Don’ t take these signs for granted.
Fortunately, it isn’ t a big task to provide some protection to these vital components of your van. Nor is it particularly expensive.
First, get underneath the van and identify the exposed wiring and pipes. Take note of the various sizes and approximate lengths. Then head down to your local auto parts supplier and buy some lengths of split black electrical conduit. This stuff is quite flexible and easy to fit over any exposed wiring and the red and blue water supply lines.
For the thicker drain pipes, get some black agricultural pipe, usually called agi-pipe, from your local hardware supplier. Cut it into lengths to fit the drainage pipes under the van, split the agi-pipe with a sharp knife and slip it over the pipes. This stuff is extremely durable and will survive many kilometres of dirt-road-pounding.
FILL IN THE GAPS
When you’ re looking underneath your caravan for exposed wiring and plumbing, also have a look to see where drains and wiring have been routed through the floor inside the van. These holes are supposed to be sealed properly by the manufacturer, but they seldom do a thorough job. This is where dust can enter the caravan and, trust me, this is not something you want to have happen, especially after traversing a couple of hundred kilometres of even mild dirt roads.
Australia’ s red outback dust is like talcum powder and, once inside the van, makes its way into every corner and crevasse. It’ s a bugger to clean. Sealing up these holes with additional silicone will go a long way to minimising the amount of dust ingress into your caravan.
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