How To Dewinterize A Camper

When the summer seasons are drawing in, you might be looking up at those deep blue skies and those endless green pastures and getting the itch to wheel out the camper from storage again.

However, after a long winter in the garage, your camper might be experiencing a little of the winter slumber: ice on the tires, crackled and peeling window seals or dead batteries.

So what is the best way of ensuring your camper van is ready to hit the road?

Well, luckily for you, we’ve got a simple guide that you can follow for getting rid of all the aches and pains that are plaguing your four-wheeled friend.

This way you can be sure that you can rely on your camper to get you from A to B without breaking.

How Can You Dewinterize Your Camper?

If you are noticing that your camper is looking a little worse for wear after you have put it in storage for a few months, then we would suggest looking at the following steps to help get it back on its feet ready for the summer weather.

• Check The Tires

First off, we would recommend that you check the most important parts of your camper: the tires. Sometimes if these have not been used in the long term, then you might notice that the surface is cracking.

Over the course of a few months, your tires will naturally lose some of their pressure. Driving around on low-pressure tires could result in a blowout, which will result in a major accident when you are out on the open road.

Before you take your car out, make sure that the tires have been pumped up sufficiently. Using a pressure gauge, make sure that the pressure of your tires is at the optimum level.

You should also check the levels of your spare tire too.

• Inspect The Exterior

Once you have looked at the wheels of your camper van, then you should check the rest of the outside. There could be plenty of other things that the cold has affected that you might only see if you are closely inspecting.

One of the main things that you’ll need to check is the seals on the windows and the doors. Usually, these have cracks or splits in the seals, so make sure that these have been replaced completely before you take it on the road.

If you have split seals, then you might have trouble insulating your camper van, which will be crucial for keeping out that cold weather.

If you have a hitch on your camper to tow a truck behind you, then you’ll need to check this for rust damage. Often frost will turn into moisture which can erode the composition of your trailer.

If your trailer comes loose on the motorway, then this could have disastrous results.

• Charging Your Batteries

One of the main things that will definitely have depleted over time will be the batteries on your camper van.

This is because in much the same way as your tires will lose pressure, your batteries will lose charge over time also. This is because of internal leakage due to the fact that you are not charging your batteries regularly.

Before you take your first trip of the summer, you’ll need to fully recharge your battery using a voltmeter.

You should make sure that when you are doing this that your camper is not attached to the mains electricity, otherwise this won’t give you an accurate reading of your battery’s power levels.

You might find out that you need to charge your battery. This might take up to a few hours or even a day. This will all depend on how much leakage your battery has suffered.

You’ll also need to check the water levels in your battery. If the water is below the plate level, then you’ll need to add some distilled water until it has reached the appropriate level.

• Water System Check

The chances are that your water system is not up to much, especially if you have not used it for a few months.

Dirt and grime will most likely have accumulated in the pipes, so you’ll need to make sure that the whole system has been thoroughly flushed out.

This is because the water in your camper will need to be clean, as it is used for washing, cooking and drinking.

If you have added antifreeze to your water system to prevent it from rusting during the winter season, then you’ll need to flush this out so that the water is completely safe to drink.

You’ll need to fill your water tank with fresh water and use that to flush out the system completely. First, you’ll need to turn on the water pump and then turn on all the faucets in your camper van.

You should make sure that the water is left running for a few minutes to make sure that all the harmful waste and any chemicals are completely drained from your system

Once you have done this, then you’ll need to flush the toilet a few times. Once again, this is to make sure that your water system is functioning correctly and making your water clean rather than dirty.

You’ll know that your water system is completely clean when the water is coming out clear.

Once you have completed the cleaning procedure, then replace the filters in the water pump with some brand new ones.

What Else Will You Need To Check In Your Camper?

1. Sanitize the water pipes – this is to make sure the water is safe for drinking.
2. Check leaky pipes.
3. Change propane tanks – most likely your propane will be depleted after months of neglect.
4. Check propane appliances.
5. Check your camper engine – you’ll want to make sure that the camper actually starts when you turn the key in the ignition.

Conclusion

We hope that our guide to dewinterzing your camper has given you a better idea of what you need to do before you hit the road this summer.