Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

christine lowery · Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 11:39 am Post subject: jobs that need doing now

hi gang
winter is upon us and don't forget your trusty caravan
have you drained your water tank and heater (Posh vans)
is your hand brake in the off position
is your fridge ajar
are your cusions stackedon end and all interior doors and lockers open
and finaly please give your cooker a good clean including the burners and a coat of rust inhibiter if there the tin type as there not cheep

please feel free as i know you will to add to this winter list

you caravan needs you at this time of year and a bit of love saves lots of time in the spring

christine Rolling Eyes

Dalek63 · Joined: 15 Aug 2009 Posts: 490 Location: North Cornwall

Dont forget to occasionaly air it out with a blow heater, gets the damp out and keeps it dry. Turn off all gas supply cocks. Take off the wheels, store them in the dry and dark and put the axel on chocks. Grease up the tow hitch and wrap it up in a water proof covering.
_________________
I can resist anything except temptation ! ( Oscar Wilde)
"Don't try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." ( Mark Twain)
http://www.period-classic-caravan-club.co.uk/

emmerson · Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 1268 Location: South East Wales

NO fear! I'm out in my Royale next week.

david_rachel · Joined: 26 Nov 2012 Posts: 144 Location: High Wycombe, UK

You only need to take the wheels off if you've got cross-plies. Absolutely no need to with radials
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David Rachel
1972 Triumph 2.5PI Est Royal Blue
1968 MG 1300 Sal Connaught Green
1978 Carlight Casetta
http://carlightrestoration.blogspot.co.uk
1995 Lada Riva 1.5 Est Red

Knowsley · Joined: 13 Sep 2010 Posts: 158 Location: uk

Mines hibernating with it's cover over it protecting it from the frost and rain, cushions standing on end and as you say Chris all the cupboard doors open to let the air circulate. Roll on March 2013 it's touring time!

Don't take my tyres off the van due to the sloping drive but I jack it up and rotate the wheels every few months when not in use

Good luck next week Emmerson, the weather is getting colder, where you heading off to?
_________________
Remember - Practice makes perfect!

emmerson · Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 1268 Location: South East Wales

Hi David. We're going up to Coalville to see Mick and Joan for a couple of days.
Never believed in taking the van off the road for the winter, nor covering it up. What happens if we get a few glorious sunny, cold winter days? By the time you get the van ready, it'll be raining again!
As for covering the van, they were made to be used outside, in all weather, so that's how mine gets used.
However, to each, his own.

Knowsley · Joined: 13 Sep 2010 Posts: 158 Location: uk

Emmerson, as you know I have three very big Standard Poodles who all love taking each other out on the grass and these days with the weather being like it is, they only stay white for the one day when they do get bathed. Hence dogs and winter caravaning don't go too well. Muddy paws and wet dogs take ages to dry out.....and 12 paw marks for every step they all take over my bedding in the van!

have a good trip, say hello to Ann, Mick and Joan but I'll gladly keep my cover on for another 3 months

David
_________________
Remember - Practice makes perfect!

Dalek63 · Joined: 15 Aug 2009 Posts: 490 Location: North Cornwall

We do take out our Car Cruiser in the winter months, last year we went to Bath in January, I developed a cold and sore throat that was KILLING ! But never the less carried on regardless and had a very nice time. This year we will be going to Brighton in March.
But when we get the Hemleys restored they will be nicely tucked up in the workshop untill summer time.
_________________
I can resist anything except temptation ! ( Oscar Wilde)
"Don't try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." ( Mark Twain)
http://www.period-classic-caravan-club.co.uk/

The Oldtimers · Joined: 23 Jul 2010 Posts: 83

You are either very brave or very tough Emmerson. I did notice how warm your Royale was when we popped in while you were camping near Scarborough.

Ours is undercover, and has been since our Essex trip last month.

Dalek, please get at least one Hemley ready for the PCCC National.

Thanks for all the winter check list advice.

emmerson · Joined: 30 Sep 2008 Posts: 1268 Location: South East Wales

Ted, ref the warm Royale: the club rallied at Thursford a couple of years ago, in December, in heavy snow. The site was quite full, and our Royales were the only vans with snow on the roof, after two days. On all the moderns, the snow had cleared quickly, all down to the fact that we had decent in-built insulation. Rallying in Beatock, Scotland, at the end of a 9 day rally, we still had snow on the roof.
As in everything, quality always tells........................... Smile

Knowsley · Joined: 13 Sep 2010 Posts: 158 Location: uk

I'll second that statement Emmerson of how warm Royale's are, but you need to have a Royale with double glazing as I've noticed how cold the glass window pains got in my old Royale compared to my 'new' all singing and dancing double glazed version which is like a sauna inside sometimes and they really hold the heat inside too

David
_________________
Remember - Practice makes perfect!

Peter_L · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 8:49 pm Post subject:

Trailer and Caravan Wheels.

Back in the 60's, 70's and early 80's our family were avid caravaners, we also pulled a variety of trailers for business and misc' duties.

I was always suprised by the number of incidents which involved trailer and caravans to lose wheels and by way of a short study I came up with a theory.

Caravan and trailer wheels were often ignored. Tyre wear wasn't that significant and units could often go along time without the wheels being removed. (not all caravan,trailer owners were mechnically inclined)

I sought to check quite a number of wheels, on units that were not inspected that often and found that they would invariably have a coating of rust between the wheel nut and the wheel. What I deduced from this was that the rust would break down leaving a gap between the nut and the wheel, once a gap had occured, the tightness created by the taper is lost.

Also, rust between the wheel and the hub, would have a similar result.

So, I for one, and a few others would carefully inspect and clean wheel and nuts, plus the back of the wheel and the surface of the hub. I would smear grease on the face of the hub and the rear of the wheel. (Not the nuts and studs)

Some of our European trips involved many thousands of miles and not always on the best of roads. Wheel nut checking was a regular event, but from what I remember, it was a check, not an tightening exercise.

As I said, it wasn't a scientific study, but our present utility trailer gets the treatment.

Dalek63 · Joined: 15 Aug 2009 Posts: 490 Location: North Cornwall

mistericeman · Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:34 pm Post subject:

Pahhh !!!! Fairweather vanners ...

We shall be heading off up to Penrith the Saturday before Xmas eve until the weekend after New year in our Cheltenham with our 2 Lurchers 1 cross border collie and our Aufen Pinscher .
Bring on the snow like the year before last (12" on the roof whilst we were at Otterburn in the Scottish borders .

Christmas dinner cooked in the oven (well as soon as i re-fit it) and plenty of alcohol Cool

Ohhh and no sodding Xmas telly thankfully Cool

gresham flyer · Joined: 06 Sep 2008 Posts: 1435

Look you guys.
If you were searching out a rare classic caravan and you went to view one where the old couple...
Kept it in a building.
Took the wheels off.
Greased it every six months.
Took the soft interior indoors for the winter.
Covered the chrome in a protective coating.
Covered the windows in the summer months from fading the interior.
Never took it out in the wet or wintertime.

You would walk away from it..and let them stick it on fleabay.

Gresham flyer