne ct ion to the bo i le r, keep ing the ho t w a te r bo i le r sw itched on a t it s low es t s e t t ing s hou ld

prevent dumping. Fo r current va lve s w ithout a w ired hea t ing e lement , keep the bo i le r on to pro te ct the bo i le r

and ensure the re is s uff icie nt hea t ing in the lo cke r w he re the va lve is s itua ted to pre vent dumping.

W a ste w a te r syste m

Ma inta in ing your fre sh w a te r s upp ly is impo rtant but you w il l s t i l l have a prob lem if the w as te w a te r s ys tem

free ze s . O nce in an e xte rna l tank, g iven cons is tent fre e z ing tempe ra ture s , w as te w a te r w i l l e ventua l ly fre e ze

de sp ite good tank insu la t ion and you w il l be unab le to dra in the tank.

Fo r mo to rhomes it is be t te r to le ave the w as te

dra in va lve open and dra in d ire ct in to a bucke t

w he re the fro zen w as te can be dea lt w ith be more

eas i ly. Sim ila rly w ith a ca ravan, us e a bucke t ra the r

than ris k having your W as temas te r o r s im ila r tank

fre e z ing up.

Mo to rhome exte rna l w as te tanks can be insu la ted

and hea te rs provided - a s w ith the fre sh w a te r tank

- but a ls o w ith the provis o o f need ing a good

e le ct rica l pow e r s upp ly to be pra ct ica l.

P ipe tha t run to the w as te out le t o r tank a re a ls o

vu lne rab le to fre e z ing i f they a re no t s e t w ith a

good grad ient fo r the ir fu l l le ngth. Typ ica l ly a p ipe w il l be routed unde r o r ove r an obs t ruct ion l ike an axle and

w a te r w i l l l inge r and be l ia b le to fre e ze , e ven w ith p ipe insu la t ion. I f your un it is vu lne rab le to th is t ry pouring

a sma ll amount o f s a lt w a te r s o lut ion dow n the dra in be fo re go ing to bed. Sa lt w a te r ha s a low e r fre e z ing

tempe ra ture than fre sh w a te r and th is may keep the p ipe fre e . A lte rna t ive ly, i f th is be comes a re a l p rob lem it

can be w o rth f it t ing an e xt ra dra in out le t in the prob lem le ngth o f p ipe .

O n ly p ro pane gas (red cylinders ) w ill carry o n wo rkingwh ile w in ter camp ing

K eeping w arm

Bottle d ga s

It is e s s ent ia l to no te o f the tw o type s o f bo t t le d LPG

(l iqu id pe t ro le um gas ) ava i la b le , on ly propane w il l ke ep

provid ing ga s a t tempe ra ture s clo s e to and be low 0C.

LPG needs hea t to “bo i l” to produce ga s and w hile

butane cea se s ga s s ing o ff a s the tempe ra ture

approa che s z e ro , p ropane w il l cont inue to ga s o ff dow n

to -40C.

S afety F irstIt is a ls o impo rtant to remembe r the po tent ia l o f ga s app l iance s to cause ha rm w hen you a re

concent ra t ing on m in im is ing the in f lux o f co ld a ir in to your un it . So remembe r:

The fa cto ry ins ta l le d drop-out vents in the f loo r a t the ba ck o f app l iance s a re e s s ent ia l s a fe ty fe a ture s

in the ca se o f a ga s le ak.

U se o f a ga s oven and hob use s up oxygen and can cre a te ca rbon monoxide s o open ing a w indow o r

roo f l ight w hen cooking is e s s ent ia l. Neve r us e a ga s hob a s an add it iona l s ource o f hea t ing .

In a mode rn ca ravan a l l ga s app l iance s , o the r than the cooke r, w i l l have

ba lanced f lue s o r s ys tems tha t p rovide an e xte rna l a ir in take and a ls o vent the

w as te ga se s e xte rna l ly. The se intake s and e xhaus ts s hou ld be che cked to

ensure they do no t be come b lo cked w ith s now .

