Texas RV Travel : RV Maintenance
We learned about maintenance the hard way. We purchased a rig that had not been maintained for the last few years. Oh, it looked great! However, there were many things just waiting to break down...AND they DID. We experienced a leaky roof, tire failures, intermittent trailer brakes, electrical shorts and many problems that had been repaired or ignored by previous owner. Information we gathered is listed here in hopes that another RVer will benefit.
Energy Efficiency
As you repair and seal your RV, you will increase the efficiency of your heating and cooling system. Sealing windows and other penetrations, installing new energy-efficient appliances, replacing gaskets and filters, and adding thermal curtains or film will all equal savings in energy.
Roof Repair
Our roof started leaking when we were coming back from picking up our new RV and van. My husband got up on the roof and caulked all the holes with some butyl sealant he purchased at the hardware store. It never dried and before we could repair the roof, we had to remove all this sticky stuff with mineral spirits. What a mess! Research and a guarantee made our permanent solution EternaBond. Read technical information on EternaBond.
Seal Penetrations
When we were fixing the roof, it became clear that the putty used to seal around penetrations into the trailer needed to be replaced. We cut all the mold-covered putty from around all the windows, seams and cargo doors. Then we used ProFlexRV to seal the trailer. With UV protection and the ability to be applied in wet conditions ProFlexRV by Geocel is THE answer to a leaky RV.
Solar Power and RVing
Solar electric power is ideal for mobile power when traveling, camping or sailing. When the vehicle engine is not needed, batteries are still fully charged by sunlight every sunny day. Solar electric charging allows full time living with rarely ever needing outside hookup or generator. The power requirements are less in your RV than your home. If you are looking for solar systems or parts, please visit OkSolar.
Thermal Options
Thermal curtains, shades and blinds all help keep the interior of your RV comfortable. You may also want to consider tinting your RV windows to reflect heat. Window and trailer awnings provide shade and reduce the amount of solar energy that reaches inside your RV, as does parking in the shade. We found night-day shades on eBay.
Selection and Maintenance of RV Tires
Selecting tires for an RV is not as easy as going to Wal-Mart and asking for suggestions. In fact, Wal-Mart will not install your tires in their shop in my town. Our travel trailer had four different types and sizes of tires. We were glad we located this RV Tire Guide (PDF) from Michelin, an excellent resource on tire pressure, weighing your RV for individual axles and gross vehicle weight and maintaining your RV tires. Michelin also revised their Load and Inflation Tables for RVs.
Towing Your RV
Read this informative Guide to Towing 2005 (PDF) from NADA Guides. You must understand what is happening to your tow vehicle and trailer when you drive down the road. Also important is weight and weight distribution. Keep your trailer as light and as balanced as possible. This resource also discusses towing vehicles behind your RV.
Updated 01/07/2008
