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Laying up the caravan for winter.
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ronp
 


Member Since: 29 Nov 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 15208

United Kingdom 2014 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4
Laying up the caravan for winter.

When I lived in North Yorks my previous caravans were kept in storage.
Did the usual drain down of fluids, removing bedding etc.

However, since I've moved I can now park it up beside my house.
Bought this van in Aug 19 and because of Covid, hadn't clapped eyes on it until the day before lockdown early Nov when I travelled to North Yorks to pick it up and I really don't know anything about it yet!
Anyway for now I have two main questions:

1) If I keep the caravan plugged in to my 240v supply, will this in itself keep the leisure battery on charge (without overcooking it)? Ctek is hooked up and shared with D4 & summer car.

2) I'd like to keep some form of heating in the caravan through the winter, just to stop the internal temperature going down to (& below) freezing. Is it safe enough to plug a heater in that has a sensor that switches on/off when temperatures drop. Or would there be a 'winter' setting on the caravans Alde heating system?

The van is a Sterling Eccles Coral SE

Thanks in advance. Thumbs Up
 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 

Last edited by ronp on 24th Nov 2020 8:43 am. Edited 1 time in total 
Post #218902923rd Nov 2020 4:59 pm
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Gareth
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Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
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The caravan charger should be able to keep the caravan battery topped up. In my Elddis the Alde wet heating system can be set to a very low temp, down to 5 degrees I think. However, I’m not sure how this will affect the hot water heater. On mine the hot water and the heating are on the same ‘boiler’. If you have drained down, there will be no water to heat, and that may be a bad thing?

I don’t know, so best rtfm! 🤔
  
Post #218903623rd Nov 2020 5:37 pm
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GLYNNE
 


Member Since: 06 Oct 2006
Location: KENT
Posts: 4639

England 

I keep my caravan plugged in all the time and it keeps the battery charged, and my heating is set low and runs if and when it gets cold, so yes to both your questions here Thumbs Up
  
Post #218903723rd Nov 2020 5:39 pm
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Brian_DL13
 


Member Since: 25 Aug 2013
Location: Teesdale
Posts: 1418

United Kingdom 2014 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4

I don't connect my van to 220v at all until we start getting ready to go in the spring. If you don't have an alarm or anything, then there should be nothing to drain the battery.

I thoroughly drain down all the water, pull all the soft furnishings away from the outside wall, open all the cupboards and drawers a touch, crack open the skylight above the shower and crack open (ie on the first catch) a window at the other end so as to provide some through ventilation and that's it. I've done this for years and not had any problems.
  
Post #218904023rd Nov 2020 5:47 pm
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stew 46
 


Member Since: 01 Dec 2011
Location: cornwall
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England 2005 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Manual Siberian SilverDiscovery 3

Many many years I lived in a 2 bed static for 3 years in between selling and finding another house I rented a place for the cold 3 months one winter and I plugged in a small but good quality dehumidifier, It gave of enough heat to keep it just above freezing and kept it bone dry for the 3 months Thumbs Up
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Post #218904223rd Nov 2020 5:51 pm
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nigel207
 


Member Since: 26 Mar 2009
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England 2016 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 Landmark LE Auto ZanzibarDiscovery 4

With regards to the Alde system, as Gareth says, set it to the lowest setting (5C) or any temperature above that. If you’ve drained the water out of the boiler, it’s perfectly safe to use the heating without the water heater. In the settings, just ensure that the water heater setting is “off”.
  
Post #218904623rd Nov 2020 6:06 pm
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Russell
 


Member Since: 23 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
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Gareth wrote:
The caravan charger should be able to keep the caravan battery topped up. In my Elddis the Alde wet heating system can be set to a very low temp, down to 5 degrees I think. However, I’m not sure how this will affect the hot water heater. On mine the hot water and the heating are on the same ‘boiler’. If you have drained down, there will be no water to heat, and that may be a bad thing?

I don’t know, so best rtfm! 🤔


Gareth with Alde systems you can run the heating with the hot water drained down, they are designed to do that and I have done it often. Thumbs Up
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Post #218912623rd Nov 2020 11:57 pm
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Ivan
 


Member Since: 01 Mar 2011
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As said above, I keep my Sterling Eccles Solitaire plugged in at home. The hot water system is drained down and the Alde heating set to low for when it gets really cold. Been like that for 3 years now and had no issues.
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Post #218914424th Nov 2020 7:57 am
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Gareth
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Every day is a learning day. 👍
  
Post #218914724th Nov 2020 8:09 am
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ronp
 


Member Since: 29 Nov 2006
Location: North Yorkshire
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United Kingdom 2014 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 HSE Auto Corris GreyDiscovery 4

Some great comments and tips there. Bow down

Seems I need to have a play around with the Alde control panel and find that 'heating only' setting. Thumbs Up
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Post #218916024th Nov 2020 8:41 am
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Navigator
 


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Scotland 2015 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 SE Auto Causeway GreyDiscovery 4

If you are keeping the caravan heated why drain the water? Running the inbuilt heating system will use up its minimum time before failure allowance. Better to use a seperate 240v heater with a thermostat built in.
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Post #218920824th Nov 2020 11:02 am
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James W
 


Member Since: 27 Mar 2008
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Don't forget to drain the toilet flush tank as well as your hot water tank if you do drain down Thumbs Up

My caravan is plugged in permanently, some recommend against it/say it's unnecessary but I have ham radio kit running in there permanently so it needs it.

I have run a dehumidifier in mine before now but as caravans aren't 'sealed' (e.g. the vents in the floor) I have heard that you're simply drawing in air from the outside and basically attempting to dehumidify the atmosphere Laughing Sadly it still rains.

At the moment I use my caravan as a second home office/radio shack/etc. so have the heating on quite often which gets some good heat through it and keeps the damp feel down. I don't have wet heating and wouldn't want to leave the blown air on all the time (plus I'd imagine it would be expensive) so not tried that.

I have considered getting one of those low-energy cylindrical greenhouse mains frost heaters and keeping it plugged in over winter.
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Post #218921424th Nov 2020 11:38 am
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rrhool
 


Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
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I tried one of those greenhouse heaters, but it was only about 60w and made no difference at all. Now I use a 650w miniature oil filled radiator, set on low. Keeps the inside temp above 5°C all winter. Seems to keep the damp out nicely.


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Post #218921824th Nov 2020 12:07 pm
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nigel207
 


Member Since: 26 Mar 2009
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England 2016 Discovery 4 3.0 SDV6 Landmark LE Auto ZanzibarDiscovery 4

ronp wrote:
Some great comments and tips there. Bow down

Seems I need to have a play around with the Alde control panel and find that 'heating only' setting. Thumbs Up


Which Alde system do you have, the 3010 with the control panel with physical buttons, or the 3020 with a touch-screen control panel? If you let me know, I can help you through it if you’d like?
  
Post #218925224th Nov 2020 1:59 pm
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Washwipe
 


Member Since: 19 Apr 2013
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England 

I leave the Alde on, set to six degrees, but I blow the water out of the water system with FLO, I don’t take a chance, the diaphragms in the water pumps are fragile, I lost one pump to the winter, only needs a little bit of water in the pump to freeze, oh and toilet flush drained also..
  
Post #218928924th Nov 2020 5:11 pm
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