A ca rbon monoxide a la rm is h igh ly re commended.

Ensure your un it ha s an annua l s e rvice w ith an Approved W orkshop, w hich w il l

include a che ck on the s a fe ty o f your ga s s ys tem by a qua l i f ie d te chn ician.

If you a re us ing ga s fo r hea t ing and the re fo re us ing a lo t o f ga s , you may be tempted to cons ide r the use o f

la rge r-than-no rma l cyl inde rs . A lthough th is is a more e conom ica l w ay o f buying ga s , the pre fe rred s iz e from the

sa fe ty a spe ct is to us e cyl inde rs tha t f it in to your un it ’s ga s lo cke r. The C lub ha s a po l icy on the use o f

e xte rna l ga s cyl inde rs , w hich may be found on the C lub w ebs ite . Remembe r w hen moving to and from s ite

a lw ays ensure ga s cyl inde rs a re t ranspo rted s e cure ly in an upright pos it ion and the va lve s a re s hut o ff fo r

t rave l.

E le ctric hook-up

Staying on a s ite w ith an e le ct ric hook-up can be ve ry use fu l in w inte r to he lp conse rve your ga s s upp ly and

ma inta in your ba t te ry pow e r, but the re a re l im ita t ions to hook-ups . Idea l ly, fo r w inte r us e you shou ld look fo r a

16A hook-up s o you can use your hea te r and s ome anci l la ry equ ipment . A 2kW hea te r w i l l us e jus t ove r ha lf o f

th is capacity s o be cle a r w ha t your o the r app l iance s consume to avo id t ripp ing your un it s ys tem o r, e ven

w orse , the s upp ly bo l la rd . Re fe r to Da ta Shee t E le ct ricity fo r Campe rs and Ca ravanne rs to che ck the no t iona l

pow e r requ irements o f typ ica l ca ravan and moto rhome app l iance s . Che ck w ith the camps ite manage r how

se cure the s upp ly is during busy, ve ry co ld s pe l ls . Some t imes you w il l be a s ked to go e a sy on your us e o f

e le ct rica l pow e r to pre vent ove rload ing o f the camps ite s ys tem a t peak pe riods .

Spa ce he a ting

The type o f hea t ing s ys tem w il l make a b ig d iffe rence to how com fo rtab le you a re . A s ing le s pa ce hea te r

w ithout any d is t ribut ion s ys tem can le ad to co ld a re a s w ith in the un it .

A un it bu ilt to G rade 3 in s u lat io n s tandardis likely to be s u ited to w in ter camp ing

C o ndens at io n o n amo to rho me w indcreen canbe an is s ue

A hea t ing s ys tem w he re hea t is d is t ributed by b low n a ir o r circu la t ing ho t w a te r s hou ld g ive grea te r com fo rt

and he lp e l im ina te co ld s po ts tha t a re l ia b le to cause a rea s o f condensa t ion. The dow ns ide o f b low n a ir o r

circu la t ing ho t w a te r s ys tems is the e le ct rica l pow e r need to ope ra te them , w hich w il l dep le te your ba t te ry ove r

t ime if you a re no t on a hook-up.

If go ing out fo r the day it is o fte n be t te r fo r e conomy and com fo rt to keep your hea t ing on a t a low s e t t ing

ra the r than sw itch o ff on ly to put it on a t fu l l b la s t on your re turn. I f you do no t have a low w a t tage e le ct ric

hea te r bu i lt in to your un it o r the rmos ta t ic cont ro ls it may be w o rth taking a sma ll o i l-f i l le d e le ct ric rad ia to r tha t

can be s a fe ly le ft on to keep the un it re a sonab ly w a rm and above fre e z ing w hile you a re out in the day o r

during the n ight .

