Drain the water system
Water left in a caravan over winter is the single most expensive thing you can leave behind. Drain the fresh and waste tanks, open every tap and leave them open, and blow through the shower hose. A frozen pipe splits where you cannot see it and you find out in April.
Deal with damp before it starts
Damp is a ventilation problem, not a heating one. Leave the roof vents open, prop cupboard and wardrobe doors ajar so air moves through them, and lift cushions off the seat bases so nothing sits flat against cold board.
- Roof vents open, blinds up
- Cupboards and wardrobes left ajar
- Cushions stood on edge
- Fridge door propped open
- Soft furnishings taken home if you can
Batteries and tyres
A leisure battery left flat will not come back. Take it home and keep it on a conditioner over the winter. Set tyres to the pressure in the handbook rather than what feels firm, and move the van a few feet if it is standing for many months.
Before you hand over the keys
Check the insurance covers the van while it is stored away from home, and tell your insurer the site holds CaSSOA Gold, because it usually affects the premium. Note the pitch number, and book your arrival slot for collection rather than turning up on the day.