The end of summer is the beginning of maintenance season for RV owners. Whether you’re parking your rig for the cooler months or you’re planning on traveling year-round, the end of summer marks a great time to make sure your RV is up-to-date on its routine maintenance and check to make sure summer travels haven’t left your RV in need of any small repairs. Seasonal RV checks are important to ensuring your RV lives a long, healthy life and your next camping season isn’t met with any nasty surprises.
It’s time to check all of your RV’s systems! Change the oil, check all the filters, and do a thorough sweep to make sure no water damage has occurred during the spring and summer. Check your RV’s tire pressure and make sure the tires are in good condition. Make sure your batteries are in good shape. Check the charge and make sure no rust is forming on the terminals. If you like, you can even remove your RV’s batteries for external storage during the off season. Change the oil and filter in your generator if needed and make sure it’s in good working order. Check your brakes to make sure they don’t need maintenance. Make sure all hitches are in good shape, whether your RV is towing or being towed. Also make sure all towing connections are in good shape so that your vehicle’s connection to your RV remains uninterrupted and things such as turn signals work while you’re rolling.
Now is a good time to make sure water hasn’t been getting into your RV during the warmer months. Do a thorough inspection of every seal and seam in your unit to make sure nothing is amiss and check for any musty smells that might indicate a leak. If you noticed any seals that are loose or cracked, repair or replace them. Once you have inspected your seals, make sure to treat them so they stay in good shape through the winter. For more detailed instructions on how to prevent and handle water damage, check out our blog entry on the subject. Never forget that one of the most destructive forces for your RV is water. Checking your RV for water damage every spring and fall helps you stay on top of leaks and cracks before they turn serious!
Give your RV a good cleaning, inside and out. Clean out your bathrooms, cabinets, sinks, and refrigerator and make sure there’s no leftover food inside your RV to attract pests or create unpleasant smells. Wash all clothes and linens you keep in your RV as well. Change your air conditioning filters and open your doors and windows to air out your RV. Don’t forget to wash the outside and make sure there’s no debris or dirt. Make sure your awning is clean to prevent mold and mildew, and make sure all of the components are working correctly and there are no tears in your awning. Make sure you give your RV’s holding tanks a good, thorough cleaning. You need to clean your tanks out throughout the season to keep them in good shape (especially your black tank!), but in between camping seasons the tanks need to be flushed out and sanitized and their sensors need to be cleaned and checked. Even if you don’t plan on storing your rig, a deep cleaning every spring and fall will ensure your RV stays in great shape!
If you plan on storing your RV for the off season, it’s a good idea to winterize it before it gets cold. If water freezes in your RV’s tanks and pipes, you could be looking at some serious damage down the line. Check out our guide to winterization, or call our service department when you start to feel a chill in the air. After you’ve winterized, cover your RV to prevent dirt, sticks, and other debris from dirtying and damaging your rig’s roof. Invest in a good RV cover or store it somewhere like a garage or an RV storage unit to make sure it’s shielded from the winter elements. This will extend not only the life of your RV’s roof and seals, but also the quality of its paint job. If you have a motorhome, drive it every now and again to make sure everything is running smoothly when it’s time to travel once again. Also be sure to run your generator and make sure electricity flows through your batteries from time to time throughout winter to make sure they stay in good working order. Batteries that aren’t used for months at a time could lose their charge!
When you have completed your seasonal maintenance, make sure you record everything you have done. Keeping detailed maintenance records can help you keep your RV in top shape and running for years to come. If you have any questions about maintenance don’t hesitate to give our service team a call at 1-866-546-9579 ext. 2 (Kentucky) or 1-833-556-1346 ext. 2 (Georgia).