Some o f the la te s t ca ravans come w ith hea t ing cont ro ls tha t can be ad jus ted remote ly via a mob ile phone ,

w hich can he lp grea t ly i f p lann ing a day out .

T he right unit a nd insula tion

From about 1999 mos t ca ravans and coa chbui lt mo to rhomes have

been cons t ructed to a grad ing s ys tem se t by European Standa rd . I f

you intend to cam p in w inte r che ck the un it you a re buying complie s

w ith Grade 3 insu la t ion to EN1645 (ca ravans ) o r EN1646

(moto rhomes ) s tanda rd . O lde r un it s w e re la rge ly bu i lt to Grade 2

insu la t ion s tanda rd . Grade 3 insu la t ion doe s no t mean you w il l no t

e xpe rie nce prob lems in w inte r, but it doe s mean it w i l l be e a s ie r to

ma inta in the w a te r s upp ly and ea s ie r (and gene ra l ly cheape r) to keep

w a rm .

O ften manufa cture rs w il l a ls o s ta te the ir p roduct is fu l ly w inte ris ed

and ind ica te the l ike s o f tanks and w a te r p ipe s a re insu la ted . The

te rm w inte ris ed is no t a s t rict s pe cif ica t ion s o a s k fo r de ta i ls o f w ha t

is included. Fo r co ld w ea the r camping, an on boa rd fre sh w a te r tank

is idea l to ensure a fro s t -fre e w a te r s upp ly, fo r e xample .

The va s t ma jo rity o f ca ravans and moto rhomes have doub le -g la zed

acryl ic w indow s , w hich provide a good degree o f insu la t ion a lthough

some condensa t ion w il l fo rm on them unde r s e ve re cond it ions . The

acryl ic us ed in the se w indow s e xh ib it s hydros cop ic p rope rt ie s , w hich means unde r ce rta in cond it ions mo is t a ir

w i l l pa s s through the ma te ria l. Hence w hen the a ir ins ide is w a rm and mo is t and cond it ions outs ide a re co ld

(typ ica l w inte r cond it ions ), mo is t a ir is l ike ly to be t rapped be tw een the g la zed pane s and appea r a s m is t ing .

In t ime g iven s ome w a rm sunsh ine on the w indow the m is t ing s hou ld d is appea r.

Mo to rhomes o ften have the draw back o f having a la rge s ing le g la zed w inds cre en

and s ide cab w indow s , w hich have the po tent ia l to lo s e a grea t dea l o f hea t . It is

the re fo re a good idea to insu la te th is g la s s a re a .

A n in s u lated co ver fo r the cabwinds creen can help keep a

mo to rho me s nug , ex ternal types ho wn

Pro p rietary fridge w in ter co vers reduce co ld d rafts wh ile main tain inges s en t ial ven t ilat io n

Insu la ted s cre ens can be re ad i ly purchased to f it mos t s tanda rd cabs o r

can be made to m easure . Tw o type s a re ava i la b le , those tha t f it

in te rna l ly and those f it t ing e xte rna l ly. Inte rna l f i t te d s cre ens a re

conven ient to f it and e a sy to pa ck aw ay in a cle an dry cond it ion, w he rea s

exte rna l s cre ens can be come d irty and w e t in us e and s o more o f a

prob lem to s tow aw ay. How eve r, loose ly f it t ing inte rna l s cre ens w hile

keep ing in much w a rm th, can a l low w a rm a ir to re a ch the ins ide fa ce o f

the co ld g la s s , w hich w il l re su lt in cons ide rab le fo rma t ion o f

condensa t ion. Exte rna l s cre ens s hou ld f it s nug ly a round the w ho le o f the

g la s s and w ith in te rna l hea t ing on the g la s s w il l be come re la t ive ly w a rm ,

re su lt ing in condensa t ion. Campe rvans have prob lems o f the ir ow n,

s ome t imes w ith s ing le -g la zed s ide w indow s in add it ion to the cab g la z ing

and e ven fabric ra is ed tops . Insu la t ion s cre ens fo r s uch un it s may no t be

read i ly a va i la b le but insu la t ion ma te ria ls can be obta ined fo r DIY

provis ion.

