Helpful Tips to Prevent your Caravan from Breaking Down

Whether its winter or summer, there are equal changes that your caravan may breakdown due to extreme weather conditions. In order to avoid inconvenience of arranging caravan transport due to vehicle breakdown, you need to follow some safety tips that will prevent caravan breakdown in colder months and hot summers.

1.     Battery

Batteries can be damaged by cold, moisture in winter or excessive heat in summers. If your battery weakens then, your caravan will take time to start for which you need to replace the battery. You also need to take care of battery, especially when it is older than two years.

There are few guidelines that you should consider to increase the life span of battery such as:

  • Remove the battery and store it in a cool, dry place where you can check it regularly.
  • Don’t leave ignition on when car is in stationary state and top up its charge levels when needed.
  • Turn off heater, head/ tail lights and entertainment systems when you stop the caravan because when you start the engine these functions put more strain on the battery.

2.     Tyres

Secondly, you need to check you tyre pressure weekly. This facility is available at all petrol stations and it is free.Tyres should be in good condition for a safe journey as cracked, bulges and lose pressure can lead to bad consequences.

If the tires have tread wear indicators which is down to one-sixteenth inch of the tire, then this is the right time to alter the tires.  You can also take you car to mechanic for checking tyres and another way for checking is to look at the depth of the tires with the use of an instrument tread-depth gauge. Other parts of your caravan that need to be check regularly include:

  • Jockey wheel
  • Wheel nuts
  • Corner steadies
  • Hitch head
  • Breakaway cable

3.     Oil Change

Engine oil also needs to be checked regularly because if you don’t check, it may fail to serve its purpose. It is simple to check oil condition of your motor home or converted van; there is a dip-stick to check. Dip the stick in oil and analyze the oil, if it looks black, crude or thick then, it needs to be changed. Oil change facility is available at auto service stations. The oil filter also needs to be changed annually for better engine performance. Apart from that, do check that the coolant and brake fluids once a month whether they are at the recommended levels on your tow car or not.

4.     Air Filter

Usually, in winter air is denser and there is moisture in the environment. In these conditions, air filter should be clean to prevent moisture or ice blockage from getting mix with engine and fuel. You need to check air filter regularly in summers too and if it is dirty then take your caravan to service station. If air filter is not clean, your car may start missing and you will not be able to drive well.

Beware

As caravan and other vehicles are complex piece of machinery, you need to service them well, then you should always keep an eye on Warning Lights. This is because warning lights notify you about problem with the suspension, alignment or tires or steering. So in order to keep your journey safe, don’t ignore what warning lights indicate.