Aidan's tip of the week

Yes, 15 year warranty on Gaslow Stainless Steel Hoses.

I have found this forum to be very helpful. As my contribution to it, see below all of the tips provided by Aidan to date (many thanks to Aidan for them all). For easy reference, I have put things roughly in alphabetical order, with an index at the start.

AIDAN’S “TIPS OF THE WEEK”

12v Electrics
‘A’-Class Campers Windows
A-Class Windscreens – Insurance Cover
Awnings
Battery In Engine
Beam Benders For Headlights (Ducatos ’95-’01)
Bike Racks
Blinds
Brakes
Cleaning Camper Vans
Damp Testing
Digital Multi-Tester
Fridge
Gas
Gas Bottle Connections / Gas Pipes
Keep The Campervan Plugged In?
Led Bulbs
Leisure Battery
Lubrication
Mirrors
Opening ‘Stuck’ Windows, Roof Lights
Resealing Tip
Screw Replacement
Sealant
Security Locks
Service Spanner Indicator On ’03-’07 Ducato
Shelving The ‘Garage’ Area At Rear Of Campers
Spare Wheel
Thetford Cassette Toilet
Toilet Doors
Truma Combi Heater / Boilers
Tyres
Tyre Pressures
Vents
Waste Water
Water Pipes
Weight Testing
Winter Time
Wiper Arms


12V ELECTRICS

Do you know where the camper gets its main 12v feed from the battery? On Ducatos pre-2002 it's usually beside the engine battery, from 03-06 under the passenger seat. This should be a fused link, often 2 separate one, one for the charging, one for the fridge 12v. Well worth looking at, and making sure that they're not corroded, melted, or loose. They carry large amounts of current, often enough to overheat, and melt the plastic around them.

‘A’-CLASS CAMPERS WINDOWS

A Class owners.... especially those on Fiat Chassis, you probably find ithard to keep the windows clear from condensation ? Wipe off the heavy fogging, then buff over the glass with a cloth that has been dampened withome shampoo. Leave to dry, then buff out the streaks. It'll repel condensation for about a week.

A-CLASS WINDSCREENS – INSURANCE COVER

A-class owners, check the fine print on your insurance re replacing broken windscreens! We had to do 2 this year, they had to come from the camper manufacturers... At outlandish prices, and apparently some insurance companies will only pay out a maximum value which may be less than the cost of the new 'screen.

AWNINGS

Most of you have Awnings on your 'vans? I usually seal them to the side of the camper body, with ordinary cheapo Silicone Mastic. NOTE : This is only along the top edge, you MUST use proper sealer e.g. Sikaflex/Wurth etc on the actual Awning brackets!!

There are proprietary awning seals, which are a strip of rubber, I prefer to use the mastic as it gives a little extra strength to the Awning mount to the body, which helps prevent the awning getting bent in windy conditions.

The main reason for sealing however, is that the water off the roof won't flow down between the awning and the 'van sidewall, making it easier to keep the area under the Awning clean.

BATTERY IN ENGINE

The ‘03 on Ducatos engine battery is quite snug where it's fitted. The inside (positive) connection can be a right nuisance, Fiat have a plastic piece in the centre of it which can stop it tightening properly, whilst still looking as if its fine. First thing to check on a 'van that randomly doesn't start, or the clock goes to 00:00 on after starting. Also under the battery, about 1o inches down, on top of the chassis leg, is the main earth connection,this can get corroded.

BEAM BENDERS FOR HEADLIGHTS (DUCATOS ’95-’01)

For those of you with lhd Ducato vans of 95-01 vintage, with frosted glass headlamps, this may help when fitting beam benders.





BIKE RACKS

A couple of people have asked me about 4 rail bike racks the few weeks. Put simply, yes they are available, yes the fit on the very same as the 2 or 3 rail ones...... But... And it's a significant But, it's not recommended in the industry any more. There were far too many warranty claims for leaking brackets and damaged walls! So much so that 4 rail racks were taken off the option list of some MH manufacturers.

I know it's a problem if there are for example 2 adults and 2 kids who all want bikes, the understanding seems to be that at least one bike is to be carried on the roof or inside. Not always ideal, unfortunately.