An a lte rna t ive to insu la t ion s cre ens fo r w indow s is a good qua l ity th ick

curta in to cut o ff the cab a rea from the moto rhome hab ita t ion a rea , w hich

w il l a ls o reduce the vo lume to be hea ted . Curta ins w ith the rma l l in ings

can a ls o be a good add it iona l me thod used in conjunct ion w ith doub le -

g la zed w indow s in a l l un it s .

V en tilation and safetyIn o rde r to ma inta in w a rm th do no t look to s hut o ff a l l fo rms o f vent i la t ion, e spe cia l ly vents provided fo r s a fe ty

rea sons . The fa cto ry ins ta l le d drop out vents mus t neve r be cove red - s e e the Sa fe ty f irs t s e ct ion. The fridge

vents can be re s t ricte d in w inte r (tempe ra ture s be low 8C) w ith the use o f w inte r vent cove rs from the fridge

manufa cture r tha t re s t rict the fre e f low o f coo l ing a ir but pe rm it unre s t ricte d vent ing o f e xhaus t ga se s .

W he re peop le a re lo ca ted in a confined

space , e spe cia l ly w he re w ash ing and cooking

is ta king p la ce , you a re go ing to have a la rge

amount o f mo is ture ge t t ing into the

a tmosphe re . The re is on ly s o much mo is ture

a vo lume o f a ir can ho ld and w he re the re a re

co ld s urfa ce s condensa t ion w il l o ccur.

C onde nsa tion

This can cause a bu i ld -up o f damp making

the un it unp le a sant to us e but a ls o cause

de te rio ra t ion to the fabric o f the ca ravan o r

moto rhome . Good vent i la t ion and hea t ing is

the be s t w ay to avo id condensa t ion

be com ing a prob lem . The use o f a conta ine r o f abso rbent crys ta ls is no t the answ e r fo r w hen the ca ravan is in

use be cause o f the la rge quant ity o f mo is ture gene ra ted and the vents . Y ou w ould s imp ly be t rying to ta ke the

w a te r out o f the am bient a ir. The ba throom and kit chen a re ma jo r gene ra to rs o f mo is t a ir and the use o f an

ext ra cto r fan in those lo ca t ions s hou ld he lp .

U n it s bu i lt in a cco rdance w ith European s tanda rds EN1645 and EN1646 w il l include a s e t amount o f f ixed

vent i la t ion e ven w hen a l l w indow s and doo rs a re clo s ed, but th is is no t s uff icie nt w hen no rma l cooking and

w ash ing a ct ivit ie s a re be ing ca rrie d out .

Condensa t ion can be a prob lem fo r ma t t re s s e s a s the body g ive s out mo is ture w hen s le ep ing . Th is is w hy mos t

s ea t ing and s le ep ing a rea s have s la t te d ba se s and vent i la t ion boa rds w he re they touch the e xte rna l w a l ls to

a l low the circu la t ion o f a ir.

S o me caravans and mo to rho mes have bo ard s top ro vide ven t ilat io n between the wall and s eat ing

In w inte r w hen the ca ravan w a lls a re co ld and the unde rs ide o f

the ma t t re s s fa ce s an unhea ted lo cke r the re is a dange r o f

condensa t ion and then mould fo rm ing on the fabric. To he lp

prevent th is , pu l l the foam aw ay from the w a l ls and l i ft i t up to

a l low w a rm a ir to circu la te unde rnea th during the day. Some

units have vent boa rds to keep foam aw ay from the s ide s o f

the un it and vents in to bed lo cke rs to a l low w a rm a ir to

circu la te . I f your ma t t re s s s uffe rs bad ly from unde rs ide

condensa t ion it can be w o rth us ing a vent i la t ion ma t .

