DavidWhen you purchase an RV, all you can think about is where you are going to travel in comfort. To be able to go on a whim any weekend you want does require keeping up on the maintenance. When you stay up on RV maintenance needs, you can rest assured that your travels will more likely be safe and free of hassle. RV maintenance can even save you money if you use a professional RV maintenance service.
Motorhome Maintenance
If you have a motorhome, rather than a trailer, your list of maintenance tasks is longer. Each item, if it fails on the road, can lead to far more costly repairs. Engine and chassis failures can even cause you to be in a catastrophic accident.
Engine and Mechanical System
Changing your motor oil on the manufacturer’s schedule keeps the engine running smoothly and prevents early engine failure. The same is true for changing the fuel filter and air filter. In the case of the air filter, it can also save you at the pump. A vehicle without a proper air and fuel ratio will run poorly. Spark plugs last longer these days, but they don’t last forever. Neglecting most all of these maintenance tasks will cause you to waste gasoline.
Chassis and Suspension
If your tires are neglected, you could have a blowout on the road. Brakes need to be checked on a regular basis as well. It is cheap to replace brake pads that have gotten worn down over time. The bill goes up if you don’t regularly check the pads and end up damaging the brake rotors. Of course, it is even worse if neglected brakes cause an accident. Shock absorbers and other suspension elements help you out on those forest service “paved” roads where the holes are far bigger than pots.
Coach Maintenance
Of course, the same is true of the parts of your RV that allow it to be a home. You need to care for the coach parts in order to have a good time on the road and avoid more expensive repair bills.
RV Generator
Your RV generator is another engine, so it requires regular oil and filter changes. Also, it needs to be run regularly to avoid a costly bill to clean the carburetor.
RV Water Tanks
Your RV fresh water tank will need to be evacuated in the winter if you live somewhere it gets well below freezing. If you don’t attend to this issue, you will likely find leaks when you want to use it in the spring and summer. The black water tank needs to be drained regularly and flushed. This aids draining and helps the sensors notify you when it is full. An encrusted black water tank is an expensive nightmare to unblock.
RV Water Heater
Your RV water heater needs to be clear of any debris around the burner tube, so it can provide you luxurious hot water for boondocking nights under the stars. Sediment needs to be washed out of the water heater’s holding tank regularly to help it last for many years of fun and adventures. The anode rod needs to be checked to see if it needs to be replaced. The latter heats your water.
RV Slide-Outs and Awnings
RV slide-outs need to be cleaned of debris and lubricated regularly to keep them from getting stuck in the closed or opened position. The worst situation is getting stuck in the open position when you are miles from the nearest town.
Although not comprehensive, the above RV maintenance tasks need to be completed regularly. When you keep up on RV maintenance, you save more money in the long run and have more fun and far less disappointment on the road.