When it comes to RV maintenance, everyone thinks they have
the answers. Individual owners believe that they know their RV better than
anyone else—and they ignore any advice from more experienced owners. Some
people listen to salespeople and shops for the RV advice, not realizing that
what they’re really hearing is a sales pitch.
So what’s the right
way to maintain an RV?
Well, we’re not going to be so bold as to claim that we have
the right solution for every single RV out there. But there are a number of bad
habits out there that should be squashed, particularly if you’re a new RV owner
who’s just learning the ropes. Here are three incorrect ways of maintaining an
RV, along with our suggestions for cleaning up these habits:
1. Focusing on the
Wrong Issues
Sometimes, RV owners mean well, but their knowledge about
RVs isn’t always quite where their heart is. Focusing on the wrong issues—or
simply making an unknowledgeable mistake—is common amongst new RV owners who
are still getting up to speed on the dos and don’ts of RV life.
So what can you do? Here are a couple of examples of the
things that many RV owners do even when their hearts are in the right place:
- Checking/adding air when the tires are hot. It’s
common knowledge that you shouldn’t travel more than one mile before checking
or adding air to your tires, but many people spontaneously forget this issue
when checking their RV. - Checking the wrong things. For example, do you
check the water level in batteries periodically, or do you more often check for
rust? Both are important, so check often to make sure you are getting the most
out of your battery.
2. Over-doing it
RV maintenance is important, and it’s important to do
routine checks and ensure that your RV is where it needs to be. But it’s
possible to over-do it, as well. Replacing items that don’t need replacing,
over-cleaning, and other overzealous RV habits can lead to more expenses than
are actually worth the investment, which in turn leads to frustration and the
sense that your RV isn’t giving you the performance you expect.
Instead, simply stick to a predetermined set of routines…and
rest easy knowing that your RV is being well looked after.
3. Improper Water
Tank Maintenance
Most people treat RVs like big versions of cars, which means
they forget the bigger amenities that need maintaining. The most obvious is
that of the water tank. Taking the time to both rinse and flush the black water
holding tank after it’s been emptied is a great way to ensure that you are paying attention to the water tank,
and that you’re taking the time to care for this always-essential piece of the
RV puzzle.
Make sure you care for your RV, but also that you take the
time to understand what’s important about RVs…and what separates them from
cars. If you do that, you’ll be well on your way to cleaning out bad habits and
taking action where it truly counts.