A w n ingsAw nings a re a us e fu l w ay to he lp keep w a rm and snug during w inte r. It is be s t to us e a heavy duty aw ning.

Manufa cture rs s uch a s Is abe l la and Do rema produce su itab le products cla s s ed a s w inte r o r a l l-s e a son aw nings .

In mos t ca se s , w inte r aw nings a re po rch aw nings , but w ith heavy duty fabrics and s t rong po le s . They a ls o need

to have re la t ive ly s te ep p it ched roo fs to he lp s now s l ide o ff. Add it iona l po le s to re in fo rce the roo f can be

use fu l a long w ith s t rong pegg ing po ints and guy rope s to w iths tand w ha teve r w inte r w ea the r is e ncounte red .

Some manufa cture rs can supp ly an aw ning roo f l in ing to he lp reduce roo f condensa t ion. Fo r furthe r in fo rma t ion

on aw nings s ee our Da ta Shee t numbe r 7 .

The aw ning need on ly be a sma ll one to enab le w e t muddy boo ts and coa ts to be le ft out to dry w ithout

int roducing more m o is ture than ne ce s sa ry into the ca ravan o r mo to rhome . As long a s it cove rs the hab ita t ion

doo r it s hou ld a ls o pre vent too much hea t lo s s w hen ente ring and e xit ing . Be ing sma ll means it is e a s ie r to

pack up and then ea s ie r to be ab le to s pread out on your re turn home if i t had to be pa cked up w hile w e t .

Neve r be tempted to us e a ba rbeque in your aw ning due to the h igh ris k o f ca rbon monoxide po is on ing .

C assette to iletsThe ma te ria ls from w hich a ca s s e t te to i le t is manufa ctured a re s a fe to us e in tempe ra ture s w e l l be low

fre e z ing . How eve r, the w a te r and add it ive s needed fo r us e in the to i le t a re l ia b le to fre e ze . The t fo rd to i le t

w as te tank add it ive s and rins e a ids have a fre e z ing po int s im ila r to tha t o f w a te r and hence shou ld be s to red

ins ide i f pos s ib le . The use o f Aqua Kem sa che ts o r s im ila r d ry products s hou ld e l im ina te conce rns fo r fre e z ing

during s to rage . To m in im is e the ris k o f fre e z ing any o f the to i le t l iqu ids once d i lu ted and in us e , make sure the

w ashroom ge ts it s fa ir s ha re o f hea t ing .

Look after your battery pow erIf you do no t have a ma ins hook-up you need to conse rve your l im ite d ba t te ry pow e r. W ith many s oph is t ica ted

fo rms o f hea t ing , no e le ct rica l pow e r means no hea t ing . The e xcept ions to th is a re the T ruma S range o f ga s

space hea te rs tha t do no t re qu ire e le ct rica l pow e r un le s s you w is h to ope ra te them w ith a b low n-a ir fa ci l i t y.

A s o la r pane l can he lp , a lthough ove rca s t w inte r s kie s and sho rt w inte r days can mean the output from a la rge

fixed pane l is re duced to a t rickle . A good s iz e po rtab le s o la r pane l cou ld be used to s upp lement the f ixed

pane l and t ra ck the s un w il l be more e ffe ct ive . It is impo rtant to ensure you have a good qua l ity ba t te ry tha t is

fu l ly cha rged be fo re your out ing . Remembe r, us ing a ca ravan move r to move your ca ravan w il l us e up a

cons ide rab le amount o f your ba t te ry’s re s e rve s , w hich is un l ike ly to be topped up enough by the ca r's

a lte rna to r. Co ld tem pe ra ture s a ls o s low dow n the re a ct ions in the ba t te ry’s chem is t ry and re su lt in a reduct ion

in ba t te ry capacity.

