Top Two Caravan Winter Storage Tips

Top Two Caravan Winter Storage Tips

Although some dedicated campers choose to live in their vehicle year round, most of us take primary advantage of our caravans during the summer months.

Caravans provide us with a great, budget-friendly option for travel, enabling Australians to become better acquainted with all of the interesting and immersive communities that surround us.

Unfortunately, while these summer months are always fun, exciting and jam-packed full of new adventures, they are also often fleeting, leaving us to wonder in awe at where the time went.

When these summer months come to an end, seasonal campers like ourselves call it quits until the hot weather emerges again the following year. Between these moments though, our caravans will need to be stored.

What follows is a few beginner tips that will help seasonal campers keep their caravans in tip-top condition during these long and endless winter months.

Choose Your Location Wisely

Your caravan is an expensive investment.

Although owners of pop-tops have the option of lowering their roofs and parking in standard garages, those of us who own conventional caravans are not quite as lucky.

Because conventional caravans are so tall, the majority will not fit in standard house garages and will have to be stored at some type of caravan storage facility.

When choosing a caravan storage facility, security should be your main concern. While an open farm field may be an inexpensive location for parking a caravan, an insecure location may end up costing you more in the long-run if your caravan ends up exposed to damage or theft.

The Caravan Storage Site Owner’s Association is a wonderful resource, listing and grading a large number of caravan sites according to country and security features.

Also, try checking out the storage site before parking your caravan.

Many sites have small, crowded plots which can make the positioning of your vehicle difficult. In this case, it may be beneficial to bring along a specialized wheel jockey or caravan maneuvering system.

Protect Your Bodywork

When it comes to storing your caravan during the winter months, the first thing you should be taking care of is the exterior.

Prior to storage, you should wash your caravan thoroughly. It doesn’t matter whether you intend to use an overwintering wax or a Camec caravan cover, in either case, a wash will still be required.

When cleaning your caravan, always be sure that you’re using specialized caravan cleaners. Avoid using a pressure washer on your caravan, as they have been known to damage bodywork and seals should spray make its way underneath the vehicle’s trim.

Check the exterior of your caravan for signs of green or black mold and eliminate it prior to storage.  Prolonged exposure to mold can eat away at a caravan’s structure, leaving gaping spaces and  nasty holes.

General Tips

·         Rotate caravan tires every 6 to 8 weeks, if possible. You may also want to look into purchasing a caravan tire cover to protect your tires from potential UV degradation.

·         Drain your caravan’s water heater and remove all gas cylinders prior to storage

·         Remove and store all batteries, including 12-volts as well as those located in accessories

Do I Need a Caravan Privacy Screen?

Do I Need a Caravan Privacy Screen?

My Story

I still remember my first caravanning expedition. My family and I packed our bags, making sure to bring everything that we could need, but especially clothes, food, games, and a sense of adventure. Despite being filled with enthusiasm, we were still quite new to the whole caravanning culture.

For our first trip, we decided to spend the weekend in what was described as a “cozy” caravan park. We wanted to try to get used to living on the road before we embarked on any longer adventures.

When we arrived at the caravan park, I was quite disappointed to realize that what had been advertised as “cozy” on the website was more accurately described as “cramped and tiny”.

The park was filled with campers of varying ages and ethnicities, milling around, joking, and walking around what had become our new weekend home. Although my children were still extremely excited for the adventure, my wife and I had been expecting just a bit more privacy during our long-awaited retreat.

Throughout the weekend, we had a complete blast, meeting new families and friends, making S’more around campfires, and visiting all the local attractions.

However, it was a lot less fun being crammed into an overheated caravan park where I couldn’t turn my head without catching sight of at least one male nipple.

As mentioned, although it was fun, my wife and I soon learned that we would be requiring something extra to obtain the relaxing and private getaway that we had originally had in mind. 

Saving You Time

As a relatively new camper, I had no idea about caravan privacy screens. If I had been aware of them, our first family caravanning trip would likely have been a lot more enjoyable.

Upon doing hours of research and testing quite a few models during our caravanning escapades, I got a good idea of the industry standards.

