GoCampingAmerica.com | Posted May 3rd,
    2019

    Getting Your Rig Ready for the Summer
    Season

    Happy Camper Blog

    Your summer RV
    travel plans are probably well underway, and the last thing you’ll want to
    work into those plans is an unexpected repair. So we asked an expert, Tim
    Hulett, for some advice on maintenance tips to keep your RV running
    smoothly.

    Hulett and his wife Tracy own Mohave RV Repair in Fort Mohave,
    Ariz.  They also own Sourdough
    Campground
    in Tok, Alaska. Between Tim’s 26 years of
    RV repair experience and five years as a campground owner, he has plenty of
    RV expertise to share. Here are the tips he offered to make sure your rig is
    ready for summer travel:

    Check your tires. Look for signs of
    weather cracking—small cracks in the sidewalls mean it is time to
    replace the tire. Sometimes these cracks are just a normal sign of the tire
    aging, but if they are deep enough, it can mean that it’s time to replace the
    tire. Also, before you take off on any trip, be sure to check your tire
    pressure.

    Have your brakes adjusted. This
    should be done every 3-4,000 miles as part of your routine maintenance.
    Having your brakes properly maintained helps keep you and others on the road
    safe, of course, but it’s also important to note that damage caused by
    improperly maintained brakes can be costly.

    Have your wheel bearings checked. Wheel
    bearings help your wheels turn smoothly by minimizing friction, so having
    worn wheel bearings can be dangerous. Be sure to have yours checked every
    10,000 miles.

    Change your water filters. To ensure
    that your water supply is clean and pure, be sure to change your filters
    every six months.

    Have your roof inspected. Your roof
    may be  easy to overlook because of the “out of sight, out of mind”
    theory. But RV roofs need to be cleaned and sealed on a regular basis. (The
    frequency depends on what part of the country you live in or travel to.)
    Also, plastic roof vents can become brittle over time, and if wind starts to
    rattle them and causes them to shatter, you could be left with a 14-inch hole
    in your roof.

    Check your rig for reverse polarity.
    This is a potentially dangerous or damaging situation that
    occurs when a hot wire is crossed with a neutral wire. It can lead to a shock
    or shock hazard. Reverse polarity can also cause a ground fault circuit
    interrupter (GFCI) to shut down unexpectedly. GFCIs play an important role in
    protecting people from an electric shock. They also protect wires and
    receptacles from overheating and possibly starting on fire, so when they shut
    down, it’s important to find the cause.

    To check for reverse polarity, you can purchase a special
    detector, but almost any of the newer surge protectors also check the circuit
    for an open ground and open neutral and reverse polarity. In addition to
    checking your rig, Hulett recommends checking the pedestal at your campground
    before you hook up your RV.

    He also stressed that if you detect reverse polarity or another
    electrical issue, it’s important to have the repair work performed by an
    experienced electrician. He’s seen cases where owners try to do their own
    electrical work to save money, but in the end, it costs them twice as much to
    have their work redone (due to their lack of expertise) than it would have if
    they had the issue resolved by a professional in the first
    place.

    Once you get your rig ready for summer, you’ll have plenty of days
    of happy camping ahead. Not sure where you want to head next? Use our
    convenient “Find a
    Park
    ” feature to quickly find your next great camping
    destination.