Caravanning and it's that time again!

Рет қаралды 10,580

The Caravan Place

Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 28

@mentonish Ай бұрын

In the old days a caravan was a dream holiday, times have changed.

@allenmclaughlin5283 Ай бұрын

Mark watching all these videos and having just sold my motorhome and bought a caravan taking it to Cornwall where the weather was bad in the middle of July and having to pay service charge storage and all the other hundreds of charges then getting on a plane and going to Türkiye 5* for a week all inclusive with wonderful service and glorious sun i have to ask myself is it worth all the work and money for these caravans where site fees are terrible to sit in a field with nothing on them cost of fuel and then all the problems with storage through the winter work work and more work even when you take them away you are always doing something can we really call this a relaxing break or a money pit on wheels.

@thecaravanplace Ай бұрын

I think it's the lifestyle, and as you get older especially retired, it's a very good way to keep your mind working and active. We do just need the weather though. 👍

@andrewtreweek254 Ай бұрын

Hi Mark, we have a tracker installed, which provides details on the charge level. It also indicates when the solar panel is charging. Being able to do this remotely saves regular trips to storage. Keep up the good work. 😊

@thecaravanplace Ай бұрын

Great tip👍 a very easy way to keep an eye, and it's just making sure you download the app.

@kevinlawrence2127 Ай бұрын

Just air blown 500ML's of water out of the pipes with self made kit, toilet tank drained, as demonstrated by Mark. As for the battery with alarm & tracker enabled, even over the winter, since I've changed Swift manufactures solar charge controller to a Victron MPPT solar charge controller. the battery has never gone flat since.

@thecaravanplace Ай бұрын

That's interesting with the victron 👍

@David_K160 Ай бұрын

I've got a soft spot for the bailey orion. Thanks for the tour today Mark Do you find the bailey orion caravans to be durable and reliable because they are bolted together rather than screwed, but also light weight, so should last a very long time?

@thecaravanplace Ай бұрын

Hi David, they are a great little van and very light weight, the sides and roof are all grp so don't suffer with damp, but water can track into the floor so a 6 monthly check on the floor is with it to stop any issues. They are a super little van though and good value. 👍

@David_K160 Ай бұрын

@thecaravanplace Yeah, I've heard about this issue. I know some who have removed the shrinking gaskets on the front and back mouldings and replaced them with sealant. Also, added sealant into ends of the bottom awning rails to stop water tracking into the floor. I've also seen that once you seal all areas where water can track onto the floor, then these caravans are bulletproof. I've also seen people do this to other Bailey alu-tech models with the same problem, it seems to do the trick, although they do continue with regular checks to ensure the van is still damp resistant. Like you say, they are super little caravans, especially once you've remedied the problems. Then, theoretically, they should outlast any screwed caravan.

@weeble3383 Ай бұрын

Regarding batteries, this is our first season on a seasonal pitch in Cornwall, we live in the midlands. I believe we need to leave the leisure battery in, to keep the tracker active. We wont be able to come down for at least 5 months. Will the battery keep enough charge from the solar panel to keep the tracker going. Thanks

@thecaravanplace Ай бұрын

@@weeble3383 the only thing you can do is make sure it's fully charged when you go the last time, give the solar panel a really good clean with biodegradable soap, and make sure nothing is left on to drain the battery.

@weeble3383 Ай бұрын

@@thecaravanplace thanks for the advice, much appreciated

@fortnitefred1351 Ай бұрын

Keep telling us mtplm weights , thanks.

@andrewcarn6584 Ай бұрын

When you say damp are you referring to water ingress? I always thought the two was very different.

@thecaravanplace Ай бұрын

Yes water ingress, not damp in the air 👍

@81adamlittle Ай бұрын

How exactly do you lose half a service? Service it now and have the winter to sort any issues, or service it in the spring and rush to fix any problems, either way it's something to do every 12 months.

@thecaravanplace Ай бұрын

It's more the having it serviced then not using it for 4 or 5 months, not so bad if on the drive and you can do jobs and keep everything running, but if put into storage and not touched, the chances are, when it comes back out you will have issues. 👍

@81adamlittle Ай бұрын

@thecaravanplace mine was serviced last October as i bought it in September and it hadn't had a service in 2023, as a novice to caravans i had the peace of mind that the service engineer had drained everything down and it was all sorted and safe for the freezing conditions ahead, I don't recall there being any issues first time out this year with it, other than a sticky toilet pump which was also mentioned on the service.