Maintaining Your RV In Corpus Christi, TX
Keeping your RV in good shape will save you headaches, breakdowns and money. Simple steps such as checking your tire pressure will prevent an expensive flat or a dangerous blowout. Checking and maintaining your roof before it rains will prevent rot, or worse, mold. Getting your AC checked regularly will keep you cool, and getting your furnace serviced can save your life.
Create a Checklist
Just as you need a list for what you’re going to pack and what you need to buy, you’ll need a checklist that you complete before you drive away. If there are multiple people in your clan that help with the checklist, consider setting up tags on strings instead of one sheet of paper. These tags can be tied to the visor of the passenger’s seat. When someone completes a task, that tag can get put in the pile on the driver’s seat.
This form of checklist can protect you from making errors like driving off and leaving your steps behind (possibly damaging, maybe expensive), or neglecting to check the hitch (possibly dangerous, maybe deadly). Make things simple; for example, if you have dual tires on any portion of your rig, get valve extenders so checking and maintaining tires is easier. Consider checking the tread at the same time, so you can budget for replacement tires before you next trip. Make sure that checking your belts and hoses is on the list, as it’s something beginner RV owners tend to forget!
Get the Best Detectors for Your Rig
Get the manufacturer recommended detectors for your space. If your rig is older, review newer rigs of similar square footage and get new detectors if yours fail the test. Test your detectors at least monthly, even if you haven’t used the furnace. Don’t skimp on this. There’s a lot of road left to explore.
Tighten Everything
Whether you have a Class C or a 5th Wheel, you’re driving a rolling earthquake every time you get on the road. Once you get parked and the slides are out, wander around with a screwdriver and tighten anything that may have gotten loose during the trip. If you notice anything about to strip out, pull the screw, fill the hole and reinsert the screw. One stripped screw on a cabinet frame will put a lot of stress on that hinge, so fix it before it’s a big problem.
Lube Everything Else
No matter how careful you are about keeping the rig clean, things are going to get dusty. Dust will gum up locks, sliders, and hinges. Keep a tube of dry silicone lubricant on hand and just give everything that needs to move a squirt when you get parked.
Clean Everything (Sort, Pitch, Repeat)
Inside and out, a clean rig is just more fun to live in. If it’s dusty and dirty outside, you may find that your seals on the slides wear more quickly. If it’s cluttered and messy inside, someone may take a tumble, get hurt, or break something. Depending on where you’re staying, be ready to head to a car wash or truck washing station to wash and wax the outside. If the top needs a coat of UV paint, pick a nice day and get it done.
If the inside is a disaster, start early in the morning when you’re energized and put everything in its place. Wipe down all surfaces, sweep or vacuum the floor, and do a trash run. Consider boxing up unnecessary items, donating them, or mailing them back home. From here on out, do this every night after supper and wake up to a tidy rig.
Electrical
Your RV manual is the best tool to help you maintain your generator and batteries. Coach batteries should stay above 12 volts, or you can ruin them. Get a multimeter, or invest in an electrical management system to take the worry out of this. Electrical matters are much cheaper to maintain and monitor than they are to replace.
Tanks
Curiously, your tanks may be easier to clean effectively if you wait until they’re fairly full of liquids. Gravity can be your friend when flushing out the black tank, and any floating organic bits in your grey tank have a better chance of clearing if the water volume is high.
No matter what you do, don’t let your black tank get dry. This is when things get, um, sticky. Dried solid waste won’t go anywhere, and constipation isn’t good for you or your RV. Once you dump your black tank, add water back immediately, drive for a time to agitate, and dump again to make sure there’s nothing building up or sticking to the walls of the tank.
Buy Smart
Get your RV from someone who knows how to maintain an RV of any age. There are multiple systems to RVs, from engine to propane to batteries to tanks. Used RVs can be good deals, but not if they’ve been neglected or tended by a novice. Coastal Bend RV & Consignment is located in a vacation hot spot and knows RVs of makes and models.