Brand new Class C owner and RVer
Hello all. I just bought my first RV, a 20ft Chevy Escaper, 1990. Everything in it works right and I am looking forward to my first trip this weekend in preparation for my retirement and fulltimeing i...
Forum Discussion
Good on ya for making retirement a reality!
Mechanically, if you can work on a van, then you can work on your RV. First thing to do is check your exhaust manifold bolts. RV engines are really stout and reliable, so they tend to get ignored and allowed to sit. Exhaust bolts heat/cool and can end up REALLY rusty, which galls them to the manifold. That leads to breaking studs/bolts when removing. If you fear breaking them off, I recommend grinding off the bolt head/nut and replacing the stud left in the block with some vise grips.
Do lots of reading and realize that you probably have a battery isolator configuration. I would recommend upgrading to a battery combiner. I would also recommend load testing your batteries and considering a higher output alternator. You can't ever have enough OOMPH in your alternator. When I bought my RV, one of the first things I did was gut the chassis electrical relays/connections in the engine bay and replace with all new, marine grade parts.
"Real" RV tires will last about 7 years. If you have 16.5" wheels, then you will ONLY be able to get RV tires. If you have 16" wheels, you could be running light truck tires. The recommendation is to replace those every 5 years. Getting load E rated RV tires is the best value.
Make sure you go through all your appliances and replace wear parts like water heater anodes and fire tubes. Also check all your plumbing. Old PEX line is known to go bad and replacing is fairly straight forward. Keep gaskets for threaded plumbing connections around (just in case) and a roll of hose with push-on, shark bite type unions and elbows.
Assemble a good tool kit with cordless power tools and keep some wire, real duct tape and some Eternabond on board. You will be ready to tackle most any issue on the road at that point.
The last thing I recommend is reading through all the forums around here, especially the DIY and tech. forums. Read, read, read and learn, learn, learn. Enjoy your retirement and your rig.
Jose
Mechanically, if you can work on a van, then you can work on your RV. First thing to do is check your exhaust manifold bolts. RV engines are really stout and reliable, so they tend to get ignored and allowed to sit. Exhaust bolts heat/cool and can end up REALLY rusty, which galls them to the manifold. That leads to breaking studs/bolts when removing. If you fear breaking them off, I recommend grinding off the bolt head/nut and replacing the stud left in the block with some vise grips.
Do lots of reading and realize that you probably have a battery isolator configuration. I would recommend upgrading to a battery combiner. I would also recommend load testing your batteries and considering a higher output alternator. You can't ever have enough OOMPH in your alternator. When I bought my RV, one of the first things I did was gut the chassis electrical relays/connections in the engine bay and replace with all new, marine grade parts.
"Real" RV tires will last about 7 years. If you have 16.5" wheels, then you will ONLY be able to get RV tires. If you have 16" wheels, you could be running light truck tires. The recommendation is to replace those every 5 years. Getting load E rated RV tires is the best value.
Make sure you go through all your appliances and replace wear parts like water heater anodes and fire tubes. Also check all your plumbing. Old PEX line is known to go bad and replacing is fairly straight forward. Keep gaskets for threaded plumbing connections around (just in case) and a roll of hose with push-on, shark bite type unions and elbows.
Assemble a good tool kit with cordless power tools and keep some wire, real duct tape and some Eternabond on board. You will be ready to tackle most any issue on the road at that point.
The last thing I recommend is reading through all the forums around here, especially the DIY and tech. forums. Read, read, read and learn, learn, learn. Enjoy your retirement and your rig.
Jose
