5 Best RV Maintenance Tips You Need to Know

Doing regular RV maintenance is crucial to the longevity of your trailer.  A well-kept RV can be the difference between years of fun, happy, and healthy family trips, and frustrating, stressful vacations riddled with problems.

Here are some basic tips on how to do regular RV maintenance.

1. Cleaning

The exterior finish of your RV can be damaged if you don’t do regular cleaning after every trip. It’s best to make cleaning part of your RV maintenance routine as soon as you buy your first RV or trailer.

If you camp near water, the salt can cause corrosion over time and leaving dust and dirt on your RV can cause damage to any exterior, just as it can with any other type of vehicle.

Try to avoid using a power washer.  Lightly scrubbing the RV with a soft brush and some mild detergent is sufficient for the exterior finish.

To prevent damage to the undercarriage of your rig, make sure you hose it down once in a while to remove any dirt or grime buildup.

2. Lights and Brakes

Every good RV maintenance routine includes testing the lights and brakes after each trip.

Checking the brakes and lights is even more important when you are towing a trailer or 5th wheel, as the connections can be damaged over time and cause faulty wiring.

Check the connections and wiring for proper insulation and if any wires are visible or loose.  Electrical tape can be used to secure any loose wires.

3. Battery

The battery is the heart of your trailer.  Proper maintenance of a battery can extend it’s life significantly and prevent unnecessary trip interruptions.

Your RV battery should be maintained fairly regularly.

The Charge

Most batteries come with a system to prevent them from overcharging, but you will want to be sure your level of charge does not drop too low.

Sulfation begins if you let your battery charge drop below 80%.  Never let your battery drop below 50% charge.

Read more about batteries and how to make them part of your RV maintenance routine in this article.

4. Tires

Take a look down the treads of your tires and check for imperfections in the tread, nails, screws, or any other object that can puncture a tire.

RVs tires are more prone to cracks than regular car tires because they sit idle for a longer.

Cracks in your tires are a major safety concern as they can cause dangerous blowouts when traveling from site to site.

Every trip should include at least one visual tire inspection, making sure to check for issues such as dry rot.

Tire pressure can also be a safety concert, so be sure to check that your pressure is at the recommended PSI before every trip.

Visually inspect shackles and springs for cracks and wear.

When storing your RV for the winter, treat your tires with vinyl treatment that has UV protection. The sun can be very damaging to your tires.

No tire RV maintenance plan is complete without tightening the lugs.  Lug tightening should always be in a star pattern and before every trip.

To find out more about how often each aspect of RV maintenance should be conducted, bookmark this chart.

5. Holding Tanks

It’s important to do maintenance on your three holding tanks after each trip and to inspect them before each trip.

For all three tanks, remember to inspect all hoses and fittings and replace if damaged before every trip.

Inspect the tanks themselves for damage before each trip.

Fresh Water Tank

Fresh water tank should be kept cleaned, flushed and sanitized regularly, preferably after each excursion and more often if you are camping for a long time.

Algae can grow and make you and your family sick if the water tank is not drained and sanitized regularly.

Gray Water Tank

The gray water tank should be emptied around once a week while camping and after every trip.

Black Water Tank

It’s very important to clean out your black water tank after each trip.  It can become incredibly unpleasant very quickly if you don’t keep it clean.

RV Maintenance Help

If you need help understanding more about RV maintenance, or want someone to do it for you, call East Coast Campers and More today!

We are experts in RV maintenance, and we’re happy to help.

East Coast Campers and More is a family owned Delaware RV Dealer that specializes in RV parts, sales, and service to enhance your RV camping experience.

Call us for all of your maintenance needs today at 302-927-0541.

This article was written by Kristi Durham.

Sources:

Action Gator Tire
Camper Grid