Jump to content
Click here if you are having website access problems ×

Winter Storage

Boris

By Boris
in TechTalk

 Share

Recommended Posts

Boris

Boris

Posted
Posted

Its now coming to the end of my first summer as a Caterham owner ☹️ and I'm thinking of the time when I have to park it up for the winter ☹️ ready to bring it out again around April/May time *biggrin*

Its extremely unlikely that I will drive it during the period of October to April as not only will good days be few but my job keeps me out of the country 90% of that time except christmas when I go to Scotland for 3 weeks.

I have a well ventilated but dry garage and a car cover.

My plan was to clean the car, make sure its dry, disconnect the battery, make sure the hand brake is off, cover the car and dream of spring.

Is there anything else I should be considering?

Other than chucking the job in and moving to the Mediterranean!

 

K7 PKT

Objects in the rear view mirror...... should just drive faster

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mort

Mort

Posted
Posted

Jack it up and put it on axle stands (with bits of carpet on to protect the space frame) in order to preserve the tyres? Or maybe pump them up to a higher pressure while your Seven is laid up. (Not sure about this - just a theory.)

 

Nick

 

It's life Jim, but not as WE know it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
glasgow

glasgow

Posted
Posted

My Caterham will also have her first winter Hibernation in my garage....

 

- if she is dry and garage is ventilated, would the car cover still needed?

 

- Is it ok for the CTEK to be left on for 4 months?

 

- I dont have axle, would just moving the car a few inches every week be helpful?

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
rj

rj

Posted
Posted

Why not hang it in chains from the ceiling rather than put it on axle stands?

 

There are threads where the diagonal and lap seat belt is attached above the rear wings, where you can fit eye-bolts and then simply a sling at the front cross.

 

This has worked for me for a couple of years :-p

 

(Then you can always use it as a swing if you miss an outing)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Boris

Boris

Posted
  • Author
Posted

RJ. Sorry I'm new to Sevens and not very mechanically minded, are you talking about the bolt holes just outside the upper 4 point harness outer mount points?

 

Surely it would be dangerous to use these to lift the car as I would need to remove the ejector seat brace brackets......... or have you got o a very old under powered model at a point where the finer options were still being planned *wink*

 

Mad Hatter. Wise words indeed.... 20th March next year the calendar next year shows me with 3 days off, in Bahrain before I fly to Jeddah for a week. If your in llandow again I will be very jealous but a mortgage is a mortgage.

 

 

 

 

 

K7 PKT

Objects in the rear view mirror...... should just drive faster

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Myles

Myles

Posted
Posted

You could think about an end-of-season oil-change so that the nasty contaminants aren't sitting there gunging-up the engine over the winter. This has the advantage of the car being ready-to-go come the spring.

 

The other thing to think about (especially as it's your first year) is to place your steering-wheel (if removable), FIA battery-keys (if fitted), immobiliser widget (if not permanently on your main key-ring) and car-documents (esp. if SORNed) *together* and somewhere sensible. That way, you'll either be ready-to-go - or completely-stuffed (if your idea of 'sensible' equates to 'somewhere really safe') - rather than hunting for that one piece of the jigsaw that you just can't remember where you hid. *wink*

 

          🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻

Alcester Racing

7s Ecosse™

🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻

 

Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ian B

Ian B

Posted
Posted
Would buy a carcoon at the drop of a hat if only the garage either had power or I could get power to it.

But its not practicable.

I run mine from a solar panel and a battery *cool* (depending on what sort of area your garage is in, you may want to make sure you can mount the solar panel in a position where it can't be easily nicked!).

 

Ian - Slightly Vider SVelte SuperVeloce model 😬 - Joint AR for North Kent - Area details and calendar here
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Ian B

Ian B

Posted
Posted

I used a Kyocera KC60 (now superceded by KC65 I think) from here. Plus you'll need a battery (I used a 55Ahr Gel type 'leisure' one) and a Solar controller/regulator such as a £30 Solsum one Similar Steca ones here - click to see the range.

 

Works well as long as the panel has clear southerly view - remember the sun is a lot lower in the sky in the winter than in the summer. In fact mine is set back under some trees and whilst the low winter sun reaches it and it charges and runs the carcoon no problem, during the summer the sun is so high it is shaded by the trees so it would struggle to keep the carcoon running 24hrs a day if I used it in the summer

 

Ian - Slightly Vider SVelte SuperVeloce model 😬 - Joint AR for North Kent - Area details and calendar here

 

Edited by - Ian B on 5 Sep 2010 20:57:38

Link to comment
Share on other sites
virden

virden

Posted
Posted

Stu,

I leave mine on permanently with out ill effect. remember to top up your battery water first and to cover the electrodes with petro jelly.

 

I use axle stands at the front and (big) wooden blocks at the rear - positioned just in front of the A bracket bolt. That allows my live axle to drop down and gives plenty of room for cleaning etc. If you are doing this don't forget to release the hand brake first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...