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:)

[Treefrog]

in response to Audreyh1:
"I suppose when you get a new RV you have to read ALL you manuals and write down all the teeny little maintenance requirements and suggestions (even though they are often buried in the text) and try to put them in some logical time order so you don't miss anything."

We made an owner friendly user's manual from all such instructions with reference to manual and page number.

Think we'll add a second section including your idea above.

[dottiejeanne]

Dear Firedude and friends,
Officially, I've been fultiming for 5 years, however, for over 2 years I've been planted in Hemet, CA due to journeying with my late husband through terminal brain cancer, followed by the grieving process which is still ongoing. June 17th is my planned date for finally setting out for my home base in WY with "Molly" and "Trixie" the towable. My son (home base) is a heavy equipment mechanic and will go over everything thoroughly for me when I get there. Also, Molly is due for her 10,000 plus maintenance by Freightliner, which I will get done after I arrive at my son's. Molly has not been moved from her RV spot since late Aug. of '05. Just to feel more secure myself, my first stop will be RV school in Yucca Valley, and to appease my worry wart & very caring daughter. Wondering if you would send your list to my regular e-mail address mollymotorhome@yahoo.com for future reference just incase it get's deleted from here before I have an opportunity to save it to a disk.
What do you consider to be the most important things to do before I move out? She has a full tank of gas and all fluids, etc. were checked right before she was planted. I've run the engine once a month but not the generator. I've driven Molly some,but not alot as we bought her in late Feb. '05, went to Alaska mid-May and then flew here to my mother-in-laws funeral July 3, '05. Jack was diagnosed July 21st and Molly was brought to us by FMCA in Aug.
Any recommendations for my initial safety will be greatly appreciated. Particulars on everything else she needs will be done after the Freightliner maintenance is done. Drove school bus 20 years ago and had a fith wheel & crew cab Ford pick-up before Molly. Drove it quite alot.
Thanks in advance to any and all who reply!
Sincerely, dottiejeanne

[smoothetop]

i am soooooooooo tired reading all these things to keep track of.
you folks must be in some small off road area.
imagine you couldn't be doing all that going down the road at 55-75mph.

went from a stick house to a camper, uh maybe a rental apartment would be best!

[Flaco]

Hello folks,great to find this site.Someone mentioned mud dobbers in the heater....been there and now know better,sure wanna check that out.We are in N.M. right now and are unhappy with the way our hosts have been treating people and would like to know if there are any rv parks in this area that treat you right.The place we are at rents out the pool on the weekends to locals so it is too full for us guests full-timers or otherwise to use.They trimmed the trees the other day and broke 2 of our vent covers and refuse to take responsibility.They have a nice park,they are just too greedy and nitpicking and downright rude to full timers.

[RoadXYZ]

Thank you very much for the maintenance posting.

David has decided to use his DayTimer as a source of "reminders" on the calendars .. he flushed the water heater and put a new anode in last Sunday .. said OOPS! and decided that he would put a note on the June calendar to check the water heater.

It is interesting what the "dealers" tell one and what "life" tells us .. AND people on this forum. Happy Trails .. -Marji

[TUFAW]

If you have a rubber (EPDM) roof you can view the procedures for 'care and feeding' of rubber roofs at www.dicor.com. These folks are the distributor for Carlise Rubber, a major manufacturer of EPDM roofing material. They use to advise against cleaning the roof too much as this would wash away the oxidation layer. They said this layer, when left in place, would slow the natural deterioration of the roof. They now market cleaning products and protectants and say you can wash your roof up to 4 times a year. In any event they are still warning against the use of any petroleum based cleaners or products with citrus ingredients. These products will harm your roof and may void your warranty.

[onthecoach]

Hi DianeOK---

Thanks for the tip on the W/D!! I never thought of that! We have a 40' motorhome...the W/D is encased (built-in) to the wall....how do I find that vent area to clean it out??

thanks!

Lynn

[fullmoonoversal]

This was excellent advice and a big help. I printed it and am adding it to the binder my DH and I keep to review.

I am trying to compile a checklist of all the annual, bianual, monthly, weekly, and daily maintainence and also a checklist to help us get into a routine when setting up and taking down camp.

Thaanks,

Suka and RJ

[Perpetual_Vacat]

Firedude, thanks for the tips! I've been full-timing for seven months (can we say rookie?) so your tips are invaluable!

[Ron-W3FJW]

Don M. wrote:
Coming from a newbie, Checking the wiring for lose connectors, harness, bulbs. No fun about finding lose, broken or shorted wire for your water pump when you need it the most! A dab of electrical grease helps in preventing corrosion in the connectors and bulbs

Electrical grease, use the NONCONDUCTING kind. Vaseline works good, is cheap, available every where. Probably in your medicine cabinet as well.

[trace]

This list is a good starting point, gained from experience. I also read all the manuals (in a HUGE binder) that came with my 5er. Lots of good stuff there. And I have grilled every RV tech I've seen, including one who was service manager for RVs for 25 years.

I have found with a little TLC, my 5er takes really good care of me.

[Mutha_Load]

Is there a good maintenance log out there for stuff like this? We're starting to full-time this summer...how do you keep track of it all?

[NMRambler]

Good advice. I will add one more thing that is out of site and out of mind until needed. Check the spare tires on all TV, Trailers Toads and motorhomes. Should do that about every three months minimum.:E

[trace]

If you have ducted air conditioning, clean the interior intake vent screens.

[Valpo_Camper]

Engine oil and filter.
Spark plugs or glow plugs (gas/diesel)
Transmission service
Engine air filter
differential service
check all bulbs in and outside
Brakes inspections


And the always forgoten area

THE TOAD