Winterize the folding caravan – top care for the new camping season

End of October. In Central Europe the camping season is now finally over. Time to mothball the folding caravan for this year. To make your butterfly a reliable and cozy home for the following year, you should winterize it after the last trip. How this works and what you need for it we explain to you in the contribution.

Winterize the folding caravan

Folding caravans are like motorcycles. With the end of October it means to park the mobile finally until the next spring in the garage. That is then well and gladly 4 and more months. Too much time to simply put down the faithful companion. Below we have recorded all the measures we take after the last camping trip of a year. Our goal is to start the new season with a well-maintained and functional folding caravan. Depending on where you park your Falter, you should take additional precautions to protect and care for the tent trailer.

• Apply some grease to the handbrake and the support wheel of the trailer.
• Oil all locks and hinges, for example on the drawbar box, the kitchen block or the coupling.
• Care all seals with silicone spray resp. Rubber care.
• Increase the tire pressure up to 0.5 bar above the usual value. Even better: relieve the tires by lifting the folding caravan with its supports or the jack (see article).
• When parking the tent trailer outdoors: treat the drawbar to a protective cover.
• Secure the butterfly with brake pads and release the handbrake. Otherwise, there's a risk that the brake cables will seize up over the winter months and be difficult to loosen in the spring.
• When using a tarpaulin, make sure that the air can circulate under it.
• A final look should be made at the main inspection plate on the trailer license plate. If a HU is due next year for the trailer, you can already schedule it now.

• Wash the outer tent with water and let it dry well before folding it up.
• Check the tent for tears and repair them with the help of a repair kit.
• Check the equipment and stock up on tensioning lines and tent rings in the outgoing season. So next year you can start immediately.

• Remove all food from the kitchen. Insects and other small animals will not find any food.
• Empty the water tank completely, rinse it well and let it dry.
• Dehumidify also the water hose, especially if the temperature threatens to fall below 0 °. Residual water runs the risk of freezing and damaging the hose.
• Use the moment to clean the interior and the kitchen. Just 10-15 minutes of invested cleaning time will make the interior look much friendlier.
• Close the gas valve completely, let the residual gas escape from the hoses and disconnect them. Stow the gas bottle in as dry a place as possible.

Useful equipment*

• and rubber care helps the seals well over the winter for the drawbar especially when stored in the fresh air for easy opening and closing of all trailer locks avoid a flat tire during long periods of parking give the folder a stable hold when the handbrake is released

Conclude

If you send your tent trailer into hibernation, you reduce the risk of damage caused by the cold and you can start the next camping season with a well-maintained mobile. Just use our suggested actions as a checklist when you park your butterfly for the last time of the year. You should not need more than one hour to winterize your tent trailer. We wish you a good end of the season.

This butterfly care tip is based on our experience with our folding caravan. It might not work with your tent trailer or. even damage it. If you are unsure, please ask your butterfly manufacturer or the manufacturer of the ice skate. Retailer to.