BLINDS

Seitz style blinds getting sticky ? Get a tin of WD40, attach the straw and direct a spray into the corners of the frame. if you can get the blind to move up and down a bit, the WD40 works its way into the recoil, and 7 times out of 10 frees it up to normal.

BRAKES

Brakes on MHs in general seem to be terribly neglected. If you can safely do it, remove all the wheels, one at a time, and flush the brake fluid through till clear clean fluid comes through. Also with the bleed nipples open, push the pistons back in the brake callipers and ensure they are sliding freely.

If you aren't happy to tackle that, insist your mechanic does, even if he reckons they look ok. It'll only take 30 mins to an hour and helps prevent long term brake problems.

CLEANING CAMPER VANS


General
Most motorhomes I see are pretty clean, but still there's the few dirty ones out there. Crud, and mud, and sediment, if not shifted, builds up in the seams, seals and joints of the MH. Over time, this turns to a mossy type of growth, and can actually push the seams apart. And in winter, it holds moisture in the joint, which when it freezes expands even further, and rapidly makes the problem worse.

Regular cleaning, with a good Car-Wash type brush will prevent this. On the roof, where it can be worst, something a bit stiffer, like a sweeping brush, might be better. And don't let anyone tell you you can't use a Power Washer... You Can, as long as you exercise a bit of common sense.
Don't direct the high pressure spray into the edges of windows, vents, seams etc.

A bit of car-wash shampoo helps soften grime, or the likes of Fenwickes Caravan cleaner, or my own personal favourite, Traffic Film Remover (from the likes of Concept).

And god forbid, if there is a dodgy seal or leak lurking secretly, if you wash the camper regularly, chances are you'll find it! Sure it's a nuisance, but better to find it and get it fixed than to leave it lurking, and quietly destroying the timberwork...

After the effort, your 'van will look better, and keep the smile on your face.

Polishing
Some of the braver, more dedicated souls here polish their campers, not just the cab, but the "house" and all. It's a tough job, time consuming,but by Gosh the results are worth it. The camper will be a lot easier to wash, and will stay clean for longer, and if you use a good Wax, it'll help protect it. Take a lazy week to do it, take the cab one evening, the rear another day, and half a side yet another day still. And any good quality Car polish will do, like CleanCar.ie's Chemical Boys, AutoGlym, Sonax even Turtle Wax.
Also, get some rubbing compound, I favour Farecla G3 or G6, to remove scratches or particularly dull paint.

You can perfectly safely use both rubbing coumpound and Car polish on the Plastic windows, and it freshens up the look of an older motorhome massively. I do it regularly.

Cleaning small areas
Got an old toothbrush? they make for a perfect tool for cleaning out the little "dirt gathering" ridge at the top of where the window frame meets the MH side. Time and time again I see nice clean campers with crud and/or greenery embedded there, as a lot of people are afraid to power wash the MH. If that stuff is left there, over time it'll swell the joint, allowing water past the seal. And then you've a leaky window... leading to damage to the wall, soft timber etc.
Little bit of sudsy water and the toothbrush, and it'll pick it out without harming anything.

Faded or dull looking Side windows?
Get some rubbing compound and some car polish, and exercise those elbows! The plastic in the windows dull over time from repeated washing etc., you can treat it like a bonnet, and compound them, and polish them back to a nice clean scratch free shine. Really lifts the appearance of an older 'van.

Use dishwasher rinse aid to avoid lime marks
The last few days I've pretty much been washing campers non stop, in preparation for our annual Open Days. I found if you put a little dishwasher Rinse Aid into the water, that you don't get lime marks on the MH when it dries.

Clean the fridge seal
Clean the seal of your fridge. 6 simple words... But honestly, it's an area that seems forgotten on the majority of MHs I see. Even ones that are otherwise spotless. The ridges in the seal hold grime like you wouldn't believe. It has to be a bacteria infestation breeding ground! And in extreme instances, it stops the seal, well, sealing, leading to the fridge not working properly.

