You Spring Clean your house, but what about your house on wheels?

25 Oct You Spring Clean your house, but what about your house on wheels?

Now is a good time to do a spring clean & quick safety check on your caravan before a busy summer of camping getaways. Sometimes the little things get overlooked and sometimes little things turn into big things.

Little things like checking your spare tyre, make sure the tyre is still in good condition, tyre covers are great for protecting your tyre from sun damage, but they are also ‘out of sight out of mind’. We have listed below various things which are easily overlooked.

Top Tips for your Spring Clean Checklist

• Awning – Use a soft brush, and awning safe cleaner – nothing too harsh as you don’t want to scratch your waterproofing. We recommend either warm soapy water or Camco “awning cleaner”. Whilst cleaning check for any tiny holes, you may want to patch them with “Tear Aid” to get the best longevity of your vinyl. Once clean and dry lubricate awning hardware (the arms). Check the operation of your awning, is everything aligned? Not catching anywhere? If necessary book in with your local specialist for an awning service.
• Give your exterior a good clean. If able, include the roof and solar panels. Be sure to not stand on your caravan roof to clean as they are not strong enough. If your paintwork is in good condition you could use the Camco RV wash & wax. You may want to give the exterior a polish (cream polish, not a cutting polish), make sure you use the correct product for the surface of your caravan/motorhome.
• Gas Detectors – Check batteries in you smoke alarms and gas detector – don’t have a gas detector? check out our post to find out why should consider them.
• Anode – Check the anode in your hot water system and replace if necessary. Replacement timeframe is very variable depending on the areas that you have been to. Some places would require replacement within 6 months, however some other areas with softer water may only require replacement after 18 months.
• Tyres – check the tyre pressure of all tyres. It is as good idea to take the spare tyre cover off and check the tyre pressure as well as the date on the tyre. Most people think tyre replacement is necessary only when the tyre tread depth is below the minimum legal tread depth. However, tyre replacement is required when the tyres get too old. Even if they’ve never been driven on, tyres older than six years should be replaced. The reason is that the rubber hardens, crack and/or perish and could fail catastrophically when in use.
• Tow bar wiring insulation – check it is in good shape and that the plug and socket are free from dirt before connecting.
• Safety chains – are in good condition and properly secured to both drawbar and tow vehicle. Do you have ‘Rated’ D- Shackles?
• Wheel nuts – Check all are present and tightened.
• Gas Bottle/s – Check the expiry date on the neck of your bottle. Did you know you should check the connection to your bottle with soapy water every time you reconnect?
• Batteries – Check your voltage ensure they are charging and holding charge
• If you have a 3-way fridge, it is a good idea to run it on both power sources occasionally.
• Bed Mattresses – Vacuum and treat spot stains
• Air Conditioner – Clean out your air conditioner filters – check the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific model. Check the condition of your filters as they may require replacements.
• Tanks – Give your fresh water tanks a cleanse with some Camec “Tank Cleen” and Thetford “Duo Cleaner” for your Grey and Black water tanks.
• Windows -ensure any products you use are safe for tinted windows, like the “RVGard Tint safe glass cleaner”
• Axle Service – Book in with your trusted mechanic for an axle/chassis service. This one is a no brainer, but you would be surprised how often it gets overlooked (we recommend servicing every 10 000kms)