Surf Towing & Caravan Things

[firefly]

heres my new toy

just got her 2005 swift challenger 490L and very nice too... will get some better pics l8r

[marky]

VERY NICE! Mine is now in HIBERNATION until Spring. Guys dont forget to drain your Caravans water system including the HEATER as Frost can cause MAJOR DAMAGE

[paulh]

Mines still got a couple of outings yet before christmas and then we start again about February so I've not drained it yet but I've been keeping a close eye on the temps lately, not been down below - 0.7C yet so keeping fingers crossed that I don't have to drain it before the next one end of this month.

[midalex]

just got her 2005 swift challenger 490L and very nice too... will get some better pics l8r

I've got a 2005 swift conquerer 580, the surf tows it a dream (after a few mods - oil cooler, 3 core radiator )
The swift owners club is good fun, though it can be a bit sedate, it helps if you like a tipple or three.

[gmac11240]

Hi,
At present just keeping an eye on the temp. in case it suddenly turns cold. Taking caravan to Spain in Jan. same as last year so far no probs. Should I think about fitting an oil cooler etc. We towed 10k miles this year with our Hymer Nova at 1800k.

Graham

[firefly]

Hi midalex where did you get the 3 core rad from and how many pennies was it, the surf is ace at towing but it can rise the temp on a long slope nothing serious but id like to mess about with it this year to irradicate it completely lookin into a bonnet vent or a kenlowe fan. cheers

[marky]

My old 2.4 temp guage used to move a little when crawling the long hill on the M62. My 3rd gen just flies so it will have no problem towing up there again.

[midalex]

Hi midalex where did you get the 3 core rad from and how many pennies was it, the surf is ace at towing but it can rise the temp on a long slope nothing serious but id like to mess about with it this year to irradicate it completely lookin into a bonnet vent or a kenlowe fan. cheers

Got it from Lincolnshire radiators who sourced it from liverpool.
£189 if I remember right. It is a recore for your original rad.
Also got the oil cooler from them, mocal 19 row £100.

[firefly]

so with the new rad does it get rid of the oil cooler running through the bottom of the original as this i believed was one of the reasons for the rise in temprature

[midalex]

No, the the two coolers are connected in series, this helps to keep the temp of the trans oil at near the correct operating temp. piece of cake to fit. lots of threads on the subject.

[firefly]

ok cheers i have an extra oil cooler fitted already so ive got that base covered looks like a vent or a lecky fan this year then.

[Spoggle]

Advice please. new to this caravan game(too old to cope with camping). Bought a 95 Sterling Europa this year, and had some brill weekends and hols up in Scotland.But now that winter is upon us and I cant see us going away again till about Easter(if the snow is'nt too deep). What do I need to do to stop frost damage and other problems striking. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Spoggle

[mud skipper]

Advice please. new to this caravan game(too old to cope with camping). Bought a 95 Sterling Europa this year, and had some brill weekends and hols up in Scotland.But now that winter is upon us and I cant see us going away again till about Easter(if the snow is'nt too deep). What do I need to do to stop frost damage and other problems striking. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Spoggle

drain all fluids, leave taps open,remove toilet,remove battery,remove wheels and chock it up if poss

why not use it over the winter its great fun

[Tallyman]

If you did use it over the winter you will probably need to swap your blue butane gas cylinder for the red propane one (unless you are already using propane) as butane will not gas below about 2C, whereas propane will down to about -40C.

If laying up for the winter, do as suggested and drain all fluids, put the battery in the garage (if you have one) and run it on a trickle charger once a month to keep it charged up. Open the blade on the cassette loo to stop it sticking and maybe pout a very thin film of olive oil on the seal.

It would be also wise either to jack up the van and rest the axle on stands to take the weight off the tyres and suspension or buy some winter wheels (steel plates) and put the tyres in the garage out of the light to help stop the rubber deteriorating. Also check how old the tyres are. If more than 5 years old, even though they may have plenty of tread, change them as the rubber deteriorates and could cause a blow out the next time you use them.

[gmac11240]

For almost anything to do with caravanning have a look at
www.ukcampsite.co.uk

We are off to Spain in Jan. looking for sunshine in our 'van.

Graham