W in ter tyres s ho wing the th ree peaks ands no wflake s ymbo l can imp ro ve s afety in w in ter bu tM+S o r all- s eas o n tyres can help

Fo r longe r s tays w ithout a hook-up, cons ide r us ing a gene ra to r o r s e cond le is ure ba t te ry. Gene ra to rs s hou ld be

chosen fo r the ir ab i l i ty to produce smoo th pow e r tha t w i l l no t g ive ris e to s p ike s in vo ltage tha t cou ld damage

your e le ct rica l s ys tem o r app l iance s . Ensure the e xhaus t from a gene ra to r is d ire cted aw ay from the ca ravan o r

moto rhome (and o the r un it s ) to avo id the ingre s s o f ca rbon monoxide and neve r us e ins ide an enclo s ed a rea . I f

f i t t ing a s e cond ba t te ry, e nsure it is the s ame type , capacity and s im ila r age to the e xis t ing ba t te ry. A ls o

cons ide r tha t the e xt ra w e ight w i l l come out o f your us e r payload. O bta in advice rega rd ing the co rre ct w iring

and provis ion o f fus e s to keep your s ys tem sa fe . Inco rre ct ly w ired 12V s ys tems can cause f ire s .

T yres in w in terSa fe ty on the road include s having good w e l l-ma inta ined tyre s f it te d to your un it and tow ca r and th is is neve r

more important than w hen t rave l l ing on w e t o r icy roads . Idea l ly during w inte r months , typ ica l ly Novembe r to

Ma rch, your mo to rhom e and tow ca r s hou ld be f it te d w ith w inte r tyre s . The se tyre s a re made from a rubbe r

compound de s igned to avo id ha rden ing a s tempe ra ture s fa l l be low 7C and s o provide be t te r g rip on the road in

w inte r.

A l l-s e a son tyre s a re a comprom is e be tw een ‘s ummer’ (s tanda rd tyre s ) and ‘w inte r’ tyre s . They o ffe r h ighe r grip

le ve ls during the w a rme r months than w inte r tyre s and be t te r g rip than summer tyre s in the w inte r months .

O ften the se a l l-s e a son tyre s w il l be ma rked w ith an M+ S (mud and snow ) s ymbo l ind ica t ing they provide h ighe r

t ra ct ion on s o ft g round and me lt ing s now than s tanda rd s ummer tyre t re ad pa t te rns .

W ha teve r the tyre s f it te d , tyre e xpe rts re commend a

m in imum o f 4mm depth o f t re ad fo r w inte r mo to ring and

ce rta in ly no le s s than 3mm, e ven though the le ga l m in im um

lim it is 1.6mm. If a lte rna t ive tyre s a re f it te d , a l l tyre s on the

veh icle s hou ld be changed.

In the U K mos t roads a re kept pa s sab le and re la t ive ly fre e o f

s now and ice during w inte r months , but in pa rts o f Europe

th is is no t a lw ays the ca se . In ce rta in count rie s the re a re

manda to ry requ irements fo r the use o f s now cha ins o r w inte r

tyre s and e ven a m in imum lega l t re ad depth beyond the

no rma l le ga l m in imum. The se requ irements va ry w ith count ry

and t ime o f yea r s o che ck w ith the moto ring o rgan is a t ions fo r

de ta i ls be fo re t rave l l ing . In pa rt icu la r no te s ome count rie s w il l a ccept a tyre ma rked w ith a M+ S s ymbo l a s a

w inte r tyre , o the rs w il l a ccept a w inte r tyre on ly i f i t s how s the s ymbo l o f a s now f la ke and thre e peaks on the

tyre s idew a ll, ind ica t ing it mee ts a s pe cif ic le ve l o f pe rfo rmance in w inte r cond it ions .

Che ck your tyre pre s sure s and tyre t re ad depth be fo re s ta rt ing out . Cons ide r ins ta l l ing a Tyre P re s sure

Monito ring Sys tem (TPMS) to he lp you monito r tyre pre s sure and tempe ra ture .