To save other new campers a little bit of time, I’d now like to share what I have learned about caravan privacy screens. For the more introverted camper in a crowded caravan park, privacy screens are definitely a lifesaver.

Why Do I Need a Caravan Privacy Screen?

Although some campers are perfectly fine without a caravan privacy screen, many others (including myself) find them to be a great and affordable investment.

Caravan privacy screens (sometimes referred to as caravan sunscreens) are caravan add-ons that allow you to create a shaded and private area to enjoy during your travels.

In general, there are two types of caravan sunscreens:

•         Awnings
•          Side Sunscreens

It should be noted that while many people consider awnings and privacy screens to be the same thing, awnings can only provide shade as opposed to the privacy and shade offered by a genuine privacy screen. Side sunscreens are screens that attach to a caravan’s preexisting awning, creating a private area within the space between the caravan and the screen.

High Quality Privacy Screens

In general, higher quality privacy screens will be manufactured using a thicker shade cloth.

The thickness of the screen’s shade cloth is described as “GSM” which stands for ‘grams per square meter”. A higher GSM rating means a thicker cloth and higher UV resistance.

If you think you’re the type of camper who may benefit from a caravan privacy screen, start exploring privacy screens for sale.

An Overview of the Lemair XQB22 Fully Automatic Washing Machine

An Overview of the Lemair XQB22 Fully Automatic Washing Machine

Although many larger caravans and motorhomes come pre-equipped with a caravan washing machine, smaller RVs sometimes just don’t have the room or towing capacity to accommodate a full-scale washer. If you’re in the market for a compact portable washing machine with powerful washing capabilities, then the Lemair XQB22 Fully Automatic Washing Machine may be the one for you.

The Lemair XQB22 Overview 
The Lemair XQB22 Fully Automatic Washing Machine is a compact, top-loading model, weighing in at approximately 1.8 kilograms. Like most Lemair washing machines, the XQB22 offers 3 convenient wash settings, a quiet and steady washing experience and a 2.2 kilogram load capacity.

The Lemair XQB22 Features

• Incredibly compact, making it perfect for caravans and RVs
• An RPM of 800 that quickly washes while avoiding instability and loud vibrations
• Fully automatic wash cycles, eliminating the need to rinse clothes or transfer loads
• Water level options geared towards accommodating individual load sizes
• Both regular and gentle water treatment options for soaking and washing
• Easy-to-use control buttons
• Lint filter to capture lint and forgotten items
• A convenient alarm to signal you when the wash cycle has been completed

The Lemair XQB22 Specifications

• Perfect for small and/or crowded areas
• Cold water only connection located at the rear of the washing machine
• Features three custom wash cycles
• 240V, 300 Watt
• Washing time of approximately 36 to 56 minutes, depending on the setting
• Capable of handling loads up to 2.2 kilograms
• Total weight of 1.8 kilograms
• Dimensions: 438 mm (l) x 438 mm (w) x 695 mm (h)
• Shipping weight of 20.00 kilograms

Troubleshooting Common Issues with the Lemair XQB22

If the Lemair XQB22 isn’t receiving any power, it’s likely due to a problem with one of the following parts:
• Power cord
• Power supply in wall socket
• Power switch
• Fuse
• Controller

Try re-plugging the power cord. If that doesn’t do the trick, test that the socket itself is working by plugging something else in it. If you still aren’t having any luck, the power switch, fuse, and/or controller may need to be replaced.
If you’ve gone through these items and replaced them, still not seeing any positive results, it’s likely that you may have a faulty power cord.

If your Lemair XQB22 is receiving power perfectly but just doesn’t seem to be moving or washing clothes, a few different things may be at play:
• Pressure switch
• Controller
• Capacitor
• Motor
• V-Belt
• Clutch pulley wheel
• Pressure hose
• Impeller
• Voltage
• Clutch transmission gear

To troubleshoot this problem, go through the previous list checking and, if necessary, replacing all items listed until the hose. When checking the hose, be sure to verify that it’s in good condition and properly connected.

If all of these parts seem to be okay, you may be experiencing a period of low power voltage. In this case, it’s advised that you wait until the voltage goes back to its normal level. Before sending the Lemair in for service, also be sure to check/replace the washing machine’s clutch in case of damage to the transmission gear.