It’s no secret that most of us have started seeing that some real sunshine and summer time is just around the corner. For those who had their RV tucked away safe over the winter season, it’s about time to dust them off and get back on the road. However, there are a few things you might want to check first:
Check & clean it – inside and out
Make sure you give the roof a close inspection, particularly if it spent the winter period braving the elements, remove any leaves and make sure there are no weak spots. Spotting them earlier is much better rather than doing so in the middle of the April showers or even summer thunderstorm.
Confirm whether all the seals around the windows and doors are intact. If any is looking a bit worse, just replace the sealant; before applying a new coat, remember to remove any old sealant.
Check whether all the safety equipment are working. Test the smoke alarms, ensure the fire extinguishers have tags that are well fit, the first aid kit should also be up to any emergency and fully replenished.
Once you’re certain that everything inside is in top shape, give the entire thing a deep clean. Any dirt and grime under the RV needs to be well cleaned; a high pressured hose should easily loosen any mud and dirt. It’s almost impossible to spot any potential holes or leaks if your entire vehicle is covered with mud.
Once it’s looking super clean and shiny as a show room model, air it by opening all the doors and windows, more so if you’ve been using any powerful chemicals when cleaning.
Check all the tires
Be sure that your tires work a lot harder than any normal car tire, they may not do so many miles, but have a lot of weight to move around so they need regular checkup. In your owner manual you will be advised on what your tire pressure should be. Always remember that over inflated tires are not going to grip the road and under inflated tires tend to consume a lot of fuel. If in any case your RV has been stood still all winter, it’s important you check them properly to see if they have cracks. Make sure they’re clean and have enough thread left; any spare tires should be included in this inspection. If you have any doubt, replace them.
Wipers & windshield
Just like the tires, these are simple stuffs to check and can go a long way in saving a lot of inconvenience if something goes amiss with them in future. Any chips on a windshield need to be fixed immediately. Most insurance companies can easily fix for you this without damaging your premium, and they won’t replace the entire windshield free of charge, mostly if you choose to ignore that tiny chip. Again, during the April showers and summer thunder storms is not the perfect time to check whether your motorhome windshield wipers are actually working. If you have not been using them for a while, check if the rubbers are intact and without cracks.