When travelling in winter in New Zealand's South Island, it can happen that the front windscreen or other windows of your Spaceships campervan freeze over. A normal & natural process in winter. Always make sure to de-ice all windows before starting on a new day of your road trip. Having good visibility is an important part of driving safely. Here are some tips on how to defrost the windows.

Preparation - to do before de-icing your campervan

Turn off the wipers! Before doing anything, make sure your windshield wipers are turned off. Operating them on a frozen windshield can damage the wiper blades or the motor.

Start the vehicle. Turn on the campervan and set the defrost mode on your heater. Increase the temperature to help warm the windshield gradually. However, avoid using the highest heat setting right away to prevent the glass from cracking due to sudden temperature changes.

Scrape Off the Ice

Use a bank card, library card or store loyalty card (or even the plastic spatula from the kitchen gear) to gently remove the ice. Start from the top of the windshield and work your way down.

Be gentle. Apply gentle pressure to avoid scratching the glass or damaging the wipers. Avoid using metal objects or anything too sharp, as these can damage the windshield.

What NOT to do

DO NOT use hot water. When you pour hot water on a frozen windshield, the sudden change in temperature can cause the glass to crack.

Do NOT use the wipers straight away. After de-icing the front windscreen, always inspect the wiper blades to ensure they’re not frozen to the glass before using them.