Frozen caravan water problems
Hi from Soggy Northampton.
Much advice on storing caravans in winter here, emptying all fluids etc, but here's our newbie query about using it in a freeze. The aquaroll lives, I believe, just outside. Do you get problems with the water freezing? Or other frozen fluids?
We're hoping to collect our first ever caravan quite soon, dependent on engineer check etc. As it's 2nd hand and doesn't have a long warranty ... (what's a usual warranty period with 2nd hand dealers, by the way?)... we'll need to take it for a test trip soon. Fine, extending the season is part of the planned move away from tents, but we hadn't necessarily intended our first trip to be in the depths of winter! If we had a CDP at home it would be tempting to try it on the front drive, but would feel like cheating!
And cooking and breathing in it in the cold presumably creates more condesnsation, so do you need to give it a good ventilate when you get home?
Thanks for any help,
Richard.
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Yes in very cold weather both fresh and waste can freeze. Usually with fresh it is the pipe that goes into the aqua roll. They do sell jackets to put round your Aqua roll but we use an old high vis jacket and put the pipe up the sleeve. Although if very cold it is best to bring it in last thing at night. The pipe/ pump and filter that is, not the aquaroll. With the waste it is usually the pipes under the van with shallow falls. These normally thaw out without incident, although can occasionally push joints apart, but these easily push together. The hardest part is lying on the cold ground to do it,
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Although the aquaroll can freeze and you can buy insulation or use bubble wrap or an old coat the main problem in my experience is the pipe freezing. If it going to freeze then I would suggest you have water in a kettle jug or whatever and at last thing
at night bring the pipe from the aquaroll in. The other thing to consider is the waste tank you are better using a bucket in freezing conditions.0 -
And cooking and breathing in it in the cold presumably creates more condesnsation, so do you need to give it a good ventilate when you get home?
Thanks for any help,
Richard.
Ours is in storage, so we cannot leave roof vent or windows open. However, even without this vans are fairly well ventilated anyway. In the winter months to minimise problems, we try to avoid cooking anything that would involve making a lot of steam on
the last night. Use site facilities on the last morning instead of onboard shower. Plus defrost the fridge overnight, putting residual food in a cold box in the car. All this minimises the amount of water vapour left in the van and to date we have had no,problems.0 -
<...> if very cold it is best to bring it in last thing at night. The pipe/ pump and filter that is, not the aquaroll. <...>
I'm glad you made that qualification! My first thought on glancing at it was that we're only planning on a very small caravan, and an aquaroll would take up quite a lot of space overnight!!
Does this mean that the loo wouldn't flush during the night, with water cut off?
I like the idea of a sleeve on the tube. I imagine one of those split-sided lagging tubes they sell at builders' merchants might do the job well too - or is the pipe usually too bent to cope with this?
(Off topic aside - such tubes are seriously useful when posting wooden instruments like recorders or bagpipe bits, but that's nothing to do with caravans, just thought you'd like to know. And fear not, I don't play Scots pipes, so I won't be playing them in
a caravan near you
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"Fine, extending the season is part of the planned move away from tents, but we hadn't necessarily intended our first trip to be in the depths of winter! If we had a CDP at home it would be tempting to try it on the front drive, but would feel like
cheating!"HH, certainly not cheating and a great way to become fully familiar with your van. also, you dont need a CDP just to empty (effectively) fresh water that you've run through the system, but if you're thinking about the cassette toilet, you could always
pop back inside the house for the loo, or empty it in the house loo after the experiment...how long were you thinking of staying on the drive?...
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Thanks all very much.
KjellNN, the honest answer is: I don't know yet! We've had a first inspection of the 'van we hope to own, we're going for a fuller inspection this week, and as I said, we're new to caravans. So I still have to find out how these things work - I assumed that
while the toilet would have one flush available, it would then need to take up more from the Aquaroll. Without getting into sordid details I realise that one flush could well suffice two people for a night, but it's nice to know these things before you find
it's not working!
BB, that's encouraging! We obviously need to practise towing it to a site and doing the things you people by now take for granted, but a night on the drive first may well be a good start. As we've realised when watching, (and just occasionally rescuing), people
new to tents sturggling to work them out, there are bound to be more things than we now realise, no matter how much reading we do first!0 -
No, it will either have a flush tank or not, and if not I doubt there would be enough residual water in the pipes, without the Aquaroll connected, to give a flush, especially if you had used a water tap before.
