My tip will help Andy McPhee repel winter visitors, as reported in his June issue column. Farmers use mothballs to keep mice away from the wiring looms of comlines that are over-winterered in sheds. I use mothballs not only for the caravan but for the tractor mowers, too. For the caravan, I use the string bags that come with washing machine detergent: place five or six mothballs in four bags and deposit one in each corner of the caravan.
Bruce Bentley
Counden, Coventry

Over the years, I have read many articles about poor contacts on the 12N and 12S sockets. These range from the intermittent light circuit to a plug and socket melting with the heat generated from high contacts resistance. The cure has often been to clean the pins and tubes with either wet-and-dry paper or emery cloth. This process is time-consuming and very abrasive. It will reduce the size of the pins and the contact pressure. a I have found a better method, with the aid of an artist paint brush, Magic Touch Instant Brass and Copper Cleaner, clean water in a hand sprayer and a can of WD40. Paint a small amount of the cleaner on to each pin and down each tube on the connectors, and leave for a minute or so. Rinse off with clean water and spray with WD40. Result: perfect contact all year long.
Dennis Marshall
London

While the caravan is parked up and not being used, instead of pulling down the blinds we have fitted white pieces of cardboard the same size as the blinds that fit just inside the track of the blind. This stops any prolonged tension to the blinds, prevents sunlight from discolouring the soft furnishings and stops people looking in.
Wendy and Ron Booth
via email

With reference to a recent Star Tip, I have never seen anyone take a kettle to the tap to fill the fresh water tank of the toilet. It is a lot easier to use a 5-litre plastic bottle to carry the water to the tank.
NS Burston
Eastleigh, Hants

Instead of having to fix a cover over the wheel arch, we cut a piece of hardboard to the shape of the arch and insert before fixing the strip. You can also use this to protect your tyres from direct sunlight.
Mary Foster
Newbury, Reading

I made myself a two-core extension lead approximately 15m long. With one end I wired a seven-pin grey socket and at the other end I wired a female-type cigar socket, which was specially made for my 12v compressor. It works a treat.
P G Dew
Wigston, Leicester

In reply to Adam Tomlinson (reader letters, July issue), who was having difficulty finding somewhere to get caravan tyres inflated correctly on-site, my solution was to buy a tyre inflator that operates via the cigarette lighter socket of my car, and extend the leads so that they'll reach my caravan wheels. It was actually very cheap and simple. Because I can set the pressure on a dial, I'm always confident that both car and caravan tyre are at the correct pressure.
R Rew
Radcliffe, Manchester

It isn't exactly rocket science, but I realised how fed up I was of constantly having to take plugs in and out of the van's two sockets when I wanted to use a different appliance (kettle, toaster, phone charger, TV). So I decided the obvious thing to do was buy and install a couple of double adapters. Hey presto – no more struggling with changing plugs at inconvenient times. And, no, before you ask, I don't blow the campsite's power by using all the appliances at the same time!
Anna Campbell
Hampshire

To prevent your Wastemaster or Aquaroll from getting stolen, buy two long bicycle chain locks and slip one of them through the handle of your Wastemaster and the other through the handle of the Aquaroll. You can then either thread them through the loop at the end of your corner steady or thread them through the hole in your chassis or through your wheel.
A M Davy
Kirton, Lincs

Some appropriately sized pipe lagging around the metal frames of your recliner chairs will help to preserve them. Cut to length, slit the lagging down the already semi-cut line all the way through and slip it over the frame. Then wrap a couple of turns of insulating tape around the lagging to stop it coming off.
D Harrison
Ompton, Notts

If the tow-hitch touches your car bumper, the paint is scratched really easily. To solve this, I have taken a computer mouse mat and tied it inside my boot using two shoe laces so that it is suspended between the bumper and tow-ball. When I am hitching and unhitching, I simply flip it out. When not in use, it sits under the boot carpet.
Darryl Goodier,
Pendlebury, Salford

We have just changed our caravan, and I thought “no more holes”. We bought plastic suckers from a pound shop, put three eyelets in the top and used these to attach the wheel cover to our van when the awning is up.
Mr and Mrs J Mason
Gwent