Winter heating my caravan
Good afternoon members
I am asking for a little advice on winter heating via Electrical lead fed from Garage at Home . I have just plugged in my Coachman VIP 575 2022 model this Tues 7/3/2023 weds at set the temp at + 5c lowest setting to keep the caravan free from damp especially due to the current cold snap . I am just wondering if any members do the same and does it work for them ? and does it cost much more do have the additional heating on your caravan?
Appreciate any feedback from members
Kind Regards
Ian
Comments
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We have not heated any of our caravans/MHs when stored during winter except for one occasion and that was the year we got mould in the caravan. Our conclusion was that ventilation through the cupboards/bed spaces was more beneficial. Using any form of dehumidifier only draws air in from outside through the vents so is self defeating.
As for cost, you will use electricity and that comes at a cost.
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My M/H os a 2004 model, Eldiss Autoquest. It is kept on the drive, with my car, usually parked behind it, and I sorn it between Oct 31 and usually 1st April and don't heat it at all. It had a few small spots of mould, just above the shelf at the rear of the van one year so since then I have put one of those small, cheap, de-humidifiers on the shelf (not an electrical one) and also keep the top cupboards and wardrobe open with a de-humidifier in the rear topboxes as well. It feels damp if you go in there, as it is obviously cold inside, but if you leave the blinds up, it soon warms up on a sunny day. I run the engine now and again and turn on the EHU once every 3 weeks or so to keep the batteries charged. It may not be what other people do, but it has worked for me for 10 years.
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As my caravan is in use almost every weekend I needed a low consumption solution to avoid repetitive draining of the water and reheating everything. I fitted a length of the plastic underlay film used for underfloor heating underneath the carpet and on top of the pretend wood floor. It is available in various heating capacities so one can select the amount of heat one uses. I have it run from a plug-in thermostat set to work between 4 degrees and 6 degrees.
Leave every cupboard and locker open, including under bed, and there are then no surprise drops of cold air when opening a locker! The usual caravan heating methods rely on convection and are jolly efficient heating the roof, but no use at floor level. Even put this on overnight in winder occupancy.
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Our caravan is permanently plugged in to mains on the drive and has the heating on - set to 9 degrees at this time of the year. Apart from food and clothes, the van is 'ready to go' with beds made up etc. Never had any sort of problem with mould. Plus, I go in there most afternoons and read a book for an hour and blast the heating on gas while I'm in. With two Safefill cylinders, I reckon it costs me less than £10 per month in gas. Haven't a clue what the leccy costs are but I'm not that bothered. The only concern I have at the back of my mind is that the Truma heating elements have a limited life span and I know that I'm 'eating' into that.
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Ventilation is far better than heat for keeping the caravan dry, and it's free. Warm air holds more moisture than cold air - scientific fact. We keep several of our windows on the ventilation setting all through the winter and, on a dry, breezy day, open the door and the Heki skylight fairly frequently. Heat is only needed to keep us humans warm.
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Exactly as JohnM20 says. I've also removed bedding, clothes, towels, cushions etc into the house. All lockers are left open, bed area and dinette bases hinged open and upholstery moved away from the van sides.
To me the big concern is any water left in the pipes, tanks, taps etc, especially when we have experienced -9c this winter.
Colin
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If the forecast is below zero then we set the alde heating to +5degrees. This keeps the chill out of the caravan but also means the battery is being used/cycled which cant be a bad thing.
Cost wise the lowest alde setting is 1kw so expensive to run but how often do we have continuous subzero days!
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No heating on in winter just ventilate when possible by opening door and skylight. Nothing like a good breeze through the caravan for ventilation - plenty of that here on the coast! The only time I had that white dusty mould was when we stored it about 30 miles away and couldn't get up to give the caravan added ventilation on a regular basis. Now store at home now and no problems. Dry day today so will give caravan a few hrs ventilation
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In 40+ years we have never heated our vans in winter unless using them. For 15 years of that we lived in North Germany where winters can be long and very cold. We now live in the North of Scotland and still don't heat the van.
We do remove the bedding and pull the seats away from the walls. On good days we open the big skylight and the van door to get some air through the van. Never had mould or damp.
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