With these RV maintenance tips, you help keep your motorhome adventure-ready. When you need a hand, remember that our team is always available to help. Schedule an appointment to see what we can do for you.
If you don’t use your RV on regular basis, it still needs some TLC throughout the year. Whether you use features on a daily basis, it is essential to maintain your RV. With these RV maintenance tips, you can keep your recreational vehicle in tip-top shape.
While every trailer and motorhome is different, it’s smart to follow these tips regularly. When you do, you avoid problems out on the road.
At-Home RV Maintenance Tips
Follow these at-home RV maintenance tips to keep your vehicle ready for your next adventure.
Roof and Seams
Every three months, it’s a good idea to inspect the roof of your RV for leaks. Oftentimes, leaks happen due to open seams in certain areas.
- Skylights
- AC units
- Edges
- Vents
First, water soaks into the outer wood framework of the roof. From there, it seeps into the inner panels of the ceiling. This has the potential to cause extensive water damage.
To prevent this, use a sealant to patch any leaks as soon as you see them. However, it’s essential to ensure the sealant is compatible with the type of material your roof is made of.
- ALFA
- TPO
- Rubber
- Fiberglass
- Metal
Check the Battery
When it comes to at-home RV maintenance tips, this is a pretty standard one. The last thing anyone wants to happen on a road trip is a dead battery. Some batteries are maintenance-free while others have water levels.
Your goal is to keep your battery fully charged as much as possible. Typically, an RV battery lasts about 3-5 years. At the 3-year mark, towable RV batteries tend to lose some capacity.
After five years, drivable RVs begin to lose capacity.
RV Brakes
For obvious reasons, RV brakes are essential. To ensure the safety of you, your passengers, and everyone else on the road, check the brakes regularly.
Oftentimes, RV owners have this on their checklist for the spring to prep for summer vacations. Maintain the wheel bearings and ensure they stay lubricated all summer.
Additionally, work to ensure there’s enough material left on them. Moreover, check the function to ensure they work properly. If you need to replace them, that typically runs anywhere from $300-500.
Often, this includes repackaging the wheel bearings as well as replacing the seals.
Oil Changes
Unlike cars, which require more regular maintenance, RVs tend to sit around a lot. One of the best RV maintenance tips to keep your RV humming is to perform oil changes on a seasonal basis. This helps you keep everything lubricated and performing well.
For motorhomes, you want to change your oil at least once a year or every 3,000 to 4,000 miles. When you fail to change the oil, you see excessive wear on the engine. Often, this results in expensive service or even a new engine.
Awning Maintenance
As RV maintenance tips go, this is often forgotten. It’s a good idea to keep the awning clean. Over time, mildew and mold start to build up. When you check it regularly, you keep them in check.
Moreover, you catch and repair tears early on, which prevents larger tears. When you forget to clean off your awning, debris gathers. In some cases, bees even build their nests!
Tire Pressure & Lug Nuts
Before any road trip, this at-home maintenance tip keeps you safe. Tighten the lug nuts on wheels and check your tire pressure to stay safe out on the road. In some cases, lug nuts loosen over time.
When this happens, it poses a threat to you and others on the road. Additionally, checking the tire pressure helps you avoid RV tire blowouts.
Moreover, low tire pressure is dangerous. It creates control issues and generates more friction on the road. This also impacts your gas mileage.
Typically, tire pressure changes with the temperature. When your RV sits around all winter, you might notice a significant drop.
Waste Water System
When it comes to at-home RV maintenance tips, people don’t always consider the wastewater system until something happens. Part of this means you ensure you use the right chemicals for each system. Gray water and black water systems have different requirements.
Additionally, check the amount of fluid is correct and appropriate. This is necessary when you flush the system on a regular basis. Without this maintenance, you start to see buildup in the system. In turn, that causes clogging, failure, and valve seizure.
Slideouts & Seals
Among the RV maintenance tips people often forget are the slideouts and seals. With regular cleanings, you avoid the buildup of dirt in and around seals. When you clean the slideout, it’s important to lubricate the mechanisms.
This helps to ensure they move smoothly and avoids wear and tear in the motors. For window seals, it’s a good idea to use lubricant around the rubber. This helps to keep the material pliable and sealed.
Additionally, this provides better window movement. When windows start to catch, the felt tears and requires replacement.
Replace Filters
Similar to oil changes, it’s a great idea to change out the filters in your RV on a seasonal basis.
- Air filters
- Fuel filters
- Coolant filters
- Hydraulic filters
Typically, we recommend inspections alongside oil changes. Similar to what happens when you forget to change the oil, old filters cause excessive wear on the RV’s engine.
Electrical Connections for Towables
The connection between your motorhome and the vehicle you tow is crucial to your safety. As RV maintenance tips go, this is essential. The connection transmits signals between towed vehicles and the RV. That means the brake lights work together.
Additionally, it ensures the tow vehicle maintains a charge through the charge circuit.
Other RV Maintenance Tips?
Do you have any other questions about RV maintenance tips? Want to share your own? Contact our team at TX RV Repair Shop! We are always happy to go over maintenance with RV owners.
Whenever you need a hand, trust the certified, licensed technicians at our Houston RV repair shop!