17.9 Tips for winter campers
The following tips will help make your winter camping experience as agreeable as
possible.
z Reserve your parking place in good time. Good winter camping sites are often
booked up early.
z Do not start your trip without winter tyres.
z Choose your parking place with care. Observe the ground beneath you. Snow
and ice may melt.
z Place boards of a sufficient size under the jockey wheel and the corner steadies
to prevent then from sinking when the snow thaws.
z When the vehicle has been positioned, release the handbrake to prevent
freezing.
z Protect the handbrake lever and the accumulator against frost with protective
covers.
z No snow walls should be allowed to cover the built-in forced ventilation.
z Protect the gas bottle compartment against freezing with a protective cover.
z Do not leave waste water in the tank but drain it into a bucket.
z Keep the built-in forced ventilation free from snow and ice.
z Make sure the air circulation is good. Good air circulation prevents moisture
from collecting and makes it easier to heat the living area.
z Follow the instructions in the section "Gas supply in European countries".
z Use a two-bottle system with automatic controller for the gas system, so that
the supply does not run out during the night.
z Only operate the gas system using propane gas.
z Do not use the space behind the heater as a storage compartment.
z Never operate catalytic ovens or infra-red gas radiators in the interior of the
vehicle, since they consume oxygen for burning.
z Lay the 230 V power cable in such a way that the cable cannot be frozen or be
damaged (e.g. during snow removal).
z Use a winter awning.
z When it is snowing heavily, clear the roof of the vehicle of snow regularly. A few
centimetres of powdery snow serves as insulation, but wet snow quickly
becomes a heavy burden.
z Before embarking on the return journey, remove all the snow from the roof to
avoid impeding vehicles behind you with a "snow flag".
