Expectations For The Service

Our confirmation email gives you all the information needed to prepare your van for the service or habitation. However we still get asked what needs to be done and we still turn up at vans where nothing has been done, so here are some guidelines to help both the customer and us on the day.

Water

For caravans please supply at least 1/2 an aqua roll of water and your water pick up pipe. For motorhomes please add enough water to the tank to prime the system. We need water to test the taps and pump and to ensure there are no leaks. We will normally drain down at the end of the service.

Wheel locks and hitch locks

If at all possible these should be removed but in some cases we understand this might pose a security risk so we are happy to remove them. Please ensure all keys and lock parts are available so we can remove them and also put them back on later.

Emptying the van

How much to empty is a question we get asked a lot, so please see this page on Emptying your van for further guidance. As a rule of thumb, anything that didn’t come with the van should be removed, these are things like: chairs, cooking appliances (BBQ, air fryer, grill etc) awning, awning carpet, folding camping tables, shoes, dog beds, clothes and throws, extra cushions and bedding.

Space around the van

This is more for caravans, but a decent amount of access around a motorhome is appreciated so we can access lockers and windows.

With a caravan I need at least 1.5m of space down each side so I can have enough room to get in with my jack and tools and lift the caravan. The space needs to be flat and stable, not on the edge of the drive or up against a low wall or flower bed. I will need to lie down as I check the brakes and it can get quite tight at times.

If the van is at a storage yard there is no need to move it as there is generally enough space to work, but if you are stored on grass please can I ask that weeds, nettles, brambles and high grass is cut and cleared all around the van before the day of the service.

Level ground

While the caravan brakes can hold it on a slope, when I lift it and release the brake I can’t guarantee it won’t roll awkwardly. I will chock the wheels and use axle stands but sometimes a van can skew round. A front to back slope is easier to cope with than a sideways slope. If your ground slopes please let us know and we can assess it, 9 times out of 10 we can sort it out.