G rip mats and a s ho vel canp ro o f invaluab le

Campers en jo ying a s o me o f w in ter s un w ith the C lub

G eneral touring tipsHave your veh icle s e rviced regu la rly – w inte r cond it ions can s oon show up any w eakne s s in a veh icle

Ensure your veh icle eng ine coo l ing s ys tem conta ins the co rre ct amount o f ant i-fre e ze

Increa se the concent ra t ion o f w inds cre en w ashe r s o lut ion to pre vent fre e z ing and ca rry a w inds cre en

s crape r and de -ice r

Che ck your tyre pre s sure s and tyre t re ad depth be fo re s ta rt ing out . Cons ide r ins ta l l ing a Tyre P re s sure

Monito ring Sys tem (TPMS) to he lp you monito r tyre pre s sure and tempe ra ture

Ensure you have suff icie nt fue l

Include an em e rgency kit w hen touring to include a w a rm b lanke t , to rch, food and drink ra t ions in ca se

o f be ing s t randed on the road. Include a mob ile phone and cha rge r

So ft w e t ground o r s now can s oon ma roon a veh icle s o include a grip ma t

and shove l

W he re pos s ib le s e le ct a s ite w ith ha rds tand ing o r re in fo rced gra s s

p it che s

Take e xt ra ca re and t ime on the journey to a l low fo r bad w ea the r and

keep ing your s peed right dow n w hen the tempe ra ture drops to nea r

fre e z ing

P lan your journey and s e le ct ma jo r route s w he reve r pos s ib le w hen snow and ice a re fo re ca s t . Che ck

t ra ff ic upda te s and take a map fo r unp lanned d ive rs ions

Be fo re s e t t ing o ff fo r home , dra in o ff your fre sh and w as te w a te r s ys tem s to ensure your un it is no t

vu lne rab le to fro s t damage w hen le ft in s to rage

Do cons ide r having adequa te breakdow n and re cove ry s e rvice s tha t a re s u itab le fo r your ca ravan o r

moto rhome .

A nd finally I f th is da ta s hee t ha s no t encouraged you to venture

out in the depths o f w inte r che ck out the C lub ’s W inte r

Sun brochure and jo in many C lub membe rs w inte ring in

s outhe rn Spa in and Po rtuga l. By taking the fe rry to

Santande r in no rthe rn Spa in you on ly need ris k one co ld

n ight in m id Spa in be fo re you re a ch a w a rme r cl ima te .

If you ha ve fe e dba ck on our ne w forma t Da ta she e t,

p le a se le t us know , using our short Fe e dba ck Form.

W eb :W eb : The AA

Prov ide r o f w int e r driv ing adv ic e

Tel:Te l: N/A

W eb :W eb : RAC

Prov ide r o f w int e r driv ing adv ic e

Tel:Te l: N/A

W eb :W eb : Cont inenta l Tyre s

W int e r t y re adv ic e

Tel:Te l: N/A

W eb :W eb : Tra ff ic Eng land

M ajor road ne tw ork t ra f f ic info rmat ion fo r England

Tel:Te l: N/A

W eb :W eb : Tra ff ic Sco t land

M ajor road ne tw ork t ra f f ic info rmat ion fo r S c o t land

Tel:Te l: N/A

W eb :W eb : Tra ff ic W a tch N I

M ajor road ne tw ork t ra f f ic info rmat ion fo r Nort hen Ire land

G lo ssaryG lo ssary

LP GLP G

Liquid Pe t ro leum Gas, a gas so ld in c y linde rs unde r h igh pressure in liquid fo rm. A t norma l t empera t ures a t t he t op o f t he c y linde r t he

liquid t urns int o a gas a t h igh pressure . On pass ing t hrough a regula t o r t h is bec omes suit ab le fo r gas applianc es .