Bumpers / Mirrors
A lot of the slightly older Ducatos and VWs, and indeed Mercedes have a fairly large black plastic bumper.... Which by now is probably getting well faded. Also the mirrors and door handles. There are various oils/gels/sprays to shine them up, but a heat-gun or good hairdryer gently passed over them, keeping steady movements will bring the oils back to the surface. Leaving the black plastic looking new and shiney for a few more years.

Flies
If you have the camper parked up for a few days on account of the weather... Arm yourself with the Vapona or similar and go out and open the doors and windows. I see from ours in the sales yard that the feckin flies are starting to nest in the rubbers. dirty feckers..

DAMP TESTING

My tip for today is more of a plea.... Get your MH damp tested every year! We've seen a scary amount of them with damp/leaks/rot this year. All ones bought privately, or in, shall we say less scrupulous establishments. Right up to only a few years old.

Damp. The demon. The end of most MHs that get retired. Guys and dolls, we are probably turning away half what's offered to us as trade-ins, ( and we are very low on secondhands, so really are keen to trade ), purely because of really bad damp/rot. These last few years haven't been kind to MHs, there's stuff leaking that in "normal" times, should never leak. I know I've said this already, but top to bottom, front to back, You REALLY need to get a proper damp check done yearly.

DIGITAL MULTI-TESTER

Everyone serious about camping, and who likes to do a bit of maintenance, needs one of these http://www.amazon.co.uk/SkyTronic-Co...7571121&sr=8-2
helps you check if your battery is charging or has a drain, power points are working, and if fuses or bulbs are blown. I use mine every single working day.

All you ever need 99% of the time is the 20v DC setting, the 500v AC setting, and the Continuity check, and the very odd time, the 10amp dc setting.

FRIDGE


Camper fridge – the basics:

A few basics about camper/caravan fridges.

Firstly, I'm talking about the typical 3-way fridge, usually made by Dometic (formerly Electrolux). Regardless whether it's a separate fridge and freezer, or one with a freezer box in the top of the fridge, there's only ONE cooling unit in the back of the fridge. This cools the fridge whether you're on gas, battery or mains. So if your fridge is working on ANY of those, the cooling unit is ok. If however there's warm air coming from the top outer vent and the fridge doesn't get cold on any of them, it's fecked.

Also because there's only one cooling unit, it's not possible for the fridge to work without the freezer, or vice versa. If you think this is happening it usually means the fridge is not working to full strength.

There are 2 separate heating elements for the electrical end, one for battery, one for mains. These fail occasionally. Sometimes this will lead to a tripped trip-switch or continually blowing fuse.

The gas end should NOT be used whilst driving unless you're really badly stuck... The air blows into the flue and can make the flame cut out and re-ignite repeatedly, leading to the burner sooting up. Often this leads also to a horrible sickly sweet smell from the fridge.

The fridge should be serviced pretty much every year, it's not hard to do and isn't expensive. The gas end can get choked with rust and stop working properly. I keep a selection of jets for them as sometimes I find they might need a different one from standard to run best.

Also, if you do strip the burner, never try modify the jet, never re use one that didn't fall out easily either.

The red switch that switches on the 12volt fails sometimes too, as All the current to the battery element goes through the switch.

Hope that helps ye understand the humble fridge a little better, we'll leave automatic energy selecting ones for another day....

Don’t leave the fridge on for extended periods
Camping fridges don't like to be left idle for extended periods, so even if you're not taking out the Camper, try turn on the fridge for a couple of hours every 2 or 3 weeks. Otherwise the refrigerant gas can "settle" in the cooling unit and lose effectiveness.


Fridge vents
Fridge vents... I see a good few people with the vents covered up with the white plastic piece shown in the picture

That is a winter/extreme cold use only item, used if your fridge ices up even at lower settings. If you use it in "normal" circumstances, it overworks the cooling unit.


Fridge on gas while driving
Question................why do people drive with the fridge running on gas? that's what the 12v is for!! Driving with the gas burning causes the chimney of the fridge to soot up. However, the Truma combi heater is designed to run even while driving.

Personally I don't recommend it, not for the sake of the heater but from the point of the view of safety, I don't like having the gas bottle on while driving.

