20 OCT 2024
MAINTENANCE AND PREPARATIONS BEFORE WINTER
PRODUCT
Even for those who love motorhome holidays, autumn is the season that precedes the big winter chill, so it is a good time to reflect on how best to prepare and protect your motorhome during the coldest months of the year. Although your Ducato-based motorhome is built to cope with wintry weather, adopting a few specific measures will make life on board that bit more pleasurable and avoid various problems. Seasonal climates vary from place to place; for example, winter in southern Italy is much milder compared with Sweden. That said, below we provide some general advice for all areas where winter can bring sub-zero temperatures and snowfall.
The first thing you need to decide is whether you want to use your motorhome over the winter or leave it in storage for several weeks. Let's start with the latter option: if you decide to lay up your motorhome, then we advise taking the following steps to avoid any damage or premature deterioration. First, you need to completely drain the water system, because if the water freezes, it may damage pipes, fittings, pump, mixer cartridges and more besides. To empty the system, open the drain valve located under the vehicle (after parking the vehicle over a drain point) and let all the water in the system flow out. You will need to open all the taps until no more water comes out. Don't forget to also empty the boiler for heating water.
The second thing you need to do is thoroughly clean the interior of your motorhome, taking care to remove any food particles, not only from the floor, but also from drawers, cupboards and the cooktop. The refrigerator must be cleaned with suitable products and its door left ajar (your fridge has a special lock setting for this).
You should preferably clean the outside of your motorhome too, using non-aggressive detergents on any plastic windows. You can also protect door and window seals with a thin layer of special lubricant. If your vehicle is going to be out of action for a long time, it is best to fully inflate the tyres to prevent ovalisation.
If, on the other hand, you plan on using your motorhome during the winter, then you need to prepare it properly. It is essential to check the heating system and seek advice from an expert technician if you notice anything unusual. To ensure perfect efficiency, flues and external vents mustn't be obstructed; the same also goes for interior hot air vents.
Next, check that the leisure battery (which runs the electrical appliances) is fully charged, because it uses most power in winter, when the lights remain on for hours at a time and the heating system fans are constantly running.
You also need to inspect the mechanical base of your Ducato motorhome: carry out scheduled maintenance, checking that there is antifreeze in the engine and in the windscreen washer reservoir, and that the winter or all-season tyres aren’t worn down.
Take full advantage of the autumn by spending some extra time preparing for the arrival of winter. This applies whether you will be using your motorhome during the coldest season or laying up your vehicle in storage for a few weeks.