🛠️Get ready for spring adventures with confidence.

After months in winter storage or a long break from camping, your campervan deserves a thorough once-over before you hit the road again. Spring brings warmer weather, but it also brings the risks of frost damage, damp, and wear from inactivity. Taking time to check essential systems now can save you time, money — and prevent breakdowns mid-trip.

🔋 1. Power & Battery: Start With Energy

Winter can take a toll on your vehicle and leisure batteries, especially if they were left unused for a long period.
✔️ Check battery charge levels and top up or fully recharge if needed.
✔️ Look for corrosion at terminals and clean as required.
✔️ Reconnect any auxiliary or leisure batteries removed for storage.

A weak or discharged battery is one of the most common spring issues for campervan owners.

🚐 2. Exterior & Tyres: Ready for the Road

Walk all around your campervan and look for signs of winter wear.
✔️ Inspect tyres for correct pressure, cracking, bulges and uneven wear.
✔️ Check tyre tread depths and age — tyres more than 5–6 years old often need replacing.
✔️ Look at bodywork for dents, cracks or seal damage around windows and doors.
✔️ Test all exterior lights (indicators, brake lights, headlights).

Proper tyre pressure improves handling, safety and fuel efficiency.

💧 3. Water System: Flush, Sanitize & Inspect

Frozen pipes or leftover water can lead to leaks and component damage.
✔️ Reconnect fresh water tank, refill and flush the system.
✔️ Check all pipes, taps, and tanks for leaks or frost damage.
✔️ If equipped with a pressure switch pump, make sure it only activates with a tap on.
✔️ Sanitize the water tank to remove bacteria that built up over winter.

Remember: even small leaks around joints can become bigger problems on the road.

🔥 4. Gas & Heating: Safety First

Your heating system might still be needed on cool spring evenings, so make sure everything works safely.
✔️ Test the heating unit and ensure water heats up properly.
✔️ Check gas hoses, pressure regulators and cylinders — replace old or expired parts.
✔️ Use a qualified technician for gas pressure testing and leak checks.

Gas system faults are serious — never skip this step.

🧰 5. Moving Parts, Doors & Accessories

Winter can stiffen mechanisms that weren’t regularly used.
✔️ Exercise and lubricate electric steps, awnings and bike racks.
✔️ Inspect windows, skylights, seals and blinds — clean and grease if needed.
✔️ Check roller blinds and mosquito nets for slack springs or damage.

A little light lubrication can prevent long-term wear and tear.

🪟 6. Interior & Damp Inspection

Standing still encourages condensation and mould.
✔️ Air out cupboards, soft furnishings and sleeping areas.
✔️ Check for signs of dampness or mould stains on fabrics or walls.
✔️ Ensure ventilation works properly — vents and roof hatches should open easily.

Catching damp early protects comfort and prevents costly internal damage.

📋 7. Final Safety & Mechanical Checks

Before your first journey, make sure the basics are all ready:
✔️ Check engine oil, coolant, brake fluid and washer fluid.
✔️ Look at belts, filters and fluid levels under the bonnet.
✔️ Test brakes, clutch and steering responsiveness.
✔️ Secure loose items inside the van to prevent movement while driving.

A short test drive after all checks helps identify any remaining issues.

🧭 In Summary

A spring-ready campervan is a safe campervan. After winter, take time to inspect:
✔️ Batteries & power systems
✔️ Tyres, exterior bodywork & seals
✔️ Water & gas systems
✔️ Moving parts and accessories
✔️ Interior ventilation and damp
✔️ Engine, fluids & safety equipment

Preparing now means more worry-free memories on your first camping trip of the year!

Tom Davies felt one part of his trip could be massively improved.

A dad turned a holiday disappointment into a successful business by accident. Tom Davies, 35, from Crosby, travelled to Iceland in 2017 with his wife Kayleigh and son Harry, who was six months old at the time.

There was one thing the family felt let down about on their break. Speaking to the ECHO, Tom said: “We did a trip to Iceland – me, my wife and baby at six months old. We travelled in a campervan.

They were disappointed by how little work had gone into improving the campervan, with an old fashioned interior and basic amenities. At around the same time, Tom was preparing to leave his dad’s manufacturing business to work for himself but his initial plans had fallen through.

He said: “My background is in engineering. I’d been working for my dad since I left school. It got to the point where it was clear that my auld fella wasn’t going to be retiring anytime soon. I wanted to do something of my own.