Loose fridges
Had to service a good few fridges on MHs we didn't originally sell, and have noticed an awful lot of them are loose! In the typical Dometic/Electrolux fridge most people have, there are 4 white plastic caps, just inside the door seal, they pop off with a knife or small flat screwdriver. Inside those are usually Philips headed screws, no harm to give them a check. Remember, every 3 way fridge has a rigid gas pipe attached to it, and that’s not something you want shaking in and out all the time.

Smells when fridge operating on gas
If your fridge isn't working well on gas, and in particular if you get a nasty, almost cloyingly sweet smell around it or from the vents, your flue is choked with carbon. This is common on fridges left on gas while driving, and also on modern fridges with separate freezers. The burner and flue need to be stripped, cleaned, and the jet cleaned or replaced. Beware, for Dometic/Electrolux fridges, there are 3 different jets!

Also, if its a home build, or one you've had to remove the fridge from, the rear of the fridge should be sealed from the inside of the van, and there should be a vent or two in the floor, near the burner.

Recall on certain fridges
Folks, not a lot of people are aware of the fact that Dometic/Electrolux issued a recall on the larger fridges, the ones with the separate freezer compartment. Basically the bottom of the cooling unit wasn't properly mounted, and could break, eventually leading to fracturing of a gas pipe in the worst case. I've done dozens and dozens here, and at the time we contacted all our own customers, but I still see fridges coming in without the mod kit. You'll know if yours was done if you clip off the lower vent and see either 2 black brackets holding the tube of the cooling unit, or 1 black bracket and 2 silver ones.

http://www.dometic.com/frbe/Europe/B...l-Information/


GAS

Gas bottle connections:
Gas today... Anyone with screw on connections to the gas bottle, if it's a Threaded nut with a rubber seal/washer in it, it should be only a little more than hand-tight. Put away that vise-grips! Over tightening damages the seal, causes it to break up. Also, check your flexible pipe, if you're lucky enough to have a "normal" Kosangas type regulator, a lot of people have pipes that are perished and cracked, and don't realise it. The standard flexi pipe you get in the hardware is supposed to be changed every few years. It's normally dated.

GAS BOTTLE CONNECTIONS / GAS PIPES


I see a good few people who travel abroad are using screw on fittings to the gas bottles, instead of the old Irish Clip on type. 2 things to note... if you have a pipe that is a goes-on-to, i.e. has a nut with threads inside, make sure to check the rubber seal inside the end is ok, I see a lot either cracked and perished, or missing altogether! The other thing is these fittings aren't supposed to be spanner-tight! Hand tight, plus a little more is plenty good enough, I use a pliers or a plastic spanner to nip them up.

If you have a pipe that is a goes-in-to, ie has external threads, and usual a cone shaped end that fits into the fitting on the gas bottle, these types SHOULD be spanner tight, as there is no rubber seal.

In both types, a quick spray of Windolene or similar around the joints will soon show a leak. If you see constant bubbles, that's Gas leaking!

Folks, We all use gas in the MHS, big and small, and while currently there's no testing of the gas install, there’s no point in having gas leaking! I see a lot of MHs with one of 2 problems, either perished hoses from the bottle top regulator to the wall, or on the newer types with wall mounted regulators, the sealing washers torn or perished.

That is using systems like this..
http://www.vanplusdirect.co.uk/WebRo...OPTION_BUT.jpg
the washers get crushed, and torn when over tightened. These nuts only need a nip of a pliers.

It's no harm to give the hoses a spray of Windolene or similar bubbley stuff every now and then.

Check your flexible gas pipe in the gas locker folks. They're supposed to be changed every 5 years. It's a cheap and simple job. Also lots of people line the bottom of lockers with mats. If so, ensure they're not blocking the lower vent(s).

KEEP THE CAMPERVAN PLUGGED IN?

A lot of customers tell me they leave the Camper plugged into main at home permanently, between trips away. The thinking being that it keeps the battery topped up, and the fridge cold, maybe also a little Dimplex type heater turned on to keep it aired out. Good idea you'd think? No, it seems.
From what I've seen, even though the charging system should tail off to a tiny charge, all batteries prefer to go through cycles of charging and discharging. Whereas constantly charging, even at a trickle, will eventually cook the battery cells. I've seen it with Dry Cell, Calcium, Gel, Acid, Leisure and ordinary types, none of them seem to like it. They'd be fine for a few months, maybe a year, then they seem to deteriorate.

