Maintenance Reminder for Full-Timers

[firedude]

Well with the new year here I thought I'd throw out some good 'ol maintenance reminders which basically apply to most RV types. Some apply even more as we live in our RV's. I may go over board (it must be the firefighter in me:) ) but my trailer still looks and performs like the day I picked it up. Feel free to chime in and ad your own as I am only covering a few items that come to mind and my situation. Above all read your manuals and follow the maintenance guidelines in them. I've seen many who "use and abuse" and never do any maintenance and it's not pretty......

Water Heater Tanks...
Don't forget to change the Anode Rod (if you have one). Most Suburban water heater tanks have them. I do mine twice a year and just did it. Boy was I surprised (again) at all the crud that came out of the hot water tank when I flushed it. I'm sure doing this sure extends the life of the tank.

Water Fittings...
Check all your water fittings. They will and can come loose over time and by checking them and tightening them you'll avoid a "flood". It happened to me last year. I even crawl in the basement, pull the wall where a lot of the water fittings reside and check those. That's where I had my leak and luckily caught it before it became a major problem.

TV Antenna....
For those with the Winegard bat wing type antenna. I had developed a small leak down the shaft at the crank handle. Who ever reads the manual and care instruction for these? I didn't lol. It calls for a little silicone spray down the shaft every 6 months or so to keep the rubber o-ring/seal from drying out and preventing these type leaks! Nothing worse than a water leak over your bed lol!

House Batteries...
Should be checked often fopr proper water level in the cells. This prolongs the life of the battery(s) and will insure a proper charge and juice i those things when you need them!

Refer and Hot Water Exterior Compartments...
Check and keep these ares clean and clear of debris for proper operation. Bug, Bees and all kinds of things like to get in there and make a mess.

Tires!...
At least once a month check your tire pressure! Nothing worse than to have your sidewalls cracking because of low air pressure. The host I replaced here had a bad situation. He was here almost a year and never checked his tiires. They were half flat and sidewalls cracked to the point I'd be afraid to pull the trailer any distance. The tread was brand new but the tires were shot! Tire covers help to and prevent damage from the suns ultra violet rays and other weather components. CHECK THOSE LUG NUTS for proper torque. Losing a wheel goi ng down a highway can be costly to say the least.

Slide Seals...
I treat my slide seals with a protectant (Dicor) at least twice a year. It also contains a UV protection. This keeps them from drying out and cracking. Mine still look brand new thank goodness after 2 years.

Rubber Roof...
There are lots of good threads on here regarding this. You should at leat inspect your roof every 3 months or so. It should be cleaned and inspected for any areas where the sealant has deteriorated. Water is the #1 enemy to RV's! Be sure to check around ALL vents (hidden areas) A/C' units, TV Antennas and any other place there is a seal. It saved me. During one inspection I found a problem with my roof which was repaired by Keystone right away. Had I not caught this it would have been a worse situation down the road.

Misc Lubrications...
Don't forget to lube those areas and things you don't think of often. Awning rollers and Stabilizers come to mid as well as anything else that needs lubrication. Locks and entry steps also. It keeps things free and helps with corrosion control.

A/C Unit...
If you are not traveling and stationary for any length of time you might want to cover your A/C unit. This prevents UV damage to the covers, keeps unwanted debris out of the unit and in some cases can prevent damage during a storm. Also if your A/C unit has filters, inspect them and replace as needed.

RV Exterior...
Keep it cleaned and waxed! Makes for a happier RV. Also consider using a UV protection on the graphics such as 303 or ProtectAll. It does work. Mine still look new after 2 years.

Camp Host....
Always be kind to your camp hosts. Be sure and give them lots of goodies, smiles and pies especially. Oh and don't knock on their door for firewood at 2 am! A well maintained camp host goes a long ways.. :B:B:B

Moderators...
Always be kind to your Moderator. Remember they are always looking out for your best interest!:B:)

[Bob-88Bounder]

Hi FireDude,
Great list.
ADD
GENERATORS: Check you log book -- you do have one of course -- see how many hours it's been since your last oil and filter change.

That genset vibrates a lot. Check the bolts and nuts that hold it in place to be sure they are tight.

[bstow]

Firedude:
Thanks, its a great list. Copy & pasted it, then saved it in my laptop. Will make it my checklist.

[firedude]

Another tid bit I forgot to mention in the original post is water pressure regulators. This especially applies to full-timers sincve the wate connection is used most year round.............

I had noticed over a period of time my water pressure had seemd to dropped off a bit. It just didn't seem I had the water pressure I had before. I chalked this up to the water system here. It seemd to slowlt gfet worse over time. Well after I replaced my anode rod and flushed out the hot water tank and saw all the crud that came out I had a hunch. If the inside if my hot water tank looked that bad and the abode rod was nearly gone (doing its job) then surely the water would have an affect on the water pressure regulator. I had a new one lying around and replaced it. Bam! Water pressure back to normal flow! Over time it had built up all the deposits etc and had eventually restricted flow. It will be a once a year thing for me now.:)

Tony

[amazed_and_conf]

Hi Firedud,

My first time here. I get the newsletter, but have never gone to the forum. That is the most practical and quality advice I've read. It was all dead on the money. The only thing I would add is something you probably would not know about since you have a Suburban. With an Atwood water heater you have a plastic drain plug from the factory. This really needs to be changed to either a brass plug or an anode rod(must be an Atwood rod-Suburban won't fit) From heating and cooling the plastic plug gets brittle and breaks flush with the water heater. You then have to try to dig that part inside the water heater out without damaging the aluminum threads.

amazed and confused

[bownder_will]

Just a really great reminder firedude! Thanks!

Bill

[skeetshooter]

As always good reminders Tony. Hope the weather is getting better out your way.
SS

[dylansmom]

Great tips and reminders!!!!!! Glad it's all Greg's work!

[nickk]

Also change smoke detector batteries and check fire extinguisher gauge.

[firedude]

Thanks John! that's one I left off Very important item!

Tony

[Okotoks_Camper]

Excellent list Firedude. I think posting some of these threads as "permanent" and near the top of the forum is a darned good idea too.

My addition to your list would be to grease/repack the wheel bearings annually.

[DianneOK]

Re...your camp host....We especially like avocados, pistacios, fresh strawberries, fresh squid, Oreos........:)

Your Camp Host at McGrath State Beach...CH#2

Thankyou!

[DianneOK]

Here's one if you have a W/D...clean the lint out of the dryer vent! Get up there and lift the little flapper-thing and look into the tube-thing...lint builds up on the rivets and screws that some builders leave sticking out! :M

[RVForever]

Camp Host....
Always be kind to your camp hosts. Be sure and give them lots of goodies, smiles and pies especially. Oh and don't knock on their door for firewood at 2 am! A well maintained camp host goes a long ways..

Moderators...
Always be kind to your Moderator. Remember they are always looking out for your best interest!

Probably the most important maintenence suggestion ever posted 🙂

[jefff929]

Cleaning, as in a good wash several times a year keeps crud from building up on seals, sealants, rubber roofs, and prolongs them, keeps them plyable and they will not dryout. They will last longer:B

Pretty good list firedude.

[Whupdeedo]

Good tips, firedude! I'm not a full timer but these things are going on my Spring to-do list.