For many people, buying a caravan means making a significant investment, therefore, many caravan users want to make the most of their caravan. In places like the UK where we have very variable weather, it may be a good idea to consider caravan breaks during winter in addition to the warmer months in order to get the best out of your investment. Although the idea of being outdoors in a caravan during cold weather may seem off putting, however if you make it as cosy and comfortable as your home, it can be the perfect little escape during Christmas with your loved ones
Luckily, most modern caravans are well equipped for British winters. If your caravan has grade 3 insulation, it is perfect for use in winter as it means your caravan can stay warm even in minus conditions. In addition to this however, there may also be other other things that are worth considering when purchasing a caravan for winter touring. This blog post will cover the things that need to be though about while winter touring, as well as suggesting five of the best caravans that are suitable for use during the colder seasons.
Here’s a quick look at the caravans I have suggested in this blog post:
| Caravan name | Price | Insulation grade | Berth | Axle | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swift Sprite Alpine 2 | £19,595 | 3 | 2 | Single | 1218kg |
| Elddis Avante 585 | £23,644 | 3 | 5 | Single | 1485kg |
| Swift Challenger 530 | £26,195 | 3 | 4 | Single | 1481kg |
| Bailey Phoenix+ 420 | £19.899 | 3 | 2 | Single | 1146kg |
| Hobby De Luxe 440SF | £19, 995 | 3 | 3 | Single | 1146kg |
Now I’ve gone over my recommendations, I’m going to look at each caravan in more depth, while also explaining why I’ve made the recommendations above.
In the blog post below I will cover the following:
- Why people consider caravans for winter
- Keeping warm in your caravan
- Five of the best caravans for winter touring
- Other considerations
Why people consider caravans for winter
As mentioned above, many caravan users want to make the most of the their purchase and therefore may consider having and outdoor break during the colder season. However, it may also come down to personal choice. A lot of people enjoy being outdoors during winter as they get to enjoy the snow and sleet. For many families, the winter breaks may be the only time the whole family can head out for an adventure together. Whatever the reason, having an outdoor adventure during winter is appealing to many people. The idea of a cosy heated caravan while enjoying the snowy views from the caravan window is a common get away idea for many
However, it is also important to ensure that you caravan is suitable for living in during freezing temperatures. There are several things to consider when it comes to planning a winter caravan trip such as the insulation grade of your caravan and whether will have everything you need to keep warm and safe during your winter touring. The two essential things to consider for winter camping are to be able to keep warm and for your water supply and drainage not to freeze up. Even with the latest highly-specified and well-insulated unit you can experience problems if you do not take some simple precautions.
Ensure you have a fresh water supply
During winter touring, any external water tanks are at high risk from freezing, even when well insulated. When using an external portable water tanks, one of the basic requirements is that it has an insulated jacket that also covers the inlet pipe to the caravan, as this is more likely to keep the temperature higher around the water tank. That being said, even using insulated jackets can’t guarantee that you r water supply wont freeze, especially when left overnight in minus temperatures. To avoid this from happening, it’s best to ensure your external tank is drained during the coldest periods, such as overnight when minus temperatures are expected.
You can keep a small container of water inside overnight for essential use, however, if you regularly use your caravan in colder winter temperatures, it is worth considering fitting a winter kit. This enables an ultraflow external water inlet to be blanked off and the inlet to be transferred to an internal wall. Thus you could fit the water inlet on the bathroom wall or even kitchen wall.
Maintaining your waste water system
Another common problem you may face during winter camping if you are not fully prepared, is if the waste water system freezes. Many first time winter tourers have found that waste water will eventually freeze despite good tank insulation and they have been unable to drain the tank.
In this case, whether you have a caravan or even a motorhome, it’s better to leave the waste drain valve open and drain direct into a bucket where the frozen waste can be dealt with be more easily.
Keeping warm in your caravan
Quite often, one of the first things about winter camping that can be off putting for many people, is the idea of trying to keep warm inside a caravan during freezing temperatures. This is why it is important to think about how to keep warm before hand, which is a lot simpler than many people might expect.