Also, fridges..... I've discussed it with the tech guys in Dometic/Electrolux, and Thetford, and they say Motorhome fridges aren't designed to be left on permanently. Sure they'll work, but the life span of them is a lot less than a typical household fridge. So being on constantly means they may last only a few years, rather than a decade.

What we find works fine is to plug in the camper for a day or two a week, it's plenty to keep a healthy battery charged, and to keep a fridge in good working order. Also in these times of income worries, you'll lower your ESB bill a wee bit.

If you do like to keep a heater working over the winter, see if you can disable the charger, or else run an extension lead through the window for it.

Hope that is useful to ye.

LED BULBS

Folks, LED bulbs are getting more prevalent in MHs, to help prolong battery life, and are safer too due to the lack of heat they put out. Now a lot of MHs, especially ones over 10 yrs old use Fluorescent tubes, ye may not be aware that these are the same as the ones which are sold in normal hardware shops in town. I just tip into town for them, AFAIK they are commonly used in shaving lamps and under counter lighting in Kitchens.

Now, only recently I spotted these.... http://www.lightrabbit.ie/tube-lights-led.html

I know I'll be getting myself a few!

LEISURE BATTERY

Folks, a lot of MHs with a few years on them are needing new leisure batteries. If you're not replacing with an identical one, check that there's not a switch on the charging box, to select a different rate of charge for dry vs wet cell batteries.

LUBRICATION

Aerosol tins of spray grease are your best friend! Gear linkages on Ducatos, all the moving parts of the awnings, the electric Step, the wiper linkages, the bonnet hinges and latch.....anything that moves, a shot of grease makes all the difference. Regularly giving any of them a quick spray, means they all work freely. It's especially noticeable on the Ducato gear linkages, on the '88-'94s and the '03-to current models.

Even a press catch, or toilet catch with the top and bottom clips too. If you find the grease is "dirty", a smear of Vaseline.

MIRRORS

Check your mirrors folks, more and more I'm seeing the hinge seized on them, I manipulate them in and out at the arm once a year now and douse the joint with WD40 or similar.

OPENING ‘STUCK’ WINDOWS, ROOF LIGHTS

Question:
Seals in my roof vent/light need loosening, I’m afraid to open them in case I tear the rubber, how would you recommend sorting this out please Aidan...............
Charles
Answer:
Gently! Is it a Heki? If so, spray with Silicone Spray, and gently tweak them laterally with your finger.

RESEALING TIP

If you ever have to replace and reseal a window or skylight or vent, after stripping off the old sealer, regardless what you use, "key" in the surface with some sandpaper, something like 400 grit.

SCREW REPLACEMENT

Any time you take a screw out of your camper, for a vent, a clip or bracket, always replace it with a Stainless steel one, and a little bit of sealer on the threads.

Any time you take a screw out of the body of the camper, to replace something or to fit an extra, always use Stainless steel screws. Ordinary ones, even galvanised ones, will rust, rot, and let in water.

SEALANT

Don't EVER use silicone to seal anything on a camper. It’s just not good enough. I use Wurth Bond 'n Seal, it's never failed me. Or if I'm out of it, Sikalex 221 or 710, dependant on application.

SECURITY LOCKS

Folks, a lot of MHs have security locks on the House door, like this one..http://www.fiammastore.com/Fiamma-Se...-Security-Lock, I've seen a few to loosen on the pivot bolt. So when you're turning it, always turn them clockwise.

SERVICE SPANNER INDICATOR ON ’03-’07 DUCATO

A lot of ye are driving the '03 - '07 shape Ducatos yeah? And most I see coming in have the service indicator Spanner showing.. To cancel this, turn on the key, with the total mileage showing on the odomoeter, press and hold the mileage reset button.... and hold it...and hold it... and hold it......til you see CFG 1, 2 or 3 flashing. press the mileage button til CFG 2 shows up, then press and hold the mileage button til the total mileage comes back again.

