RV maintenance is essential for any home on wheels. It helps keep your investment in tip-top shape and can increase resale value.
Whether you’re an RV expert or novice, there are specific maintenance tasks every RV owner should perform monthly, seasonally, and annually. Here are some of the basics:
Check Your Battery
The RV’s battery is the heart of its electrical system, providing power for lights, appliances, and vent fans when the vehicle is not connected to shore power. Regular deep-cycle battery tests can prolong the life of an RV’s batteries.
Battery replacements are not cheap, and preserving a battery’s lifespan goes a long way toward saving money. A digital multimeter is a good tool for testing your batteries.
Some often choose three types for house batteries: flooded lead acid (FLA), absorbed glass mat (AGM), or lithium. FLA batteries are tried and true but are susceptible to leaking acid and require frequent maintenance, including topping off the electrolyte. AGM and Li-ion batteries are more expensive but durable and offer a longer lifespan.
For boat owners, marine RV maintenance is essential to ensure seaworthy conditions and prolong the lifespan of their vessels.
Check Your Tires
Checking for dry rot, uneven tread wear, and proper air pressure is essential for RV tire maintenance. When choosing tires, it’s also important to consider your RV’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and owner’s manual.
The best way to maintain your RV tires is to keep them clean with a mild, water-based cleaner and condition them with a tire protectant. This helps extend their life and prevents dry rot, which causes cracking along the sidewalls.
Additionally, it’s essential to regularly check your RV tire pressure — especially when the tires are cold. Temperature and altitude changes can cause inflation fluctuations, so investing in an RV tire pressure gauge is a good idea. Also, it’s essential always to tighten lug nuts before each trip, as loose lugs can lead to lost wheels on the road.
Check Your Electrical System
Regarding RV electrical maintenance, several things should be checked regularly. It would help to have the battery inspected for damage and replaced as needed. You should also check the wiring and replace any worn or damaged. It is essential to have good quality house and chassis batteries with the highest amp-hour capacity possible.
Be sure to keep the water levels in your batteries at the proper level using distilled water. Keeping them low will result in many issues, including the inability to charge the battery. It is a good idea to purchase a voltmeter and learn how to use it. It would help to open the access panels behind your water heater, furnace, and refrigerator to clean them out of dirt, debris, and bug nests.
Check Your Water System
It’s essential to check your RV’s plumbing system regularly, especially before every trip. Doing so can help you prevent leaks and other water damage that can be costly to repair. It’s also a good idea to make sure that you use a quality water filter and sanitize your freshwater tank regularly. This can be done by opening the access panels behind your RV’s water heater and refrigerator and flushing them with bleach and water. Additionally, regularly winterizing your RV regularly is a good idea, protecting your pipes, tanks, and fixtures from freezing damage.
Check Your Black Tank
Many RV’ers use a black tank cleaner to clean their tanks and sensors. These products help break down solid waste residue and prevent clogs, which can cause inaccurate sensor readings and foul odors.
Tank sensor probes can get gunked up with waste residue, toilet paper, and other debris over time. These can cause faulty sensor readings and even malfunction the tank-level monitor system.
Always use a tank flushing device or a cleaning wand when emptying your black and gray tanks to avoid this. You should also wear disposable gloves when handling sewage and other wastes. You should also wear closed-toed shoes when visiting dump stations, as the surfaces may be wet and dirty. You should also invest in a pair of portable, high-quality waste nozzles.