# What do you do during the colder months??



## DJWARE (Jul 13, 2011)

Hi All

I am just wondering what everyone does during the colder months of the year.

Its going to be my first Autumn and winter with the motorhome and dont want to put it in hibernation!

Would be great to hear what you do

Cheers

Darren


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Dont put it away go to rallies as they hold them at schools through the winter so hardstanding on School playgrounds.
Book up on Sites that are open all year.


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## blongs (Jan 12, 2009)

Sites with hardstanding and electric for us. 1KW fan heater to keep the chill off.

We don't go too far from home either for the weekend trips.

We don't do any weeklong trips in the autumn and winter, the annual leave from work has been used up. Hopefully the grandparents will be taking some of the October 1/2 term holiday pressure from us.

Ben


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## tony645 (Sep 26, 2010)

We live in the countryside so like to get away for a couple of days at a time, usually to the coast, beaches are deserted for the dogs, plenty of room in the cafe`s and the roads are quiet.
Dont need hook-up, and if we go on a site prices are much reduced out of season.
We always look up uk weather.com for the 10 day forecast before choosing which coast.
Pics are Filey last november.


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## teensvan (May 9, 2005)

Hi.

We leave the UK on 25th Oct and head down to Benidorm for the winter, and will return around the first week of April. Lots to see and do with mainly sunny days and cool nights.

steve & ann. ----- teensvan


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

Follow the swallows until you would get your feet wet in the Algarve Portugal, about as far South as you can get in the van without going to North Africa :wink: 

That will be end of November to the beginning of April this year, the only thing I have to decide is where I am going to spend Christmas and celebrate my 65th birthday in January.. Any suggestions anybody?..

Ray..


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Don't put the van away! Winter is a real adventure. Last Christmas we went away for three weeks to the lake district when it got down to -18 one night and we were wild camping off hookup.

We tend to us a lot of Cl sites and if it's near zero or below the ground is hard even on grass.

There is an account of our last two winter trips on our site at www.hankthetank.co.uk under blog.

The winter before we did the isle of wight and the south coast to Cornwall for a month. Had some superb sunny days but cold.

When you have been out in the bracing cold sunny air all day and get back to a warm toasty van it's great.


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## eddied (May 9, 2005)

*What to do in winter?*

 Ciao, in the first instance keep warm. Make sure all your insulation is OK, with outside screen covers, inside blinds OK, all holes (except ventilation ones of course) well bunged up, cab door ventilation vents duct taped up, and other sneaky draught points duct taped up. Truma or whatever heating system well serviced and tested. Hot water system well serviced and tested. Electrical supply systems/batteries well serviced and tested. Then:
for short trips, how many cathedral cities have you still to visit?
how many picturesque small market towns, North, South, East, or West of where you live have you never seen?
How many stately homes, posh gardens, zoo parks etc. have you still not visited?
For longer trips, how about Belgium/Northern France/or even Holland/Northern Germany for some Kristkindlmarkts?
For reeeally long trips, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Sicily, Tunisia.

or else just sit in front of the telly and absorb some rubbish.
saluti,
eddied


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## dragabed (May 24, 2008)

*http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopic-reply-113143.html*

just keep on camping with a few more clothes, its great fun. 
we are also off to the algarve nov 7th


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## chubs (Jun 5, 2010)

We use club sites for city breaks would not want to put the mh away


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## THEPOET (May 1, 2007)

*Re: What to do in winter?*



eddied said:


> Ciao, in the first instance keep warm. Make sure all your insulation is OK, with outside screen covers, inside blinds OK, all holes (except ventilation ones of course) well bunged up, cab door ventilation vents duct taped up, and other sneaky draught points duct taped up. Truma or whatever heating system well serviced and tested. Hot water system well serviced and tested. Electrical supply systems/batteries well serviced and tested. Then:
> for short trips, how many cathedral cities have you still to visit?
> how many picturesque small market towns, North, South, East, or West of where you live have you never seen?
> How many stately homes, posh gardens, zoo parks etc. have you still not visited?
> ...


no real need to say much more. If you are in a "club" use their rallies for cheep weekends away, Motorthome sections rally on hardstandings, sites are cheaper out of season, cheaper if your old enough for "age " consessions  but don't put it away for 6 months.
we are rallying next week with the HCI for 4 nights, and again at the end of Oct for 4 nights then 4 nights over New Year with Beds DA (C&CC)

ENJOY your investment!