SHELVING THE ‘GARAGE’ AREA AT REAR OF CAMPERS

The rear garage/storage layout of MH has gotten hugely popular, possibly/probably more popular than the famous rear lounge type. We shelved the front and rear walls of the "garage" on a few, simply and basic-ly done using light timber like skirting board. You’d be amazed how much more space it frees up, and how much easier it is to find stuff!#

SPARE WHEEL

Check your spare wheel folks, not just the obvious stuff like the pressure, and any cracks or perishing, but also the carrier that holds it. If it’s one you have to wind down, do so, and grease it, I've had to fire up the gas torch to some to free them out. And you don't want to be doing that, stranded on the (wrong) side of the motorway. In the hissing rain. At night. And the batteries dying in your torch. And the wife giving out. And the kids hungry......

THETFORD CASSETTE TOILET


The flap in the normal Thetford cassette tolet, as you all know it sometimes gets a little sticky from limescale and other less salubrious stuff.... Thetford do a proper lubricant spray for it, which we sell a good bit of, but if you're stuck, try a little warm cooking oil.

(Silicone oil spray is the generic name for the Thetford lubricant. It would be available from Maplin and the like if you cannot find the Thetford specific product. The non-branded form may well be cheaper too. The toilet blade is just one of the possible uses of this in a motorhome or caravan.)

TOILET DOORS

On toilet doors, I often see the catch to get tight, especially after the winter hibernation, or damp weather. The door swells, and the tongue of the catch "bottoms" out, normally you need to either adjust the door sideways on the hinge, or trim the frame to move the receiver farther from the lock.

TRUMA COMBI HEATER / BOILERS


Heater not working strongly?
Truma heating system not seeming to work as good as it used to? The strength of the warm air not as strong out of the vents as it had been?

Have a look-see around the bottom of the Heater/Boiler, the pipes dusting the air out around the camper regularly pop off, they're normally just pushed into place with no mechanical fixing.

Running certain combi boiler / heater
If you've a Truma Combi, you shouldn't run the heating for more than 10 mins if it has the square, dark brown switch panel (C3400, C6000). If it is the newer type (C343, C603), with the light grey switch panel, you can run the heating without water, but I would still prefer to have some in it, personally.
Once again, this is only for the Combi boiler/heater!!

Backfiring / popping noise
The newer Truma combination heater/boilers, they don't really like butane, and as a result sometimes when they ignite, they kind of "backfire" and let a few pops. This often blows off one or two of the heating pipes. So If your heater is humming away like always, maybe even a little louder than normal, but the heating 'round the 'van seems weak, check that all the pipes are pushed in. They generally just click into place, some MHs glue them in, most are just a press fit.

Temperature sensors
Most of ye have Truma heaters in your motorhomes, right? They generally have one of these remote room temperature sensors fitted, often in the furniture over the door or beside the switch panel. The centre of it pops off, and you should wipe it out with a fine cloth or a wee blast of air. Keeps the thermostat more "honest".

The 2 holes shown here at the bottom, one has a red cable sitting in it, they are 2 of the 4 heater outlets. That's just the 220v supply cable left sitting there, it's on this heater as it has a 220v water heater.

TYRES

Worth having a look at your tires folks, seen a few lately that on first glance looked ok, loads of tread etc, but they had lots of perished sections all around on closer examination. You forget that they can be 10 years old and have so little mileage!

TYRE PRESSURES

And inside the door shut of every Ducato is a sticker like this.

It seems MH owners can't read Italian or French, that is only referring to full loads, for vans.

I see a ridiculous amount of campers with 80 psi in the tires.



VENTS

Time to vent....
I see people blocking floor vents sometimes due to draughts etc. these are designed to be there, you'll see most are under gas burning devices. Reason being gas is heavier than air so if there's a leak the gas will vent down thru the floor, not into the living area. Something for the self builders to consider.
Also the Truma combi boiler needs a ready supply of air as it circulates a huge volume of air when running flat out. And you really shouldn't store ANYTHING in beside it.

WASTE WATER

You need to keep your waste tank empty as much as possible. Any water and crud that goes down into it, when left to sit, causes a smell... and it's not far from the tank to the plughole, so the smell can come back up into the van. You'd be surprised at how many Campers call into the yard, with a smell wafting up the plugholes..

