Blog 51 Winterisation tips - Part 1(2012), follow the advice especially taps and drain all water in the system via the pump

Keef Hellinger
Nov 14, 2021
3 min read

By keef & annie, Nov 5, 2012, 01:59PM Winterisation tips for Motorhomes

Winterisation (is that a word really?!) Motorhome put to bed now for 2012 especially as the ice is drawing in.

Prepare your motorhome for winter with Part 1 of our essential winterisation tips. This blog covers the first steps every motorhomer should take to protect their van from frost, damp and costly cold‑weather damage. From draining systems to checking seals and tackling early maintenance jobs, it’s a clear, confidence‑boosting guide for anyone wanting a safe, stress‑free winter season on the road.

SOUND ADVICE

Winterising a motorhome properly means going far beyond simply draining the main water tank. One of the most important — and most overlooked — steps is removing every tap, opening every outlet and using the pump to push out the last traces of water. Even a tablespoon of water left sitting in a tap, mixer, shower head or pipe can freeze, expand and crack the fittings. The damage is often invisible until spring, when leaks appear and repairs become expensive. By removing the taps completely, you allow trapped water to escape rather than sitting in the lowest bend of the fitting.

Running the pump with all taps removed and all outlets open helps purge the system. The pump doesn’t need to run long — just enough to clear the lines. This ensures the pipes, elbows and connectors are empty, especially in vans where pipework runs through cold lockers or underfloor voids. Airflow through the system is your friend; once the water is gone, nothing can freeze.

The toilet cassette flush system is another area people forget. The flush tank often sits high up, feeding a long pipe down to the bowl. If left full, that water can freeze and split the pipe or damage the pump. Draining the flush tank completely, then running the flush briefly until it stops, ensures the line is empty. A quick wipe of the bowl seal with silicone spray keeps it supple through winter.

Taking these extra steps adds only minutes to the winterisation process but can save hundreds of pounds in repairs. A fully drained system means peace of mind, no hidden ice pockets and a motorhome ready to wake up happily in spring.

UPDATE Nov 2021. This process is now further enhanced by commentary on Blog 54 and the search advice below is mostly retired.

There are some pictures of the van all packed up and covered for WINTER 2012 available under the site photos and slideshow tabs. In order to see these, it is necessary to login using either your Facebook login / password or set yourself up one for our site, which will mean supplying your email address and accepting the automatic link that is sent to your inbox.

BUT

All slideshows are accessible from the Blogs, so much easier, The INDEX page has TAGs for all Blogs and by year or month, A-Z INDEX alphabetically, or you can use the SEARCH page to look for something or just use the search facilities here on the BLOG or the associated Blogs attached to each Blog, entirely up to you, there is a wealth of ways to find what you want, thanks for looking motorhome-travel blog Replaced process 2021 when Moonfruit was replaced by WIX by Yell.