Winterising a static caravan

Owning a static caravan can be a fantastic investment, enabling you to escape everyday life to your home away from home anytime.

However, many holiday parks recommend you close down your static caravan for the winter season, as this can be a tricky time to care for your caravan as an owner.

A view over our stunning holiday homes at Mersea Island, Essex, on a snowy winters day. The winter sun is shining in the background.

To help prepare for the season of holiday park hibernation, you’ll want to shut down and carefully ‘winterise’ your caravan to keep it safe and in good condition when you’re ready to open it back up.

How to winterise a static caravan

It's essential to drain down and winterise your caravan effectively to ensure safety and security for the winter. Our helpful guide will teach you how to prevent dampness and stop your pipes from freezing so you can enjoy peace of mind and look forward to getting your holiday home up and running again as soon as possible.

The living area of our bright and spacious indulgent static caravan. The perfect way to stay.

How to drain down a static caravan

You can drain down and winterise your caravan with little equipment. You’ll need:

Newspaper
Bowls
Salt or silica gel
Antifreeze
WD40

Before the winter weather hits, you’ll need to do a couple of things before turning off the water supply to winterise your static caravan.

First, lift the lid on the toilet cistern and flush the toilet. As the cistern refills, add the antifreeze in a proportion of roughly three to one.

Then, remove the shower hose and shower head to prevent damage if they freeze. Once you’ve done this, you can turn off the water supply from the drain down valve, also known as a stopcock. Run your taps until there is no longer any water in the pipes.

Prepare and clean the interior

When the drain down is completed, there are still some key things you’ll need to do to winterise your caravan.

Bedrooms

Work through your caravan, packing up each room as best you can. Ensure no valuables are left behind, and take them home or vacuum pack your duvets, blankets, and other soft furnishings.

If there’s enough space, stand mattresses upright and leave any wardrobe doors open to help your static caravan stay secure and keep air circulating.

Kitchen

Once you’ve emptied the fridge and freezer, a weak solution of bicarbonate of soda is a great way to keep it clean. Remove all food from the cupboards, including anything that hasn’t been opened. Clean all surfaces, including the oven and microwave, and empty crumbs from the toaster. Again, all cupboards should be left open.

Lounge

Roll up the rugs, move all sofa cushions away from the walls and pack away soft furnishings. Clean all surfaces and take home all valuables – that includes the TV!

Remove what you can secure what you can’t

Your static caravan will be unique to you, so make sure all your belongings are kept safe and secure by doing a final check.

Consider removing any curtains or nettings that could cause mould or mildew. Push as much furniture as you can into the centre of the room, check all air vents are clear and turn off the electricity.

When winterising your caravan, you’ll want to remove what you can and secure what you can’t!

Winterise the exterior of your caravan

Once the inside of your caravan is fully winterised, it’s time to move onto the exterior. To do this, you’ll need to ensure all pipes and guttering are clear and working properly, and any gaps that insects or rodents could squeeze through are blocked.

We recommend checking the roof, chassis, and windows for leaks or loose joints and removing your steps if possible.

Finally, if your caravan has a gas bottle, disconnect it and store the canister safely.

A view of our stunning holiday homes over the lake at Mill Rythe, Hampshire.

Inform the park and check your insurance

Once you’ve successfully winterised your caravan, please let us know! We’d also love to know when you’re planning your return, and we can’t wait to see you making all-new memories next season. Also, remember to let your insurance company know you’ve winterised your static caravan so they can provide suitable cover for you over the winter.

Find out more

The lounge area of our bright and spacious indulgent static caravan. The perfect way to stay.

How to stop damp in a caravan

There are many ways to prevent dampness in a caravan over winter, but draining down and winterising your static caravan is key. Removing or covering soft furnishings, pushing what you can to the centre of the space, and standing mattresses up contribute to a damp-free zone upon your return.

Another handy trick is to place silica gel sachets around your caravan. Or remember those bowls we listed earlier? Fill them with salt and leave these around your caravan to help keep it as dry as possible.

Winterising your caravan – A checklist

To make it even easier, here’s a quick checklist to help you winterise your caravan:

Interior:

Remove personal belongings and valuables
Remove soft furnishings
Place seat cushions and mattresses on their side
Unplug electrical items
Remove all food
Clean each room from top to bottom, leaving drawers and cupboards
Check door seals and windows for signs of cracks
Clear any air vents
Leave bowls of salt or dehumidifier crystals like silica gel

Exterior:

Check walls, roof and underneath your static caravan for signs of damage
Clear debris and leaves from underneath the caravan, guttering and roof

Draining down your static caravan:

Turn off central heating and water systems
Disconnect and store any gas bottles
Turn off the electricity
Turn off and disconnect the water supply at the stopcock
Open each drain valve, turn on the taps and add antifreeze to the toilet cistern, sink and plug holes
Flush the toilet and run taps until they dry up
Notify the park and your static caravan insurance company