I'd usually throw a bucket of water with detergent in it down each plughole, that cleans out the waste pipes,then take the van for a spin to the crossroads, swerving the van left and right a bit to swish it around, then empty the tank.

WATER PIPES

The water pipes around your camper, they normally all run into a manifold or a bunch of tee pieces near the Boiler. After a few years of use, the pipes sometimes have softened a bit, especially the Hot pipes. You'd have a small leak the odd time that you wouldn't barely notice. It's good practise to give the Hose clips a squeeze if you can get into them. If they're turned so that you can't get a screwdriver to them, 99.% of the time you can tighten them with either a 6mm or 7mm spanner.

WATER TREATMENT
Once a year or so, put some de-scaler into your fresh water tank. quarter fill the tank, preferably with Hot water (I use the steam-cleaner), and flush through the taps till some hot water comes through all of them. Do this or 5 times, for a few seconds each time, every 10-15 mins or so. Then drain down the whole water system including the boiler, and flush through the lot at least twice with clean water. On older MHs, you'll often find the spray from the shower improves /

WEIGHT TESTING

I'd advise any MH owner to weigh their camper, and get a weight docket to prove it, a few of our customers had issues abroad with police claiming they were over their weight limit, and speeding, as a result.

WINTER TIME


Emptying the water
When parking your motorhome up for the winter/long periods, empty the waste tank, fresh tank, toilet tank (if you have one), drain the boiler, then turn on all the taps for a few seconds to purge the water pipes. Then, turn off the pump, leaving the taps in the On position. This helps prevent them bursting in frost.

Also remember to drain the toilet tank if one is fitted, this is often forgotten!

Fuel tank in winter
Any of ye parking the MH for the winter, best to leave the fuel tank full to the neck, prevents condensation building up in the fuel, and tbh, juice will no doubt be dearer when you take the 'van out of hibernation...

Use a dehumidifier
Slightly obscure tip this week, but every camper that lies idle for the week or longer should have a de-humidifier in it, IMHO. There seems to be a hell of a lot more moisture in the air these last few years.

Leave the handbrake off / leave it in neutral
Folks, if you can, in these frosty days, when parking the Motorhome leave off the handbrake and leave it in neutral. Seen a few to stick the handbrakes on, and also to have the gear shifter cables stick too. A bit of timber etc in front and behind the wheel would be grand.

Starting Up After Winter Time
If your camper has been idle a while, go light the boiler/heater, especially if it's a Truma Combi. The flies seem to love them, I;ve had to strip a few to dig them out! If you're lucky, they'll burn out of them with just a nasty smell for a few mins.

I know a good few MHs are idle this time of year, but even so it's still a good idea to take them out for a quick spin and run all the systems, something to do on a lazy Sunday perhaps? I would suggest popping the bonnet, checking the oil and water first, and having a peek underneath for any suspicious pools.

Then starting it up, switching the fridge to 12v, leaving it tick over for 10 mins, then heading out the road for a wee drive, maybe to the nearest petrol station and checking the tire pressures, including the spare.

Back home again, maybe put in some water, run the taps, the heater/boiler on gas, the fridge too, even the hob/cooker. Even for only a couple of minutes. But all the better if you can leave the heater on for an hour, to air out the 'van. Maybe open a close a few windows and skylights, to be sure they're not stuck.

Then if you can plug in the mains for a while, to be sure the leisure battery is charging, and to top it up. Assuming all the rest is well, maybe check the lights outside, if I'm on my own I rest something against the brake pedal. After all that, drain the water down again in case of frost, turn off the gas and switch off the power, disconnect the mains etc.

I know it seems like a load of work when you read it, but really it's stuff you'd run through in an hour or two, tops. And you'll have the satisfaction of knowing your MH is all set for road come the like of the Easter break, or indeed, even a "rosemantic" Valentines weekend!

WIPER ARMS

Another tip, check your wiper arms, had a good few Ducatos lately where they loosened for some bizarre reason. I've been checking others since and they're rarely tight. 13mm spanner is all you need for most.