Preparing 'Bryony' our Autosleeper Broadway EB motorhome for the forthcoming lock down

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Preparing Bryony for the lock down

As newbies to motorhoming we are still trying to get to grips with what to do about longer term storage of Bryony our Autosleeper Broadway EB. This is what we have done for this lock down. We are assuming we won’t be able to access her for several weeks. We know this is a worry for all newbies so if anyone who is experienced at motorhomes and reads this and thinks “oow, missed something on the list guys", then please drop us a comment so we can amend this.

1.       Drained down the freshwater and waste water tanks and the combi heating/boiler tank using the ‘dump’ switch. Put waste tank cleaner down the plug holes and then went for a drive before draining all that down as well. Closed all external drain down taps after the drive.

2.       Drained the toilet cistern system completely.

3.       Left all internal taps in the central open position and ran the pump long enough to push out all the water. We then drove with the waste and freshwater drain taps open to make sure all remaining water dribbles were removed. The shower head was removed and shaken to remove any water. However, in hindsight, back home, we realise we may have closed the drain down taps outside and this may have been a mistake. If there is any water left in the pipes or taps and it freezes, this could cause frost damage!

4.       The Thetford cassette was given a thorough rinse and the seals cleaned and lubricated with silicon spray. The toilet cassette top door was left open.

5.       All seals around doors and windows were sprayed as well as well to make sure they were lubricated and protected.

6.        The fridge and freezer were switched off, all foodstuffs removed and the interiors wiped clean. Doors have been left open for air circulation and paper towel laid down to capture any dribbles. Exterior fridge vents have been fitted. Hopefully all this will prevent mould formation.

7.       Checked vehicle antifreeze levels and tyre pressures.

8.       Washed down the exterior, cleared away accumulations of mud around wheel arches and the rear extending step and checked exterior seals, particularly around the aerial area and also where the awning joins the main habitation unit.

9.       Seat cushions have been upended and moved away from exterior walls so that the spaces underneath are vented. Blinds have been closed to prevent the upholstery from fading.

10.   Carpets have been lifted and bought home for cleaning. Bryony has been thoroughly cleaned and polished. The Dyson vac ran out of battery!

11.   All skylights have been checked, their seals cleaned and then double checked that all were closed and catches were working properly.

12.   All locker doors are open to allow air to circulate.

13.   Gas supply has been closed down and all interior valves put to their closed position.

14.   The harmony control panel was switched to smart charging between the vehicle and leisure battery. We didn’t switch off the EC 700 unit, only the 12v switch on the harmony panel. This is one area where we are not sure which is best to do – close down the EC700 unit completely using the black off switch OR just close down the 12v system on the harmony panel and leave the EC 700 unit switched on and the green charging light lit. We think that the black switch is a master switch, which when turned off, stops power going anywhere. Our concern was leaving it on might mean we placed a drain on the batteries but switching it off would mean nothing would work. The handbook was hopeless in helping resolve this situation. We decided to leave it on so that it would power the Harmony panel (which we shut off) and allow us to check the battery levels using the AutoLocate app. The solar charging is switched to SMART and so both batteries get topped up by the solar unit. However, we are now thinking the solar energy available during the winter months will be less that the drain of the EC700 unit on the batteries and so their voltage will lower. Had we switched off the EC700 unit completely then any solar charge would have been directed to the vehicle battery only. The drain on the leisure battery would have been minimal (only the tracker and that has its own reserve battery should the leisure battery go completely flat). Basically, we may have made a mistake and only time will tell. Fortunately, the lockdown shouldn’t be for more that six weeks and as soon as it is lifted we will take Bryony out for a long drive to recharge the batteries and then get into the habit of taking her out every fortnight.

15.   All personal valuables have been removed.

16.   Alarms have been checked, steering wheel and wheel locks fitted and auto-locate tracker apps activated.

17.   Wheels have been chocked, the vehicle left in gear and the handbrake left off to prevent the brakes binding.

18.   Dehumidifier boxes have been scattered throughout the interior and particularly in the area where we had the leak – in the wardrobe in the bathroom.

As soon as lockdown is lifted, we will go and

1.       Take Bryony for a long run so that batteries are recharged and so the wheels are moved thus preventing the formation of flat spots on the tyres.

2.       Switch on the heaters and air circulation system to clear out any humidity not captured by the dehumidifiers.

3.       Check that the gas appliances are still working correctly.

4.       Check the damp situation in the wardrobe area.

5.       Put in new dehumidifiers.

6.       Check for leaks around all doors, windows, exterior lockers and along any roof panel joins.

We hope this helps if you, like us, are new to motorhoming. As always, we welcome any insights and additional tips from more experienced motorhomers. Drop us a comment and we will amend the above accordingly.

In the meantime, stay safe during lockdown, plan plenty of exciting tour trips for when lockdown is lifted and share a ‘postcard’ (a photo with caption and brief details about yourselves) with us so we can post it on the blog – something from this year’s tours to keep us ‘excited’ during what will be a long winter season.

All of you take care now, look after yourselves in these difficult times.

Steve and Maggie

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