05/31/2023
Tips and Tricks: Preventive Maintenance
If you own an RV, it is important to understand the need for preventative maintenance. Here are some preventive maintenance tips that you should follow:
1. Tire inspection: Look for cracks, damage, wear, and manufacture date, and check the air pressure. As tires age and are exposed to the environment, the rubber breaks down and cracks. This can lead to tire failure. Check your tires for nails, screws, other foreign objects, cuts, and damage. You should check this before each trip. Check your tire for unusual wear. Are the tires worn more on the outside edges or does the center show more wear. These are signs of under or over inflation. Tires have the date of manufacture on the sidewall. The date is in weeks and year. For example, a date of “2322” means the tire was manufactured the 23rd week of 2022. Many manufacturers recommend that tires be replaced every 5 to 6 years. Always check the tire pressure before a road trip. There are two schools of thought on tire pressure. The recommended tire pressure on the RV data plate and the tire pressure on the tire sidewall. I follow the tire pressure recommendations on the side of the RV. You can find additional information here Tire Safety Ratings and Awareness | TireWise | NHTSA.
2. Brake inspection: This is a bit more involved but important. It is important to inspect your brakes at least annually and more frequently if you travel a lot in your RV. You will want to look for wear on the brake pads, wear on the brake magnet and check the breakaway switch and cable to verify that it is not damaged, and functions as intended.
3. Battery check: You will want to ensure your RV battery is charged. Check the water level if the battery is not sealed. Check that the battery isn’t swollen, leaking, or busted. Ensure it has a cover and ventilation, especially on fifth-wheel RVs. Check to make sure the cables are not broken and that the connectors on the battery are not corroded. If you suspect the battery is low or underperforming, have it tested.
4. Fresh water system: You should flush and sanitize the RV’s fresh water system at the beginning of every camping season, especially after removing the RV from storage. Other times that you should flush and sanitize include when there are long periods of not using the fresh water tank, anytime you fill the fresh water tank with a questionable water source, and if the water smells. Smells from the water can also be caused by minerals in the water reacting with your anode rode in the water heater.
5. Inspect the roof and seams on the RV. You will want to check the roof at least annually for missing sealant, tears in the roof membrane, membrane breakdown, missing or damaged vent caps, and AC covers. The front and rear seams should be carefully inspected for missing sealant or sealant that is breaking down from the environment. I recommend that the roof be inspected at least annually, cleaned, and a quality UV protectant applied. Make sure you use sealants made for your RV roof type. Rubber membranes should not have silicone sealants applied, and sealants advertised on TV as being suitable to make a boat with a screen door bottom float are not appropriate for the roof of your RV.
Following a plan to keep up with the maintenance of your RV will help to prevent future issues. Happy camping. In future posts, we will discuss more preventative maintenance tips.
