Whether you use your motor home all year round or lay it up
for the winter, care should always be taken to ensure your
investment is receiving the very best attention. The normal
regular maintenance has been covered in the preceding
pages.
The following tips will be helpful for the periods when your
motor home is not regularly used. It applies if you store in a
compound away from home or in your own drive.
One of the dangers is storing in one position with slightly
deflated tyres. The walls are bound to suffer and present you
with a risk of blowouts. This is especially true if you go to the
continent and travel at faster speeds than permitted in the
UK. You should turn the wheels every couple of weeks or
remove them altogether. Do not jack the vehicle on its corner
steadies, use a conventional car jack then lower it onto
wooden blocks or axle stands.
All moving parts should be checked for free operation and
lubricated accordingly.This includes corner steadies,
handbrake, linkages, brakes etc. Prevention is better than
cure therefore it is recommended that the complete coupling
and brake drums are covered with a plastic bag and tied at
the end to prevent moisture accumulating.
It is important that the water system is drained off during
freezing weather when the motor home is not in use or after
the last trip out of the season. Failure to do this could result in
serious damage to components.
Frost damage is not covered by warranty, it is the owner's
responsibility to take reasonable precautions.
To drain off:
• Open drain cock on main tank.
• Drain the heater.
• Open any drain cocks in pipe.
• Open all taps and leave open.
• Wait five minutes.
• Run pump
• Drain cassette toilet (see instructions)
Consult all water component manufacturer's handbooks.
Before starting to use your motor home after a long lay off,
check all gas appliances, points and electric's.
Mains warning: Once a year (recommended) the electrical
installation should be inspected and tested by a qualified
electrician.
It is recommended that the upholstery is removed from the
vehicle before placing your vehicle into winter storage.The
curtains should also be drawn to prevent discolouration of
the furniture etc.
The water system should be flushed through with sterilising
fluid prior to laying up and again before the next use. It is
recommended that the cupboard doors are left open to allow
air to fully circulate.
If you are unfortunate enough to suffer a major accident,
your dealer has the equipment and training to undertake
most types of repair
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17. Winter Laying Up
Final 2006 AT Handbook 1/12/05 12:06 pm Page 43
