A caravan is a home away from home; something that should be treasured just as much as the memories that are made within its confines. That means looking after your caravan by keeping it in pristine conditions. After all, you wouldn’t want to live in a poorly maintained home for the rest of the year, so why should your holiday home be any different?
When you arrive at your static caravan, you do so to unwind and relax, not opening the door to a day's worth of cleaning and other chores. If you wanted that, you would have stayed at home. With proper care and maintenance, you will save yourself the pain of having to carry out a full spring clean of your holiday caravan.
Below we have put together a helpful guide on how to care for your caravan, whether you simply stay in yours over the summer months or as your main residence:
Clear leaves off the roof - rotting leaves can damage the roof, potentially leaving patches of rust that may require maintenance
Check anchor chains for signs of corrosion
Clean exterior walls with a cloth or a jet wash, if you have access to one, to protect against damage from pollution and bird lime
Keep your caravan tidy at all times - if you have any washing up laying around, ensure you do it to avoid a build-up of mess and clutter
Regularly open windows to allow air to circulate; helping to prevent against damp which can be expensive to treat in caravans
Clear all air vents of any debris that may cause a blockage
Ensure that all annual checks are carried out on boiler and gas systems - this is for the safety of both you and other residents
Inspect all electrical appliances before use in your caravan, especially if you plan on renting out your caravan
Inspect your caravan's drainage system for blockages or water that could freeze over in the winter months - ensure that you have turned off your water and gas supply beforehand
Make sure that all water has been drained from the cistern after flushing the toilet
Remember to keep all windows secured and doors locked when you are not in your caravan, just as you would in your home
The Need for Caravan Maintenance
If you don’t look after your caravan, you aren’t going to have a good time. The caravan should represent a time for relaxation and not an extra workload to add to your plate. Equally, you want to feel comfortable inviting friends and family to come and stay with you at your caravan, or even lend them the keys for a week or weekend.
With a holiday home that has seen better days, your friends and family will not exactly be looking forward to an invitation to come and stay. Keep putting it off and, sooner or later, you will be avoiding your caravan altogether – and then you will be paying for something you don’t use with very little chance of selling it on in such poor condition. Either way, you will have to roll your sleeves up and tackle any jobs that need doing sooner or later.
How Expensive are Caravans to Maintain?
Assuming you keep on top of it, not very expensive at all! As with anything, however, the longer you leave it the more work there is to be done, which can result in increased costs. Take, for example, clearing leaves off the roof of your caravan. It costs nothing to brush away any fallen leaves on the roof of your holiday home but, if they have been left, they can cause rust and damage the material. Paying for repair work or a completely new roof is certainly a lot costlier than brushing leaves away.
It isn’t just the exterior of your caravan that requires care. Just like your home, the interior also needs a good deal of maintenance. The last thing you want is for your indoor space to require a deep clean and/or a complete overhaul because you have allowed the mess to build up, possibly resulting in a build-up of mould and vermin. You can guarantee that the neighbours won’t be impressed if your caravan is the reason for rats scurrying around their pitch.
If you follow our handy maintenance tips above, your static caravan will remain in top condition, not only in the summer but also throughout the winter. You will be saved the job of performing major maintenance works on your holiday home, benefitting from a warm and welcoming place to spend your holidays or the odd weekend away with your nearest and dearest.
For more information on our residential parks and the caravans that we currently have available, please call our team on 01564 792323 today, or get in touch by sending us a message via the contact page and we will endeavour to respond as soon as possible.