Butan eButan e

A fo rm o f LPG t ha t is idea l fo r use w hen c amping in w armer w ea t he r. A s t he ambient t empera t ure approac hes ze ro degrees Ce ls ius

(C) but ane c eases t o gas o f f . If t empera t ures a re expec t ed t o reac h 4 degrees C o r low e r propane should be used. Ca lo r, t he

la rgest gas bo t t led gas supplie r in t he UK, supplie s but ane in b lue c y linde rs .

LP G tan kLP G tan k

Some motorhomes do no t have a gas loc ke r fo r re f illab le o r exc hangeable c y linde rs , but have a t ank loc a t ed unde r t he vehic le t ha t

is f illed w it h Aut ogas a t a fue lling s t a t ion v ia a f ille r c ap on t he s ide o f t he vehic le body . A lso c ommonly know n as a bulk t ank.

AutogasAutogas

Aut ogas is t he c ommon name fo r lique f ied pe t ro leum gas (LPG) as so ld as a fue l fo r c a rs . It is usua lly a mixt ure o f propane and

but ane but is gene ra lly suit ab le fo r use in w int e r fo r c a ravan and mot orhome applianc es .

P ropan eP ropan e

A fo rm o f LPG t ha t is idea l fo r use in c oo le r t empera t ures and e ssent ia l w hen c amping a t t empera t ures a t o r be low 4 degrees C .

P ropane c ont inues t o gas o f f dow n t o –40 degress C . P ropane is c ommonly supplied in c y linde rs t ha t have some red c o loured f in ish.

EN 1 64 5 an d EN 1 64 6 in sulation stan dards for c aravan s an d m otorh om esEN 1 64 5 an d EN 1 64 6 in sulation stan dards for c aravan s an d m otorh om es

Grade 2 ra t ing require s a leve l o f insula t ion t ha t , used in c onjunc t ion w it h t he ins t a lled hea t ing sy s t em, a llow s an int e rio r

t empera t ure o f 20 degrees C t o be ma int a ined w hen it is 0 Degrees C out s ide .

C arbon m on oxideC arbon m on oxide

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a c o lourle ss , odourle ss , t a s t e le ss , po isonous gas produc ed by inc omple t e burning o f c a rbon- based fue ls ,

inc lud ing gas , o il, w ood and c oa l. Y ou c annot see it , t a s t e it o r sme ll it but CO c an kill quic kly w it hout w arning. F urt he r info rmat ion

c an be found a t w w w .myc c c .c o .uk/c osa fe t y

C o ntactsC o ntacts

Tel:Te l: N/A

W eb :W eb : Tra ff ic W a le s

M ajor road ne tw ork t ra f f ic info rmat ion fo r W a le s

Tel:Te l: N/A

W eb :W eb : Vent i la t ion Ma t

A mac hine w ashable , ant i funga l, f le xib le vent ila t ion laye r t o c ombat t he e f fe c t s o f c ondensa t ion. Use unde rmat t re ss o r behind bac k re s t c ushions . 200c ms w ide . F ire re t a rdant t o BS EN 1021- 1 : 1994

Tel:Te l: 02392 588 588

W eb :W eb : Van Com fo rt insu la t ing s cre ens

Insula t ing sc reens fo r c ampervans and mot orhomes

Tel:Te l: N/A

W eb :W eb : CAK Tanks

Insula t ing sc reens and DIY mat e ria l fo r c ampervans and mot orhomes

Tel:Te l: N/A

W eb :W eb : RoadP ro the rma l s cre ens

Pro t ec t iv e c ove rs fo r engine c ompartment s , w hee ls , sky light s , w indow s and mirro rs he lp t o pro t e c t yourvehic le from t he e lement s and, aga in, insula t e t he int e rio r aga ins t ext remes o f hea t and c o ld.

Tel:Te l: 01327 312233

W eb :W eb : The Camping and Ca ravanning C lub

T he Camping and Ca ravanning C lub Greenf ie lds House W estw ood W ay Covent ry CV4 8JH

Tel:Te l: 024 7647 5448