Owners of caravans with grey seals on the windows may find that the seals start to stick to the window and that the rubber becomes dry and brittle. One solution to this is to apply Vaseline to the rubber. We did this on our caravan which had three sticking windows, and since then they have been fine.
Craig Proctor
Whitley, Coventry

For anyone who wants to take the effort out of pitching up, I have discovered a neat solution for a power-operated steady winder. And it didn't cost me a penny. I took an old steady winder, cut off its crank with a hacksaw, and had a chap at the local engineering shop turn down the thickness of its shaft so it could fit inside the chuck of my 14v rechargeable drill.
Joe Jordan
Swinton, Manchester

It can be frustrating having to wait for the refrigerator to cool to the necessary temperature when you arrive on site, when all you want is a nice cool drink after the journey. The simple solution is to buy an adaptor (costing just a few pounds from any caravan dealer), which enables you to run your electrics when you're at home. This way, you can cool your fridge overnight before setting off on your journey. Once on your way, run your electrics off your car battery, then when you reach your site you can use your fridge straight away. We have been using this method for the past ten years and find it the best way to keep everything cool.
J Bamber
Leyland, Lancs

How many people struggle to keep their Aquaroll upright when filling it at the tap? I'd guess 99.9 percent. Why not take the hard work away by filling it through the hole at the side? Similarly, when you get back to the van, connect the pump via the side hole instead of heaving the Aquaroll upright. To steady it, take two blocks of wood with you to support it, putting one next to it on the caravan side and another on the opposite side of the Aquaroll.
Paul Johnson
Longlevens, Gloucestershire

My caravan has an early-model submersible pump. Sometimes, after refilling my Aquaroll, the pump spins without effect because there is air trapped in the pump casing. I am sure it happens to others, so my tip is this: once you have put the pump back into the Aquaroll, and once it is underwater, bang it about a bit on the inside of the tank. Usually this dislodges the air bubbles and the pump is able to work normally.
Jim Smith
Ilkeston, Derbyshire

Pack a spare microswitch or two for your kitchen tap when you go away. These parts are rather shaky and prone to packing up. If, like me, you can't tell one end of a screwdriver from another, you can at least give the part to someone who can fix it. Following a recent trip to Spain, microswitches will always feature on my holiday list. The microswitch in my kitchen broke, and as I am useless at DI, I went to find a caravan dealer. Unfortunately, the spares he had were all different makes and no use to me. For the rest of the holiday, we had to use the tap in the bathroom sink – what a nuisance it was traipsing through the van with a filled kettle.
Simon Phillips
Weston-super-Mare, Somerset

My wife and I tour abroad for extended periods in the summer. While we are away, we use Campingaz cylinders, which are usually fine. Sometimes, however, we hear a little hiss from the bottle, but it was only this year I discovered what it is. It seems that grit can get trapped below the spring-loaded ball bearing that seals the cylinder. The way to fix it is to put the cylinder on the ground and depress the ball bearing gently with a screwdriver so that the escaping gas blows the obstruction away. Don't be alarmed by the sharp puff of gas that is emitted when you do it – just be sure there are no naked flames around at the time.
John Squire
Wigan, Lancs

Whenever we go off with our 2001 Swift Charisma 550, I always find room for some lengths of the foam pipe insulation that you can buy at any DIY outlet. We use these foam tubes to protect the lower frames of our sunloungers from getting damaged on a hardstanding. I've found many other uses for this material, though: fitted around awning frames and steel verandah poles at strategic points, it prevents the fabric from chafing; it also prevents the plastic window material from sticking to the frame on a very hot day. Finally, when you're on your way home with all those bottles of wine, cut the foam into 50mm lengths and fit them around the bottles to stop yourself being driven mad by the clinking in the boot. Cheap, light and versatile – how much more useful does it have to be?
George and Pat Harvey
Washington, Tyne and Wear

I get really fed up with rust on the painted metal surface lining the grill pan. Cleaning it with detergent helps clean the paint on the metal surface, but rust remains in the scratches. So now I wipe the surface with some light oil such as 3-in-1, (though even light motor oil would do) before cleaning the whole thing thoroughly with Fairy Liquid – the best degreaser I know. The oil removes the rust, and then the Fairy Liquid removes the oil. Simple.
John Gibb
Oxford

I have found that one of those long brushes (with the bent handle) you use for painting the back of your home radiator is really good for cleaning the hard to reach places in my caravan. You can buy them in any DIY store such as B&Q or Homebase quite cheaply.
Grant Lyon
Loughborough, Leics