Best Practices For Maintaining Your Trailer For Long Trips
07-28-2015
Author: Blog Editor in Guest Blogs
Show Your RV a Little Love
RV enthusiasts love showing their RV a little love and the payoff is huge. The parts of your RV that routine service center maintenance takes care of still leaves many things for you to do, so you can go on a long road trip at any time. Most are small tasks that take little time to complete. Following are simple tips that you, rather than a pro RV service technician can accomplish:
1. Lube these yourself:
a. Locks
b. Hinges
c. Sliders
d. Anything else that moves
Try using a dry silicone type of lubricant; it works well for most lubricant needs and does not attract dirt.
2. Make it tight: Since your RV is your home on wheels, exposure to vibration is unavoidable. At some point, something is going to detach. It is inevitable. To keep items from loosening, every so often use a screwdriver and a pair of pliers on a walk around the inside and outside of your RV. Tighten everything you can, especially on the exterior. If anything flies off while on the road (ladder rungs, for example) it may cause serious problems.
3. Clean everything: Dirt and grit cause unnecessary wear and tear on your engine. To keep grit and dirt to a minimum, wash the exterior often. Every few months, a coat of premium wax and UV protection will have your travel home looking sharp all the time and run better, too.
4. Tires need attention: Always inflate tires to the manufacturer’s specifications and check tire pressure often. The lug nuts holding your wheel to the axle should be tightened to the correct torque settings, (get a torque wrench and learn how to use it). When possible, minimize tire exposure to the sun.
5. Towing: Make sure you have a spare bulb for every kind of bulb used in and on your rig and towing vehicle. Before you leave on a trip, check your signal and marker lights for proper operation.
6. Seals and seams need frequent inspection: The most damaging thing to an RV is water. One problem with seam leaks and seal leaks is they go undetected for long periods of time. This can rot the ceiling or walls during your travel home. Frequently caulk and use a tape seal system to give you tight seals — and check them often.
7. Check your electric: Get yourself an inexpensive multimeter or test lights to check your main voltages. Main coach batteries should have a range of 12.4 volts to 12.8 volts when the batteries are not being charged. If your readings are below 12 volts, they are too low. Air-conditioning voltage is between 108 volts and 130 volts. If the voltage is higher or lower, this indicates a problem that needs to be repaired.
8. Tanks fill us and we fill them: Sanitize your fresh water tank as often as needed. This is determined by how often you travel and use them. On average, RVers do this every three months. Some use a homemade mixture of bleach, water softener and a cleaner, others buy ready-made solutions. When your waste tank is filled and you dump it, make sure you have a full tank of water to expel solid waste correctly with a sound flushing action.
9. Check beneath your RV: Every so often, look under your rig. You are looking for loose, rusting or broken items. This little, less than five-minute step can save you from many unpleasant experiences, such as being marooned on the highway.
10. Check all systems: If you haven’t used your RV in a while, or certain systems (such as the air conditioner) run your systems periodically. For instance, if you have been hooked up for a while, experienced RV folks run their generator and water pump for around a half hour each month to keep them in good working order.
Follow these tips and you are always ready for a last minute weekend trip, or a summer road trip. Just show your RV a little love and it will love you back.
Travis Mai is the eCommerce Sales & Training Manager at CURT Manufacturing. CURT is a manufacturer of towing system products and OE trailer products.
RV enthusiasts love showing their RV a little love and the payoff is huge. The parts of your RV that routine service center maintenance takes care of still leaves many things for you to do, so you can go on a long road trip at any time. Most are small tasks that take little time to complete. Following are simple tips that you, rather than a pro RV service technician can accomplish:
1. Lube these yourself:
a. Locks
b. Hinges
c. Sliders
d. Anything else that moves
Try using a dry silicone type of lubricant; it works well for most lubricant needs and does not attract dirt.
2. Make it tight: Since your RV is your home on wheels, exposure to vibration is unavoidable. At some point, something is going to detach. It is inevitable. To keep items from loosening, every so often use a screwdriver and a pair of pliers on a walk around the inside and outside of your RV. Tighten everything you can, especially on the exterior. If anything flies off while on the road (ladder rungs, for example) it may cause serious problems.
3. Clean everything: Dirt and grit cause unnecessary wear and tear on your engine. To keep grit and dirt to a minimum, wash the exterior often. Every few months, a coat of premium wax and UV protection will have your travel home looking sharp all the time and run better, too.
4. Tires need attention: Always inflate tires to the manufacturer’s specifications and check tire pressure often. The lug nuts holding your wheel to the axle should be tightened to the correct torque settings, (get a torque wrench and learn how to use it). When possible, minimize tire exposure to the sun.
5. Towing: Make sure you have a spare bulb for every kind of bulb used in and on your rig and towing vehicle. Before you leave on a trip, check your signal and marker lights for proper operation.
6. Seals and seams need frequent inspection: The most damaging thing to an RV is water. One problem with seam leaks and seal leaks is they go undetected for long periods of time. This can rot the ceiling or walls during your travel home. Frequently caulk and use a tape seal system to give you tight seals — and check them often.
7. Check your electric: Get yourself an inexpensive multimeter or test lights to check your main voltages. Main coach batteries should have a range of 12.4 volts to 12.8 volts when the batteries are not being charged. If your readings are below 12 volts, they are too low. Air-conditioning voltage is between 108 volts and 130 volts. If the voltage is higher or lower, this indicates a problem that needs to be repaired.
8. Tanks fill us and we fill them: Sanitize your fresh water tank as often as needed. This is determined by how often you travel and use them. On average, RVers do this every three months. Some use a homemade mixture of bleach, water softener and a cleaner, others buy ready-made solutions. When your waste tank is filled and you dump it, make sure you have a full tank of water to expel solid waste correctly with a sound flushing action.
9. Check beneath your RV: Every so often, look under your rig. You are looking for loose, rusting or broken items. This little, less than five-minute step can save you from many unpleasant experiences, such as being marooned on the highway.
10. Check all systems: If you haven’t used your RV in a while, or certain systems (such as the air conditioner) run your systems periodically. For instance, if you have been hooked up for a while, experienced RV folks run their generator and water pump for around a half hour each month to keep them in good working order.
Follow these tips and you are always ready for a last minute weekend trip, or a summer road trip. Just show your RV a little love and it will love you back.
Travis Mai is the eCommerce Sales & Training Manager at CURT Manufacturing. CURT is a manufacturer of towing system products and OE trailer products.
You might also like these related articles!
Related Tags:RV EducationRV Maintenance
Comment
No comments found! Be the first one to write a comment!
Author Information Not Available
