Warm solutions to cold, damp nights in winter caravans

Press, 15 August 1978, Page 18

Warm solutions to cold, damp nights in winter caravans

Caravanning in winter? “Nat likely,” you may reply, and until quite recently you would have been justified in a dread of cold nights and damp days. Now things are changing. Today, you can buy a caravan "off the shelf” with all the mod-cons of home and, with the easv payment terms available, it will not break the bank. Carpeted floors are taking over from traditional vinyl in many caravans. The manufacturers claim that carpet is as easy to clean as vinyl, it looks nicer, feels more comfortable and homely, and is warmer. Just about every caravan made nowadays has the walls and often the roof packed with insulation, and it is required both in winter and summer because you will have noticed those large windows that are now appear* ing an caravans. They are great for letting the sun

in and for seeing backwards when you are towing but they can be cold in winter. Some of the more expensive caravans have wall space heaters fitted as a standard feature. Even if your caravan does not have a heater fitted it is a simple matter to take along a small gas or electric heater. The gas ones usually come complete with their own small gas battle and all you have to do with the electric ones is plug them in. But of even greater importance than carpets, insulation and heating is a growing awareness of the advantages of "self-con-

tainment.” Imagine waking in the morning and moving just a metre or two to your shower and toilet virtually "en-suite.” No shivering in ablution block showers for you. Cooking, washing up, even clothes washing in some instances, is done using water stored in tanks within the caravan. Waste water is usually pumped into a sump at a caravan park. Some caravans carry waste water tanks in which dirty water is held until it can be tipped down a drain or sump but this system is more common on large motorised caravans than towed caravans.

Some people fit their own extra water tanks, including a hot water tank, and electric water pump — usually run from a 12

volt battery — but more and more caravans are coming fitted with hot .water, showers and toilet. If they are not fitted, manufacturers can make, these features available as options at extra cost. Just having shower, tai» let and hot water carried within the caravan and run from either the tow car’s battery or from a separate battery in the caravan, does not mean

complete self containment. To do that you would have to be completely independent from the need of outside services for days on end. Some large motor caravans can go for weeks on end without even needing to buy milk. Everything is stored within their “home.” Caravans are not quite that self-sufficient, mainly because carrying all the necessary items for days

away from' it all, increases or weeks of true getting the caravan weight dramatically and towing problems can then arise. But the partial self-suff-ficiency of your own shower and toilet; your own running hot water in the warmth of your carpeted, insulated and heated caravan can turn winter caravan stop-at-homes into winter gadabouts.

CARAVAN FEATURE