GET YOUR RV READY FOR SPRING CAMPING AND RVING!
Planning some great RV camping trips this spring and summer? While it’s important to always schedule a pre-trip inspection and do your RV maintenance before hitting the road, these RV maintenance tips from Carefree RV’s service experts will help you to get you on the road for the camping season.
1. INSPECT YOUR SLIDE-OUTS
It’s a perfect time, in the beginning of the camping season, to access the condition of each part of your motorhome or towable. Inspecting your slide-outs can prevent expensive maintenance costs in the future. Before hitting the road, check your RV slide seals, slide covers and your slide mechanism for any debris, tears, or dryness. You might also consider adding lubrication to the slide-out mechanism, if needed.
2. INSPECT YOUR RV AWNINGS
A patio awning can completely transform your RV campsite, and these Carefree RV tips can help you keep your door, slide awnings, and windows in great shape. Take your awnings out before washing your RV, and remember to put your awnings away during bad weather. Always make sure to ensure there is no debris before putting your awnings in. Plus, please remember that if your awning is wet, you won’t want to roll it up until it’s dry. If you absolutely must roll up a wet awning, open it at your first opportunity so it can fully dry out.
3. INSPECT & CLEAN RV APPLIANCES
It’s important to check your appliances before taking your RV out for the season. Appliances such as water heaters, refrigerators, furnaces, and air conditioning units require routine maintenance to operate properly. Remove any debris and rust from the burners on your water heater, refrigerator, stove, and furnace by blowing them out with compressed air. Also inspect for any blockages from any critters that may have made a winter home in the intake/exhaust tubes. Clean or replace your air conditioner filters and inspect the coils. In addition, you’ll want to take this opportunity to test your CO and LP detectors and replace if necessary.
4. CHECK YOUR WATER HEATER
Before you start your RV travel for the season, look at the vent openings on your water heater, which need to be regularly checked for rust, bugs and other debris from the road or campground.
5. CHECK YOUR HOLDING TANKS
Most RVs have a freshwater tank, a gray water tank and a black water tank. Freshwater tanks should be cleaned after each season. Gray tanks connect to your sink, shower, washer and more. Along with the black tank, it’s important to keep the gray tank treated with chemicals to help prevent bad smells from infiltrating your camper. While we recommend sanitizing your RV water system once a year, at the very least, it’s a good idea to flush and sanitize each tank before or after each use.
6. CHECK BATTERY FLUID LEVELS
Many people remove batteries for winter storage, but if you didn’t do so, you’ll want to be especially careful when determining whether the battery is still safe to use. Batteries can discharge a great deal during storage and can be tricky to check as you can only check fluid levels in lead-acid batteries. When it comes to maintenance-free or AGM batteries, if you try to pry the top off you can ruin the battery. So, if your battery level is low or if you feel uncomfortable hooking the battery back up to the system, we recommend coming to a come into Carefree RV and let us check it out where our technicians can safely install, recharge or replace your battery.
7. CHECK LP TANKS FOR LEAKS
Unless you have an all-electric coach, it’s important to do proper checks and maintenance on your liquid propane tanks. Especially before you head out on your first camping trip of the season, you’ll want to be sure you’ve thoroughly checked for any leaks in the system, as propane leaks can be extremely dangerous.
8. CHANGE FUEL SYSTEM FILTERS
In diesel coaches, it is recommended that you change the primary and secondary fuel filters once every 15,000 miles or every 12 months, whichever comes first. To prevent algae from clogging your filters, use a treatment when you’re camping or storing your RV for an extended amount of time. You should also start and run your RV for an hour or so every few months.
9. CHANGE THE ENGINE AIR FILTER
Not only is changing the engine air filter generally good practice, it can also help keep your coach fuel efficient, which can end up saving you money in the long run.
10. SET RV TIRE PRESSURE
Because tire blowouts can be incredibly dangerous for drivers as well as can damage the coach, proper RV tire maintenance is essential. In addition to maintaining the manufacturer recommended tire pressure as found in your RV, you should also regularly have your tires aligned and check your tires for dry rot and curb damage.
CONTACT US
At Carefree RV, we look forward to supporting you and your RV experiences. We are located on 50 Street and Whitemud Drive of Edmonton, AB. We also have an Outlet Leduc location which is located on Sparrow Drive in Leduc, Alberta.
We look forward to helping you feel a Carefree experience with each travel experience you and your family have. Happy Camping!
