Tips from Andy Dietz, RV Technical Expert
Rewritten by Joseph Garnett, Jr. - From the Archives
Summertime is a great for most people to take their RV out across the country exploring or heading to their favorite destinations. However, the summer can wreak havoc on your RV if you haven’t take proper steps before hitting the road. Some maintenance steps can’t be overlooked or ignored for your RV to survive the summer. Below, is a checklist that will help you enjoy your trips and have fewer worries.
- After being closed up all winter, the RV can be a little musty. Open all the windows and vents to let some fresh air in.
- Verify that all lights and fans are working and that no fuses and bulbs are burned out. Be sure that your battery is getting a proper charge from the converter.
- Check the ground fault interrupter plugs. Test kits can be purchased at your local hardware store
- Close all faucets and put the assembly for the water heater into the summer position. Now, it is ok to fill the fresh water tank.
- Next, remove any bacteria in the tanks with a freshening product. Waterlines need to be purged with a water pump. Adding a cup of bleach to a gallon of water, pouring it into the tank and running the water until the smell of bleach is apparent is another way to get rid of bacteria. The bleach will need to sit in the tank for 24 hours before it is drained. You can then fill the tank with fresh water.
- After the previous step, your water lines should be flowing clear. Check the water heater to see that it is FULL, and then test the system by plugging into shore power.
- Look for leaks. Inspect the fittings and remove access panels. Look at the fresh water tank underneath and the black and gray holding tanks. Also, examine the gate valves for leaks or damages.
- Make sure appliances are working. Check the electric ones first and then the gas ones. Turn on the propane tanks. If there is a smell of propane, turn off the appliances and call an RV technician to check the system.
- This is also a great time to replace batteries in all your clocks, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
- Finally, make sure the slides are all working.
Now that the checklist is completed, it’s time to relax and enjoy your summer travels. If you need any professional work, please don’t hesitate to call our service experts here at the Lazydays Service department in Tampa or Tucson.
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