Owning an RV is a lot of fun, but like owning a nice home or car, there’s also a significant amount of work involved to keep it nice and to maintain your RV’s resale value. Whether you are doing RV roof maintenance to prevent leaks and water damage or checking for the proper operation of brakes and tires, regular maintenance pays off in many ways.
Failing to perform basic maintenance for your RV can lead to unnecessary expenses, ruin camping trips and even endanger the safety of your family. A great time to perform basic preventive maintenance for your RV is when you take it out of winter storage, but maintenance should really go on year round.
Yearly RV Maintenance
If you store your RV or fifth wheel for the winter, you should start your camping season with de-winterizing your unit. This includes:
- Flushing the anti-freeze lines
- Sanitizing and filling fresh water tank
- Filling the water heater and testing operation
- Inspecting anode rod
- Inspecting waterlines and faucets
- Adding gray and black tank deodorizer
Once you get your RV de-winterized, it’s time to actually get ready to go camping. There are items every RV and fifth wheel trailer owner should inspect before the first major camping trip of the year. We recommend checking:
- Exterior lights
- Battery condition
- Awning condition
- Test all appliances (converter, water heater, gas & electric, air conditioning, refrigerator, microwave and furnace)
- LP pressure and leak-down test
- Roof and sealants
- Torque trailer wheel lug nuts
- Tire condition and inflation
- Hot skin test to check for proper electrical grounding
Ongoing Maintenance Areas for your RV or 5th Wheel
It’s also important to check your travel trailer’s mechanical systems throughout the year. Be sure you have the appropriate lubrication for your RV’s slide out mechanisms, keep an eye on the slide-out seals and lubricate as needed.
Even routine operation of your travel trailer on the road takes a toll on the unit. Timely brake and wheel bearing inspection and service are critical to safe and efficient operation of your RV. To keep your chassis rolling down the road without interruption, we recommend regular wheel bearing service. This includes:
- Inspection of tire condition and inflation
- Inspection of brake operation, making adjustments as needed
- Clean, inspect and re-pack wheel bearings
- Tighten lug nuts to the proper torque
Keep It Clean
One of the best ways to keep your RV in tip top condition and stay on top of any potential maintenance issues is to wash your RV regularly. While this is a big job, it also gives you (or your local RV service department) the opportunity to really inspect every area of your unit and catch problem areas early.
Of course, once winter rolls around again, you’ll want to be sure to properly winterize your RV or fifth wheel trailer every year.
At Ketelsen RV, our service department can perform all routine maintenance for you regardless of where you purchased your RV. If you have any questions about our RV maintenance services, please feel free to contact us or stop by our location in Hiawatha, Iowa. Don’t forget to ask about our mobile RV service options as well.
