RV Preventative Maintenance Tips
Recreational vehicles or RVs need all the standard maintenance of a truck, SUV or car and a lot more. People that handle RVs for the first time often end up learning about this the hard way. This makes sense because RVs are more than just vehicles. They can be made into literally anything someone wants them to be, from a hostel, to a safe room, to a vacation cottage, to a kitchen, to an office and perhaps even a home. On average, the cost of a new RV sneaks up on the six-figure mark meaning that they usually cost more than most homes do. In order to keep costly repairs to a bare minimum, preventative care and maintenance is a must. Read on to gain insight on tips to maintain your RV and how to protect the huge investment you made by purchasing one.
The first and perhaps most obvious tip is covering the roof. When it comes to maintaining RVs, roofs get plenty of attention due to being vulnerable to environmental and sun damage. Such damage creates problems which usually go unnoticed because most people barely get up there to check their roofs. By following the philosophy of “out of sight, out of mind” you can incur huge, avoidable costs. Replacing and repairing the roof of an RV could easily cost thousands of dollars. Among the best things you can do for your vehicle is storing it under a traditional RV cover or RV carport. You can choose to install steel RV covers on your property and customize them to meet the specific needs of your vehicle. Such covers usually come with warranties of up to 40 years, which is enough to provide your RV with plenty of protection. However, if you happen to be a full-time then the most suitable alternative is having the roof of your RV cleaned regularly. This can be a daunting task, so hopefully a loving friend or family member can be willing to do it for you. The good thing about this though is that it significantly cuts down on the much dreaded black streaks that appear on the sides of RVs.
The second tip is periodically running your generator. By letting your generator go unused for far too long, you could end up replacing it many years before you should. Gasoline usually has a shelf life of up to 30 days, after which it starts to break down and damage the internal components of your generator. To prevent this, it is recommended that a generator should be run for a minimum of two hours every month at around 50{edfc94664920815ddf8c454fc382bed4bb715253b36c952343ff63b444c16935} capacity. This not only prevents damage, but keeps it ready and primed. Failing to do so can vanish your carburetor, which prevents fuel from powering the generator effectively. Since there are no reasonable ways of cleaning it, the only option you may end up with is replacing it, which is definitely very costly.
Lastly, periodically inspect the seals of your door, roof and window. Faulty seals and weather stripping can cause moisture to leak into your vehicle. Seals naturally wear out over time, thus allowing water to seep into your vehicle which promotes mold and damages surfaces to say the least. It is therefore necessary to check seals at least every three months for deterioration and to ensure they fit tightly. Also, watch out for any water stains, cracks or loose pieces.