Gas
The first thing to ensure is that you have enough of the right bottled gas. It is important to make a note of the two types of bottled LPG (liquid petroleum gas) available, propane and butane. The difference between the two is that only propane will keep providing gas at temperatures close to and below 0C. LPG needs heat to produce gas and while butane can slowly stop gassing off as the temperature approaches zero, propane will continue to produce gas down to -40C.
If you are using gas for heating purposes, it is likely that you will be using a lot of it. In this case, you may be tempted to consider the use of larger cylinders. Although this is a more economical way of buying gas, the preferred size from the safety aspect is to use cylinders that fit into your unit’s gas locker. Please note that the use of a gas oven and hob uses up oxygen and can create carbon monoxide so opening a window or roof light when cooking is essential. It is also important to never use a gas hob as an additional source of heating
Electric
Sometimes, the best option for winter touring is to stay on a site with an electric hook-up as it can be very useful to help conserve your gas supply and maintain your battery power. However then electric heaters can come with some issues when camping. Ideally, for winter use you should look for a 16A hook-up so you can use your heater and other essential equipment. Ensure your heater doesn’t consume too much energy in order to avoid tripping your unit system.
It is worth checking with the campsite manager how secure the supply is during busy and cold weather. Sometimes you will be asked to limit your use of electrical power to prevent overloading of the campsite system, especially during peak periods.
Insulation
The majority of modern caravans and coachbuilt motorhomes have been engineered to a grading system set by European Standard. For winter touring, it is best to look for a caravan that complies with grade 3 insulation standards. Having a grade 3 insulation doesn’t mean you won’t experience any problems in winter, but it does mean it will be easier to maintain the water supply and easier and cheaper to keep warm in your caravan.
Having grade 3 insulation means that your caravan that will stay warm and maintain an internal temperature of around 20 degrees, even though the weather outside is lower than -15 degrees. In contrast to this, grade two insulation will keep the inside of a caravan warm when the outside temperature is 0 degrees or above. This is why grade 3 insulation id recommended for winter camping.
Five of the best caravans for winter
As mentioned above, the majority of modern caravan now include grade 3 insulation which makes them perfect for use in winter. Here are some of the best grade 3 insulated caravans and the reasons as to why i have selected them to be included in this blog post.
Select the caravan you want to read about to be taken to the relevant information:
Swift Sprite Alpine 2
| Caravan name | Price | Insulation grade | Berth | Axle | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swift Sprite Alpine 2 | £19,595 | 3 | 2 | Single | 1218kg |
This caravan has been packed with all the essentials needed for a fun yet relaxing getaway, even during winter. The Sprite Alpine 2 has an exceptional specification as well as style. Internally and externally, This particular caravan offers the playful accents, tasteful styling and quality fixtures that keep it a favourite swift model. It has the classic Swift light, airy interior and the three opening front windows, stylish Langholme soft furnishings and low energy LED lighting throughout.
What makes this caravan perfect for winter is that it delivers grade 3 classification for heating and thermal insulation. The class leading Truma blown air heating system, including a fast heat-up, dual fuel Truma combi boiler, is fitted as standard so you can stay cosy whatever the weather. Another thing that makes this suitable for winter use is its size. Coming in at an average length of just over 6 meters and a 2.25 meter width, it’s the perfect size to offer a spacious living area that is also small enough to stay well heated during the colder months.
Elddis Avante 585
| Caravan name | Price | Insulation grade | Berth | Axle | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elddis Avante 585 | £23,644 | 3 | 5 | Single | 1485kg |
The Elddis Avante 585 is a flexible, family friendly caravan. It has a front lounge that features parallel seating, making it perfect for mealtimes. This seating area also converts into a sizeable double bed for a comfortable nights sleep. The L-Shape rear lounge is the perfect safe space for children to entertain themselves in. The rear lounge can be made into a double bed, with or without the pop-up bunk above, or can be used single bed with pop-up bunk. You can easily alternate, depending on who your needs.
