It's a static, so ill check some of those links out, ta
Got a rough idea what to do, but you know what it's like, people always have handy tips

I have had a static for 20 years and this weekend will be our last until spring.Obviously all the water has to be drained from the bathroom,kitchen,and radiators if you have them.Some people take down all the curtains but I just loosen the tie backs and half close them.I have a dehumidifier which I bought years ago and its amazing the amount of water that it collects.I buy the crystals from a caravan dealer and also put some in a sieve attached to a bowl so the bedroom and sitting room is protected.Spray loads of fly spray around when you are leaving giving the air vents a good spray.I bought some plastic storage bags from Argos last winter which after putting the bedding in you use your hoover to remove all the air.They are brilliant and save having to store the bedding at home over the winter.I also put my scatter cushions in one.I pack ornaments in a box so in the spring I only have to wipe the surfaces with a damp cloth.Make sure all crumbs are swept up because mice love caravans in winter time and can do some damage,Infact before I got this caravan I used to put mouse poison down.Leave wardrobe,kitchen and room doors open to allow the air to circulate.I now bring all groceries and toiletries home as last year they froze!.I remove the seat cushions and put them on the tables and cover them with old sheets. Depending where your main bedroom is I always lift the mattress on its side to allow the air to circulate.We visit regularly in the winter to keep a check on things and to replace the crystals.All this is worth it to stop dampness and vermon.The best part is in the spring when everything is put back!.

We visit regularly in the winter to keep a check on things and to replace the crystals.All this is worth it to stop dampness and vermon.The best part is in the spring when everything is put back!.

Like Briar we have a tourer and as we also use it 12 months of hte year we don't need to worry but Big statics need all the work Jay trip recommends

But I'll add one more

Check all the gas drops (ventilation holes in the floor) around the 'van and check the metal mesh that covers them is complete
don't replace it with plastic if it's not use metal as the mice can't bite through it

Thanks guys

Already started removing most of the cans of food, toiletries, etc, as i heard the cans can rust sometimes. I knew about the water drain points, and draining the gas boiler coils, and i also can 'borrow' some glycol from work to put down the u-bend of the loo! Never really thought about spraying the vents with flykiller, good tip!!

Already have the packs of crystals, and i can 'borrow' (again!) some dessicant packets from work too for around the smaller nooks and crannies. I have a small portable dehumidifier, but if needed, i can take down the larger one i have at home. My parents have those vacuum packs too, but i think i will just bring my bedding home as i have enough space to store it in.

I think my mum is planning to take the curtains down and leave the mesh curtains up on their own, but they have plenty of storage room at home, so i aint arguing! Also, a great tip to check the bottom vents, will make sure i do that before leaving

The best thing, is that the static is only 20 mins from where my wife's family stays, so when we go visiting at weekends, we can easily pop down to check the van

Just packed my van down for the winter, removed all soft furnishings (curtains/duvets/cushions to clean).
All electrical items are back home for safety/damp will ruin them.
Ive used cat litter in several trays for absorbing the damp & also placed moth balls over vents (a farming tip for protecting tractors/combines from vermin damage).
I have a local contact who will be checking on the van & we will also pay a visit during dec/jan on a fine day.

Dave

*Edit to remove unauthorised sig Briar

Cat litter never thought of that. I have just packed my tourer up for the winter as it's on a seasonal pitch.

I placed bowls of salt all around it and opened all the cupboards for air to get circulated round them.

A friend of mine who has a static says she puts anti freeze down her sink and outlet pipes.

It's well worth taking care of them so they last

i tried cat litter 2 years ago but it wasnt as good as the crystals sold in caravan dealers.Salt that is used on roads in winter is also good,and our local authority have a large heap where we can help ourselves!.

I left my blinds up in my tourer and closed the curtains, was this the right thing to do? Or should I have pulled the blinds down?

I am going back monthly to change the salt etc

Colette,During the year I always close my curtains and blinds to stop the sun fading the carpets and upholstery.In the winter I leave them all open as the winter sun doesnt do as much damage and also helps to keep the inside warmer therefore preventing dampness.I make sure the seat cushions are pulled off the walls and cover them with an old sheet.I have placed the back seat cushions on the table.I have just been out today and bought a 2 seater settee for the caravan and will have to take it up next week as it is so heavy we have had to put it in the garage.I didnt realise as it has 2 reclineing seats it weighs a ton!.

Briar,when I had my old caravans I didnt bother with Crystals and everytime I returned home my kids used to say they could smell the caravan on us!.I bought an electric dehumidifier when I had my last caravan,a 2000 model,but obviously I didnt have any protection when we werent there.I bought this plastic dehumidifier for during the winter months and the proper crystals from a tourer dealer in Surrey when visiting my daughter.Its brilliant and although we now have a caravan with double glazing I still get about 1 pint of water a week from it.That amount of water would end up in the furnishings if I didnt have it.I know when we have the road salt in our garage ready for the first snow fall it seems to attract dampness.I dont use it at the caravan but the large static dealers dont seem to sell the crystals and if you havent got a tourer dealer near you this could be used for a short while over the winter months.Jay

Thanks guys, glad I left the blind open now, I had to close the curtains as as my mountain bike is still in there.

Im worried that the salt will attract damp and draw it out?

My seasonal pitch doesn't have elecy we are a 12 volt site, but with a generator next March I may look at a dehumidifier to take down and run for a bit while there is no one there for the generator to annoy.

I did the move the cushions etc so I'll be interested to see when I go visit it next month how it's doing as this is the first year I have owned a tourer.

I'm a bit off-topic

but......argggggggghhhhhhhh.....WINTERISATION

We have just come across this delightful phrase as my son is contracted to dismantles/pack away.....winterise....
......the entertainment equipment at some holiday parks in UK.

Just as with your vans, the lights, loudspeakers and audio equipment has to be checked, tested, sorted out and packed away for the winter, so that come next summer, your entertainment will be seen and heard with no problems
Roll on next summer, I say

Hi i no this might sound stange but we move all the seat cushions to the middle of the floor stand the matress on end and scrunch up loads of newspapers and put them amongst them this really absorbs the moisture, we also have bowls of salt everywhere and hae bowls of sugar as if there is any flys left they go for this rather than being dead all over the van. Why don`t you opt for winter service they will put anti freeze in your pipes if anything goes wrong then the owners of the site are responsible for repairing it, i am speaking from experience as we onece had a bust pipe on our first visit after the winter.

Ali,we always do our own winter draining of the systems as our site owner hasnt a clue!.His Dad ran the site and when he died he took over.We have known him since he was a child and he comes to us the caravaners for help.Its on a farm and not very accessible so local plummers are reluctant to visit the site.It is easier now to drain the system as we have concrete bases.We didnt drain our boiler last year as we were told not to by Cosalt and it was fine when we went back in the spring even though it was snowing and very cold.My friend did that with the newspapers 2 years ago and when she went to open up she found loads of mice had made nests with the paper inside her caravan!.