There is also hand washing to consider. You can get sanitising gel you can use instead of soap and water.
If no flush tank, we find a bottle of water kept in the bathroom to be a good substitute, or you could use a spray bottle of "pink", or your chosen substitute.
If there is a flush tank it will be visible behind the toilet, and there will be a filling point outside.
For emptying the cassette at home, either carefully in the house toilet, or do you have a manhole outside the house that gives access to your drains?
Rainwater goes separately, but your bathwater and toilet flushing will both go to the same drain.
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If we had a CDP at home it would be tempting to try it on the front drive, but would feel like cheating!
That should not be an issue stopping you using it at home to sort out any issues. If you empty it each morning into your home WC there is really no need to use any loo chemicals at all. They ought if sold in the EU be suitable for homes on the main sewage system or cess pits, the only issue is with septic tanks. Anyway, no chemicals, or bio laundry washing pods or fluid can be used.
Buying 2nd hand with a short warranty I would be into the trail at home.
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When it's frosty we stand our aquaroll on a couple of bricks or blocks of wood as well as wrapping it in an insulated jacket.
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I like the idea of a sleeve on the tube. I imagine one of those split-sided lagging tubes they sell at builders' merchants might do the job well too - or is the pipe usually too bent to cope with this?
The sort that I have used on our copper pipes at home would be a bit stiff to cope with the curve in the aqua roll pipe. However, there may well be more flexible versions available.
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If we had a CDP at home it would be tempting to try it on the front drive, but would feel like cheating!
That should not be an issue stopping you using it at home to sort out any issues. If you empty it each morning into your home WC there is really no need to use any loo chemicals at all. They ought if sold in the EU be suitable for homes on the main sewage
system or cess pits, the only issue is with septic tanks. Anyway, no chemicals, or bio laundry washing pods or fluid can be used.I did find this one online
http://www.bluebio.co.uk/ as we'd hope to use something environmentally friendly. I don't know if anyone's tried this.0 -
I use an old jacket on the aquaroll - well 2 actually an padded one and a waterproof on - the plus point being that the cuff goes over the whole plastic bit as well as the pipe - whereas proper pipe lagging wouldn't protect the "gun" bit you plug into the caravan. A polystyrene base for both aquaroll and wastemaster although in really cold weather a bucket would be easier to defrost waste water. Plus bringing in the hose last thing at night if really cold. Winter Caravanning is great fun in my opinion.
I know they do say the blue stuff isn't supposed to be good for septic tanks but mine hasn't complained and I have used it a lot - having slept in my caravan outside the house on a semi permanent basis for about 10 years. Now I use the Biopods I am even less worried about the tank - it may be due an empty - but after around 10 years I am not complaining.
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Condensation on the inside of the windows will happen, just make sure the van is very well aired and ventilated when you get home to dry it out fully. If we use the loo on our journey home I simply lift a cover off a sewer manhole, I wouldn't like to empty
it in the house. Many caravan Rallies using village halls open a manhole cover.0 -
If you intend stopping on your drive hooked up to the electric mains in the house you will need a converter to link your caravan or caravan lead to your mains lead. I guess that you don't intend to use the shower in the van, to see how it works, but should
you do, don't forget to disconnect the shower head and lower the shower hose into the shower tray.0 -
Hope the engineer's check is a good result. I too think it a good idea to get to know how the van works whilst on the drive at home especially at this time of year. If the van is not too old it may have some instruction documents still with it & the dealer
should run through things in general with you at handover.0 -
Now I use the Biopods I am even less worried about the tank -
Bio pods - there's another thing to look up on the net...
Thanks again for all this advice. OK, Front drive it is for the first go, then, just to persuade our nice neighbours we've finally flipped
And I'll have to investigate about the electric connection.
If this van's the one, it's from 2000, and does come with all documentation. As you say, N1805, we just hope the engineer gives it a clean bill of health!
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HH There's pages on Bio-pods see the link below.
