Worry About Possible Problems

We are now on our 3rd M/H. One class C and 2 Class A's. In all these years I've only had one on the road event and that was throwing all the engine belts. My son had a brake problem last month bring the coach back to me but that was in a parking lot so nobody was in danger.

We all worry a little about on road problems. I do with my cars as well. So I kinda go over the top on my PM's. It just makes me feel safer while on a trip.

After the belt issue over 10 years ago I now change all my engine belts and hoses each year. I know, insane. But it only costs about $100.00 to do it. I also never wait on the 5 year tire rule. At the 4 year mark I start looking and have them replaced before the 5 year mark. Gotta do it anyway so I just do it a little more often.

I also change out all the engine filters each year as well. Why wait for one to fail. I use synthetic oil and change that every 3-4K miles. I know, I don't need to do it that often.

Last summer I had the tranny serviced. New fluids, filters etc. The M/H only had 21,000 miles on it at the time. However, it only cost me $175.00 to do it.

I service the genny more than I need to as well.

When we pruchased this last coach we were determined to buy one with the least built in toys. Just me, the wife and dog. We didn't need a rolling penthouse stuffed full of complicated gadgets to malfunction at the drop of a hat. We found what we were looking for and couldn't be happier. We bought a basic 31' Fleetwood with ZERO slides. Trust me, we fought the urge when we toured some of the high end coaches. They are AWSOME but just not for us.

When we travel, which is often, we can sit back and relax while blasting down the highway. It might just be a false sense of security thinking that all the PM's we did before hitting the highway will save us from major breakdowns. Everything will malfunction or break eventually. But knowing I did all I could do to make sure everything was is tip top shape before a trip makes my travels a whole lot less stressful.

Now, someone tell me what kind of PM's I can do to eliminate all the stupid drivers on I-95.........

The stress will fade as you use the coach. Same with the stress of driving it for the first time. Break downs are part of ownership. Some might be a minor inconvenience others catastrophic. No way to tell. Best advice is to always know where you are (GPS will tell you)and have an ERS subscription for those times when you're really stuck far from home.

I just do the proper maintenance and let everything take care of itself! I have no worries in life just challenges and circumstances! When they arise I take care of them and that is the end of that. I'm not going to stress over anything that hasn't happened yet!

I started a lengthy reply but nixed it. You have a truck chassis that needs maintenance similar to an auto. You can handle most of it if in good health and have a litle mechanical ability.
On top you have a large house. You can handle many repairs or all of them once you are familiar with them. That's the thing. If you've never done it it is intimidating and like rocket science to some. you can figure out all of the problems. Somebody built it and probably not any more intuitive as most RVers.
Get a good extended warranty. It cost but it is part of the cost of RVing.
newer coaches require less attention to roofs, and none to all electric refrigerators and so on. Do all your maintenance as in the manual, once a year and not worry about it. Break downs happen to most things. Just be prepared to deal with it. A good selection of tools for basic things.
Roadside Assistance coverage and warranty and extended warranty. Get them
Some say to save your money on extended warranty and handle out of pocket. Fine if that is you outlook and financial capability.
Just take problems in stride My antique was plenty of problems but the newer ones are light years more reliable.

Sounds like the stress of being free is overshadowed by the need to obsess about the possibilities of what might happen. I think what you need to find is a maintenance routine in a unit you can afford in the case finances are required to look after it. As it has been stated most rv'ers like to tinker and through need learn and understand what to deal with when reasonably required. If the unit becomes a full time job mentally and physically especially as you age it will become your nemesis not you leisure time.

Lots of good advise. I would get Coach net incase You have a problem and need to be towed or have a tier changed ect.
I have had a few miner problems on this trip but nothing that was major. I had to change a slid controller board but called ahead and had it waiting when I got to the next stop. I had the water valve on the toilet go bad and caused a little flood when I forgot to shut off the water pump after a stop. Had the P trap under the sink vibrate loose after some really rough roads. All I had to do was reinstall it and tighten it again. I had several other miner things to fix but I don't worry about it I just do it. I just checked We are 4300 miles into this trip about half way.
Bill

I think I know how you feel. We have been RVing since 1968 with everything from a popup, PU camper, 3 class C, and 2 Class A. I never used to worry much about anything breaking because I figured I could fix it myself and I did several times. Now as I get older and the mechanical and electrical parts are more advanced and complicated I feel less competent to fix things myself. The big difference is that back then I couldn't afford a big break down and now I can. It still worries me somewhat but I plan to keep on RVing as long as it is still fun and I can afford to fix unexpected problems. I recommend that you have towing insurance and possibly a policy to cover unexpected repairs. If you enjoy RVing protect yourself the best you can and go for it, If it gets to the point the worries aren't worth it, then it is time to give it up.

It's been said by others: If you're not fixing something in your motorhome each day, you are falling behind in your duties!

Fortunately for me, like others, just minor stuff. But yes, despite never having a slide failure, I worried about them every time they went in or out. Same with the jacks, which occasionally did get lazy.

So I'm switching to a B. Less to deal with. I hope.

rjxj wrote:
I agree with those above who say you basically have to be a do it your selfer or have lots of money.
I cant imagine the frustration of having a shop do all the stuff that I have done even if I did want to pay them.
Cover the basics like roof seal, shut off the water switch all the time, dont leave with the campground water pressure on, dont leave the black tank valve open, etc etc and dont worry about it. There are a lot of things to pay attention to so make a check list of stuff to go over when pulling out and setting up.
As many have said before if an rv was built like your car it would cost $100,000 for a 20 foot trailer. Seriously your truck or car is like a space ship compared to the cheesyness of an rv. Look at the wiring in an rv compared to the weather pack seals used on almost everything in your car.

I agree with rjxj. I'm in my 10th year and have rarely used a dealer or repair shop. I think most problems you may encounter will involve the "house" portion rather than the truck portion, especially if it is a gas model. At least that has been my experience. All matter of things will shake, rattle, and roll while traveling and this takes its toll on the house portion. Luckily, many of these problems are not much different from what we experience in our homes and are not that hard to resolve. It does help a lot, though, to have some handyman skills. Otherwise don't worry, be happy, and take preventive measures as rhxj stated.

We are on our second motor home having put 80+K miles between both of them with hardly a problem. On an 8K mile trip around the US this spring we had more than our share of problems from a truck taking the side view mirror off, steps breaking, refrig door hinge breaking and dumping its contents on the floor to name a few. While annoying fortunately, none were show stoppers, and we dealt with each as it came along. Just do regular maintenance and carry some tools to fix what you can. Hey, RVing is an adventure. Enjoy