During winter camping trips, this caravan is another great option. It is very adaptive and intuitive, with its all-new CompleteHeat system by Whale, which is ultra-powerful, giving instant results all year round no matter what the weather outside is like. Just like the other caravans listed in this blog post, the Elddis Avante 585 is also grade 3 when it comes to its insulation. Another good feature of this caravan is that is has a powerful stove, and although it is unsafe and highly unrecommended to use the stove for heating purposes, The heat created while cooking is another thing that keeps this impressive caravan well heated.
Swift Challenger 530
| Caravan name | Price | Insulation grade | Berth | Axle | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swift Challenger 530 | £26,195 | 3 | 4 | Single | 1481kg |
The Swift Challenger 530 boasts very impressive standard specifications such as a 100W solar panel and LED spotlights with USB sockets, not to mention a simplified control system and dedicated radio. When looking at the exterior of this caravan, it has a streamlined, aerodynamic profile, easy-access gas locker door, chrome-effect grab handles, convenient one-key exterior locks and exclusive LED road lighting are just some of the finishing touches that make This caravan so distinctive.
Just like the previous Swift caravan model in this list, The Challenger 530 also has grade 3 classification for heating and thermal insulation, as well as the class leading Truma blown air heating system, including a fast heat-up, dual fuel Truma combi boiler. However, what sets this model apart is the added insulation that comes from its SMART construction with GRP body panels. This means it has a strong, moisture proof ‘PURe’ polyurethane timber-less framed body shell with polystyrene insulation core. This means that heat cant easily escape through the walls of the caravan, leaving you with a warm and cosy caravan for winter use.
Bailey Phoenix+ 420
| Caravan name | Price | Insulation grade | Berth | Axle | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bailey Phoenix+ 420 | £19.899 | 3 | 2 | Single | 1146kg |
The Bailey’s Phoenix+ 420 offers the perfect balance between space, comfort and affordability. It is lightweight, versatile, and one of Bailey’s lowest priced range, yet these caravans are anything but basic. The Bailey Phoenix+ 420 model is a well-designed option for buyers looking for an affordable caravan that still has a high quality build and features.
Like all of the newer Bailey caravans, the Phoenix+ 420 also has a grade 3 insulation. In addition to this it also features a Truma Combi 2 heating system, combined water and room heating with dual fuel 2kw gas and 1.8kw electric power sources. This heating system also comes with a user friendly digital control panel with adjustable fan and water boost functions, making it easier to control the temperature inside your caravan. What’s more, is that it also has a propane/butane 30mb gas regulator in the gas locker compartment, and an outboard rigid pipe waste plumbing system. This caravan really is the complete package for winter camping, especially with its budget friendly price.
Hobby De Luxe 440SF
| Caravan name | Price | Insulation grade | Berth | Axle | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobby De Luxe 440SF | £19.995 | 3 | 3 | Single | 1500kg |
The Hobby De Luxe 440SF caravan is known for being a versatile caravan. The entire De Luxe range consists of 15 well-designed layouts make it an all-rounder. One of the many reasons why the Hobby De Luxe 440SF is on our list of recommended caravans is because of its simplicity in design, yet it includes everything that may be needed on your next camping trip. It also has a very bright and friendly design, which truly makes it feel like the perfect home away from home.
This caravan is another model that is perfectly suited for use during winter periods. Not only does it have grade 3 insulation, but it also includes an Auxiliary electric heater TRUMA Ultraheat including CI-BUS as standard. In addition to this it has underfloor heating which makes sure your caravan is kept warm throughout. This means that you can get out of you cosy blankets whenever you feel like and don’t have to worry about losing heat as the caravan will be the perfect temperature.
Other considerations
One of the most important things about finding a caravan for winter, is ensuring that it has grade 3 insulation. As long as it has this, the majority of modern caravans have been designed for use all year round including the winter where the temperature can drop into minus. To ensure you keep warm during winter camping, you can also use the tips that have been suggested in this blog post.