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Wow - 93 pages!! At least it cleared up one thing - when i typed "biopod" into my search engine it came up with a revolutionary new design of public loo cubicle, which seemed probably larger than you all packed in the back of your cars; I didn't read all
93 pages, I read about 3 and the last two, but realise now you're talking about washing tablet thingies. Interesting and far more practical!0 -
Yes its amazing how a Loo can generate so much interest but of course its really important in the caravan! Line it with 3 x 2 squares of loo paper (cheap supermarket brand not expensive designer stuff) before using for number twos. I lift a manhole cover
to empty at home - unless it is all liquid. The liquid pods most of us use come from Lidl or Aldi but any brand will do as long as its Bio. My neighbours and friends think I am bonkers too but I am very snug in the caravan at night the view is wonderful
in the morning and I don't use so much heatng in the house!0 -
Wow - 93 pages!! At least it cleared up one thing - when i typed "biopod" into my search engine it came up with a revolutionary new design of public loo cubicle, which seemed probably larger than you all packed in the back of your cars; I didn't read all
93 pages, I read about 3 and the last two, but realise now you're talking about washing tablet thingies. Interesting and far more practical!That's the way to do it with a long posting. You soon get a gist of what's being talked about. There's a habit on here to keep on going round and round the houses on specific subjects.
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Possible Nice Dealer alert!
We went to see the 'van again today for a thorough inspection. Subject to our independent engineer's inspection being even nearly as good as the written report from his own visiting man, the deal's firmly going ahead.
When I mentioned our plans to give it a trial run, even if it was only to tow it round a bit then sleep on our own drive, and commented on it not being ideal weather for such games for first timers, the dealer offered that he was prepared to start the 3 month
warranty a couple of months in the future, from when we start actually using the 'van. That seems unusually helpful of him - I'm impressed. Presumably he's worked out that we're people who won't be taking advantage of this by touring sunny Spain meanwhile,
but it does mean we'll be able to give it a decent trial run in early 2017 and still have 3 months' warranty alive.Thanks at the same time for all this useful advice on looking after the plumbing - much valuable advice!
Best wishes to all.
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Hope your inspector's report is satisfactory and that you get the caravan home soon. Good of the dealer to postpone the start of the warrenty till you actuall get out on the road. He's obvious sure of the quality of the van and hopes that you will use him
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He's a young guy whose Dad has been in the business for a lot longer, and both seem quite straight. While this is the job of any 2nd hand car/caravan/whatever dealer, so far they do seem genuinely pleasant. I think he's still relatively new in the business
and hoping for recommendations. If the van passes its test tomorrow, he'll be very likely getting one from us!0 -
He's a young guy whose Dad has been in the business for a lot longer, and both seem quite straight. While this is the job of any 2nd hand car/caravan/whatever dealer, so far they do seem genuinely pleasant. I think he's still relatively new in the business
and hoping for recommendations. If the van passes its test tomorrow, he'll be very likely getting one from us!Fingers crossed.
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What did the report say? I hope no further postings here isn't a bad sign? It all seemed very promising!
Sorry to keep you dangling thus! (Sudden arrival of other stuff needing even more urgent attention.)
We got it Delighted to say that we're now the proud owners of one Rapido Club32T Evolution, only 16 years old.The engineer's report hignlighted the need for replacement tyres - they were in excellent condition, just old: the dealer replaced all three. It mentioned wear on the pads in the Alko hitch - he replaced those too. By now the engineer's paid for himself!
(Excellent friendly man called Dale Leach, in the CC scheme, in Bedworth. ) [Moderators: while naming and shaming isn't done lightly, I take it naming and praising here is OK?!]
He highlighted three small areas of damp which the dealer's own engineer hadn't remarked on, but our engineer phoned me and said that these were so small, and the test had been done following that most torrentially wet couple of days, that he felt the van was
still a very good buy, and all that was needed for now was to check them again next year.So we shook hands, paid, and collected it, and it's now sitting on our drive, waiting for our first trip together.
There are two small matters of accessories promised still to be sorted, but I'm confident they will be. And the dealer voluntarily extended the warranty, so that it gives us a chance to test things out in Spring and early summer still under its cover. (Once
he's sorted those, I'm quite happy to name him here, too.)
Meanwhile, following my OP here, I have drained all the fluids I can from the van!And we're grateful indeed for all the help given here and in a couple of similar forums - it made a real difference in what we knew, which gave us confidence when talking to the dealer, almost as if we really knew what we were talking about!!
Now I've got new batteries for my camera I'll try & get a photo or two to post, though still sorting out the other matters which distracted me earlier.
Best wishes to all,
Richard
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