6 simple hacks for preserving the life of your caravan

If you’re going to buy or already own a caravan, clearly you want to get the most out of it.

After all, this is a significant purchase.

And with a bit of love and attention, you can easily extend the life of your van.

BIG4 and the team at New Age Caravans Bundaberg reveal their handy hints for getting the most out of your van.

1. Service your caravan regularly

As a rule, new vans should be serviced within three months or 1000km from purchase and every 12 months or 10,000km after that.

Adhering to this should go a long way to ensuring your home on wheels stays in tip-top condition.

For reference, these services usually cover the following components:

• Remove hubs; clean and inspect wheel bearings, hub backing plate assemblies, and pads.
• Re-pack wheel bearings and replace bearing seals.
• Reassemble and paint hub assemblies.
• Check electric brake and brake safe operation and adjust only if required.
• Inspect and grease suspension components as required.
• Inspect tyre condition and wear.
• Inspect jockey wheel, tow hitch, and park brake. Adjust as required.

2. Clean your van often

Here is a tip for the ‘so simple yet so effective’ pile. Regularly cleaning your van helps prevent the build-up of dirt and grime that can lead to significant surface damage.

However, it’s important to use the correct cleaning equipment and products for your van. Otherwise, this care might be ineffective or cause damage. Your caravan dealer should be able to assist you with choosing cleaning equipment to suit.

3. Check all the seals

This is an easy tip for future proofing your van.

Commonly, caravan seals are prone to deterioration from hot, dry, and dusty conditions and can become cracked in the process. But even regularly opening and closing of sealed areas such as doors, windows, and hatches can lead to leaks. Over time, seals become even more vulnerable to seeping.

So it’s best to check regularly for leaks. Add these spot checks to your caravan maintenance checklist:

• Caravan door seals.
• Window seals.
• Pop-top seals.
• Boot/tailgate seals.
• Any other moisture-protective seals.

4. Attend to repairs sooner rather than later

If repairs to your caravan are required, don’t procrastinate! By taking swift action and tackling issues with your van, it often means the problem is easier to fix, and less expensive. Early attention could prevent other issues from arising, too.

5. Consider storage options when your caravan is not in use

This should be one of the first points to consider when buying a caravan.

If you have a suitable undercover area, you’ll go a long way to maximising the life of your van. This cover protects it from the elements, falling debris, and other dangers that could cause damage or unnecessary wear and tear.

Furthermore, this action reduces the amount of time required to clean your van.

If you don’t have a suitable undercover area to store your van, caravan covers are a great alternative. There are covers available to suit the following RV types:

• Camper trailers
• Pop-top caravans
• Conventional caravans
• Motorhomes

Fabrics covers have improved rapidly over time. Nowadays, you can expect to find light, high-quality fabrics. These fabrics also let the new covers ‘breathe’ by allowing the moisture to escape. This reduces mould and mildew, which can damage the externals of your caravan, including paintwork.

6. Give your van a ‘run’ when not travelling

If your caravan is unused for lengthy periods, it can be damaging. And this damage is even more likely if you haven’t kept your van clean. An easy preventative is to get these wheels out on the road.

Additionally, if your van is idle for too long, this practice can drain the ‘house’ batteries to the point of permanent damage. And new batteries can be expensive.

To avoid this scenario, we advise keeping idle batteries plugged into a certified battery management system or charger.

Also, before you depart for a long journey, we suggest having your battery tested to ensure it’s holding charge.

With these easy hacks, we hope it’s a case of long live your caravan! Happy trails.

Looking to hit the road? Book your next caravanning adventure with Coffs Coast Holiday Parks now.