5 Maintenance Tips For Keeping Your RV In Great Shape

5 Maintenance Tips For Your RV Motorhome

When you are a recreational vehicle (RV) owner, you are responsible for maintaining your mobile home to keep it in good condition. Look after it like you would with your car and home. Ensuring that your RV is in great shape is vital to making your road adventures smooth, fun, and without breakdowns.

You can do several maintenance procedures to keep your RV looking good. Or better yet, send it to maintenance shops to ensure that no stone is left unturned with your vehicle. For instance, you may not need to take your RV to the RV shop to change your battery and check for possible engine issues. Additionally, you can purchase spare parts online and have an RV technician help with the replacements. When you visit RV Part online Shop, for instance, and other similar shops, you may get various parts you can use for your RV maintenance.   

Even though the parts you purchase online can help, checking the manufacturer’s manual is crucial. Doing so ensures you get the basic instructions on keeping your RV in shape. For instance, the distance at which you should change the engine oil or the recommended time to change the battery. Apart from these instructions, the tips below go a long way toward keeping your RV in great shape.

Always Check The Wheels, Tires, And Brakes Of The RV

Take these parts as the foundation of your mobile home. If they fall off or are defective, they can cause fatal accidents. Additionally, wheels, tires, and brakes take on the weight of the RV, whether stationary or on the move. Thus, the strain can be excessive. For this reason, it’s vital to take good care of them and ensure they are in good working condition. 

Take the brake system, for instance. It’s a crucial part of the RV’s safety mechanism. Therefore, its regular inspection is a necessity. First, you should always ensure there’s enough brake fluid. In addition, frequently check the brake pads or disk for any signs of wear and tear. Also, check that the wheel bearings are in good condition and lubricate if necessary. It’s essential to check if you need brake package replacement if you have a trip planned up.

Tires can take on the load of the RV for a long time. However, you should have the correct pressure to reduce their wear and tear. Over or underinflating the tears can also affect the RV’s mileage. Not to mention that wrong tire pressure can negatively affect your ability to control the RV and the fuel economy of your vehicle. Even when not in use, you should keep checking the RV’s tire pressure and inflate if it’s low. Low pressure can damage the tire treads, and they would need replacement. So, ensure to follow this tip to help maintain your RV. 

Inspect And Maintain The RV’s Water System 

Your RV has clean, gray, and black water systems. Most RV camps would provide a dumping station for your black and gray water when you’re on a trip. You would also get clean water to refill your tanks. You need to ensure all these systems are in good condition whether you’re on the move or the RV is in storage.   

While on the move, always check the plumbing for leaks that may develop along the way. Additionally, use the correct chemicals for your gray and black water tanks. You can check with your local RV dealership on the ideal chemicals for each tank. When preparing your RV for storage, ensure you empty the tanks and flush all the water systems. Doing so guarantees that no buildup can cause clogging to your plumbing system. Once flushed, you should run an anti-freeze so that any water remaining in the plumbing doesn’t freeze during the winter and cause damage.   

Inspect The Roof And Other Seals Regularly

The roof is a crucial protection part for your RV. It’s a part that’s exposed to the weather elements the most. Therefore, its condition can quickly deteriorate if there’s no proper care. A regular inspection every two or three months can help check for leaks and loose seals and seams. If you notice leaks, you can check with your local RV dealership for the appropriate sealant for your vehicle.   

Additionally, it would be best to keep it clean to ensure dirt and debris don’t build up on the roof’s surface. Such buildup can cause the roof’s coating to scrape off and expose the roof material to rust.   

Assess The Engine Bay Regularly 

Whether on the road or in your garage, you should look after the engine bay of your RV equally. While on the move, the engine is running, and the lubricants necessary for the rotating parts circulate as required. It also means that due to their usage, they need regular check-ups. Check and change the engine oil as per the manufacturer’s directions. RV technicians recommend changing engine oil annually or every 3,000 to 4,000 miles.   

Filters also form a significant part of the engine. From fuel, coolant, and air, to hydraulic filters, it’s essential to check and change them regularly. You can change the filters annually too. While changing the oil, it’s advisable to change the filters too. When you change oil and filters, you reduce excessive wear and tear, thus avoiding damaging your RV’s engine.   

One other component within your RV’s engine is the battery. It’s vital always to have your battery on a full charge. A good battery can last you up to approximately five years. However, keeping it charged ensures you can get this lifespan.   

When your RV is in storage, it can be easy to forget about its engine care. Therefore, you should regularly run the engine. It ensures that the lubricants warm up and circulate inside the system. Additionally, it helps keep the battery charged.   

Ensure Proper Garage Of Your RV 

Caring for your RV Maintenance is essential while on the move. However, taking care of it in a garage is even more vital. Given that the RV isn’t in use for most of the year, the steps you take and how you store it can determine what condition it will be when it’s time to take your next trip.   

One of the critical tips to remember is shielding it from weather elements. Whether you live in a location with extreme or short winters, if you don’t winterize your RV well, you may not like the next ride very much. For instance, the freezing winter temperatures can cause damage to the plumbing system. Additionally, rodents and pests may infest it. Rodents can chew and damage the RV’s electrical wiring and cause other destruction. 

Aside from winterizing your RV, where you store it is also crucial. It’s best to keep it indoors; however, if this isn’t possible and must be outside, you should ensure it’s in a covered garage space. The cover should help reduce the effects of the weather elements, which can be extreme at times.   

RV Maintenance Conclusion

Your RV provides fun and adventure during road trips and camping. However, if it’s not in good condition, it can cause frustration and despair. Therefore, you should always ensure your RV is as good as new. In the same way, as you would regularly carry out maintenance to your car and home, the RV requires maintenance too. The above tips can help keep your RV in great shape and extend its lifespan.