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## busterbears (Sep 4, 2010)

Go Skiing - we head up to Braemar CC site and ski at Glenshee, so long as there is snow, great slopes for kids to learn, lift passes are really cheap, big car park at the slopes so you can go back to the van for lunch, hot drinks etc. weekends inbetween we head to the lakes or across to the galloway forest area for walking and biking, just wrap up warm, take plenty hot food and keep your heating on


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

Unfortunately I won't get the chance to use my mh for much of the winter - I'll be elephant spotting, amongst other things, way down on the southern tip of Africa.


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## Andysam (May 10, 2005)

We use it as normal in winter, most often without EHU. 

At home it's never drained down but pump off and taps open with a 500w oil radiator to keep it above freezing.


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## grasscutter (Oct 8, 2009)

If you've got it use it ! We often go away for weekends and as we can only take longer holidays in the winter we have toured the UK Jan/Feb for the last two years. OK we do like our creature comforts so we use sites that are open all year and make full use of the EHU.
Nothing better than finding sites with stunning views(ie Lake District) and enjoying the winter scenery. We have often been the only people on site and all the tourist areas are beautifully quiet.
Last year on our tour we stopped off in Mevagissey and only saw two people as we walked around.
Having said that this year we are off to the continent with a leisurely drive down through France and hopefully Spain and Portugal. No hard and fast plans just take each day as it comes.
Use your van and enjoy it.


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

Don't stop me NOW! am havin such a good time havin a ball :lol:


























Christmas at Parc Verger


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## DJWARE (Jul 13, 2011)

Great to see what most of you do....i am a little jealous of those heading south for winter for warmer weather. 

I've decided to go snowboarding when the snow arrives and may try out some rallies as suggested.

It would be silly to spend all that money on a motorhome and not use it much in winter

Darren


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## teemyob (Nov 22, 2005)

*Cold*

We headed up to Northern Norway!

TM


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## HeatherChloe (Oct 18, 2009)

This month's Caravan club magazine had a pull out which showed which of their sites are open for the winter - v handy as last year I had to go through the book marking them.

The key things I learned about the winter are:

(i) Put the heater on BEFORE you turn on the water pump. That's because in my van, the thermostatic valve will otherwise kick in to empty all the water if it is below freezing. 

(ii) Use both electricity and gas for heating - electricity or gas alone won't get you up to 21c quickly or even at all. 

(iii) Have an electric blanket for bedtime - completely toasty. 

(iv) Put the sun thingy over the front window - it's not just to keep off the sun, it's to keep the windows warm in winter and prevent condensation. 

(v) Don't try to go off the electricity unless you have a generator - running the heating off the gas still uses battery to pump the air, and that combined with lights for long dark evenings will run your battery down in less than one night, unless you can recharge.

(vii) Bring lots of blankets and towels for inevitably muddy dogs and boots. 

(viii) Stay closer to towns and villages so you can walk to nice pubs.


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## Hymie (May 9, 2005)

*Tanks*

If you have underslung un-insulated tanks be careful.

Just use a bucket or similar under the waste tank outlet and leave it open to drain - prevents freezing.

If your fresh tank is exposed, either insulate very well if possible or consider a tank heating element.

As others have said, the Autumn / Winter time is great for getting away.

Happy Travels

Dave


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

Last year just before Christmas I forgot to warm our van up. Some water must have trapped in the piped somewhere and of course it was sub zero for weeks. We set off on our lake district trip for Christmas on Christmas eve without checking anything and of course when we arrived. No water. I traced the ice blockage to somewhere in the bathroom but it took three days for it to clear so we could use the taps.

Mrs d wasn't happy having no running water on Christmas day!

My fault for not draining properly. However we carry a 20 litre plastic food grade water carrier with a tap. Invaluable for wilding and emegancies and increases the vans capacity by 20 percent. It also fits on the scooter for collecting water from afar when we don't want to move the van.

Our gas fire warms the van to t shirt temp in 20 min. Separate blown air so no effect on battery.


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## andrewball1000 (Oct 16, 2009)

I was on the Oxford CCC club site last winter with the snow thick on the ground. I was feeling quite pleased with myself until I saw a car arrive after dark and erect a small tent. 

I met the guy in washing up the next morning and asked him how he managed with the cold. A very large and warm duvet (and wife) was his answer! He only put up the pup tent as they were late arriving. They changed it for a larger one the next day. They regularly spend their winters this way.

I went back to my heated van, snug and less smug.


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