Care for your RV

Now that you have your RV, 5th Wheel or Travel Trailer, you do need to spend a few minutes on taking care of the vehicle. Your manufacturer provides a maintenance manual with a list of things they suggest you perform and the maintenance interval. if your unit lacks this valuable item, contact your manufacturer for a copy.

Besides the list of items the manufacture details for you, I have found that there are few other things that you should do to get the best life and usage from your vehicle. There is nothing worse that being broken down somewhere on the road instead of at your vacation destination.

Before you set out on any trip, no matter how long or short, run your "Get-A-Way" check list. Even if you have only been stopped for a few nights in some RV Park, go thru the list each and every time.

Protecting your vehicle from the ravages' of the sun's rays is also important. The sun in the Southern parts of this country will fade your paint and dry out the rubber of your tires and window gaskets. The seals around every fitting and fastener projecting projects thru the roof can also dry out. When they do, this makes it possible for water to leak in.

Use tire covers when ever you are stopping for more than one night. This will add significant life to the side walls of your tires. Most tire failures not caused by road hazard items come from sidewall failure. Most RV's do not put on enough mileage to wear out the treads before the sidewalls dry out. Keep them covered when parked. Make sure that you tires are properly inflated at all times. Get into the habit of looking at your tires when you get in and out of your vehicle when on the road.

Washing your unit helps keep it looking sharp and clean. If you use a product that has a high degree of RV Protection to it, it can significantly reduce the damages to your paint and finish caused by the sun. using one of the various waterless cleaning products also helps reduce the demands on the scarce water resources in the southwest. I personally use a product called The Solution. I have found it to be the best product on the market.

Protect the gaskets around your windows and other seals by wiping them with any one of many products designed to renew and refresh rubber and synthetic materials. You can find these items online or in any major auto parts store. There will also usually be some one selling them in the park from the RV.

Treating your waste water tanks with a biodegradable product only makes sense to me. Using one that contains ingredients to keep the gaskets and seals in your water system pliable and soft. Do not use one that contains formaldehyde. Besides being illegal in some states, there is a growing list of studies ting formaldehyde to many illnesses. Using something that has a known carcinogenic in it just does not make sense to me. I use a product called Piranha, a totally biodegradable product with no formaldehyde. You will find out just how good your product works and how good you are doing at flushing your tanks, when you spend more than a week in 95 degree heat. Be it the South during July and August or the 4 Corners area from May to October, several days of pounding heat will tell you (and your neighbors) just hwo good you are doing. There are fittings you can purchase for your drainage hoses that are clear. This allows you to visually monitor the color of what youa re flushing. The first time I used them, I was shocked at how long it took to fully clear the drainage water.