An RV is a great investment and an integral part of you that needs proper maintenance. Whether you have just bought your RV or you have been using yours for a long time, you need to keep the vehicle in top condition if you want to enjoy traveling or living in it for a long time. This means ensuring proper maintenance for both exteriors and interiors. Proper maintenance ensures reliability and prevents frequent breakdowns, something you don’t need when enjoying your trip. Regular maintenance extends the vehicle’s lifespan and keeps its performance at its peak. Furthermore, you get to save money that you could have used on repairs. So, how do you ensure proper maintenance of the RV? How do you know you are doing it the right way? This article has compiled a checklist of proper maintenance of your RV.
Tighten the Wheel Nuts and Check the Pressure
If you want your RV to be safe on the road, make sure you tighten the nuts on the wheels and make sure the tires have enough pressure. Ensure the nuts are not loose, since you might risk losing the wheel when on the road. Furthermore, make sure the pressure on the tires is enough. Too much pressure could lead to an explosion and that means damage to the RV or an accident in the worst-case scenario. On the other hand, an underinflated tire could make it hard for you to control your vehicle. That means more resistance and more gas usage. Remember, the pressure will change depending on the temperature changes. So, make sure you have somewhere you can add or reduce the pressure when need be.
Check the AC
Most RVs, especially those created recently, come with AC systems at the top. You must make sure you inspect the AC more often. The AC unit for RV is an integral part of your vehicle and is mostly on the exterior. So, it might be prone to various problems. Inspect the filters and frequently change them to ensure quality airflow in your vehicle. This is very important when you want to keep the inside of your RV comfortable.
Maintain the Water System
It is also important to ensure proper maintenance of the water system. One way of doing that is ensuring you are using the right chemicals for each part depending on your system. Ensure you use enough chemicals and regularly flush the system. Flushing helps to prevent buildup that can lead to clogging and failure of the system.
Inspect the Batteries
Another important thing you need to do when maintaining your RV is check the batteries. You don’t want to deal with dead batteries in the middle of your trip. Check if your battery has a water level or does not require maintenance. Your battery will serve you for about 5 years before you need to change it. However, how you maintain it affects this period. Make sure it is fully charged all the time if you want to extend its life.
Check the Seals on the Roof
Make sure you also inspect the roof for any leaks. The leaks can happen on the AC, the vents, the edges, or the skylight. Over time, these leaks cause extensive damage that you might have to pay a lot of money to have fixed. If you come across leaks, make sure you seal them using quality sealants. Before applying the sealant, confirm that it is well-suited with the type of roof of your vehicle. This way, you will not cause more damage to the roof.
Keep the Slide Outs Clean
You also need to clean anything that slides on the RV. This will ensure that dirt doesn’t build up on the seals. So, lubricate the slides for proper movement and to avoid wear and tear. Clean them often and lubricate the window seals. Lubricating the slides helps in keeping the seals fresh and flexible.
Change the Oil
Compare a car with an RV. You use your car most of the time and probably only use the RV when going on a trip, and this might not happen very often. Unlike the car that requires regular changing of the oil, your RV only needs a seasonal change. Know the best time to change the oil in your RV, and don’t overlook that. Lack of changing the oil will result in wear and tear of the engine, and this is an expensive piece to repair. In the worst case, you might have to buy a new one. Therefore, instead of going through this costly case, make sure you change your RV’s oil.
Maintain the Brakes
For the sake of your safety, make sure you maintain your vehicle’s brakes. This is one of the most vital things you must do before you embark on another trip. Keep them well-lubricated throughout and ensure there is enough material covering them. Keep them in good working condition and don’t forget to replace them when they wear off. Replacing the brakes will include using new seals and wheel bearings.
Wash the Exterior After a Trip
It is advisable to properly wash the exterior of your RV every time you come from a trip. Use a pressure hose pipe and sponge to wash off the dirt on the body. This should be a routine every time you get home from a trip. Washing preserves the paint and keeps the vehicle in good shape. When spraying the water using the pipe, be careful about the amount of pressure you apply. Too much of it could end up destroying the paint.
Lubricate Locks, Hinges, and All the Moving Parts
You will not like the sound of creaking doors and compartments. So, you will need to lubricate the locks, hinges, and any other moving part in that case. Lubricating such parts will only take a few minutes, and you don’t need any special skills to do that.
Closing Thoughts!
These are the basics of maintaining your RV to keep it in top condition. Just like you take good care of your car, ensure your recreational vehicle is in good shape by applying the tips mentioned above. This way, you have a safe and efficient vehicle for every trip.