Pulling your van out of storage? Don’t forget to check these things…

22 Sep Pulling your van out of storage? Don’t forget to check these things…

If your van has been sitting for a while and you have an upcoming trip, make sure you check over you RV/Caravan soon so if there is anything that needs attention you have time to get that fixed.

Below we have compiled a list of things to check periodically.

Appliances such as your fridge, hot water system, stove top etc. are often forgotten until it’s time to use it. However, even if you are heading to caravan park and don’t necessarily need to use the gas option, it is still a good idea to test it and let it run for a while to ensure that is working and nothing seizes. It is always good to have it as a backup if for some reason something happens to the 240V power side of the appliance.

• Check your gas bottle levels first to ensure accurate testing of your appliances.
• You can use gas level detectors such as these to check the gas levels.

• Check your battery voltage, this should be regularly checked whilst not in use as often the solar is relied on to keep this topped up, however if your solar charge controller (aka. Regulator) fails your battery may not be getting any charge or it may be overcharging. If you don’t have a voltmeter or battery monitoring system it is certainly work thinking about. There are simple options such as this or complete battery systems such as the BMPRO to enable you to check your battery status easily on your phone.
• Ensure you van is parked level, 3-way fridges are required to be level to operate.
• Turn your fridge on (run both Gas and power if applicable), Check your fridge thermometer to ensure it is cooling after a minimum of 4 hours. If you don’t have a thermometer, there are various types available, check them out here or you could put a bottle of water in the fridge / freezer to get a rough idea. Note most fridge models require battery (12V) power supply to run the computer of the fridge even with 240V power use, so if you have an issue with your battery you may be unable to use your fridge on gas or 240V power.

• Check your stove ignites and runs.
• Run your air conditioner as well as diesel/gas heater if applicable.
• Run your hot water system on both gas & electricity (allowing the water to cool in between to ensure it heats up via both sources). If applicable, your anode should be periodically checked.
• Check your tyre pressures (and tyre wear)