7 Ways to Prepare RV for Summer Trips

During the summer, it is probably the time to pull our RV out of the mothballs and prepare it for a journey. As May approaches, we should start checking our RV and see whether it is in good shape for another summer adventure.

1. Check awnings

During our travel, we often need to extend the awning, especially during sunny days. During the winter, trapped moisture may encourage the growth of mildew. This could stain the fabric. If possible, we need to remove and rinse it with detergent. Mild dish detergent should be able to clean vinyl fabric. After we re-install the fabric, we should run the mechanism a few times to make sure that it still has smooth operation.

2. Check Propane System

This should be the right time to check our propane tanks to see whether there are leaks. We could put soapy water around the regulator and connections to see signs of bubbles. We could also purchase a leak detector at the nearest hardware stores. It is important to remember that we shouldn’t overfill the propane tank. A tank should be filled with up 80 percent of propane, because the gas could expand during the hot summer days.

7 Ways to Prepare RV for Summer Trips

3. Check Batteries

Batteries can be real finicky things, especially if we leave them for months in storage. We should check whether they still hold charges properly. We could test our batteries by following the instructions. The battery is largely unusable if we have inadequate differentials between cells. If the battery still works fine, we should clean the connection by applying the anti-corrosion spray.

4. Check DC Electrical System

With the batteries working, we should check our lights and DC accessories. If they don’t seem to work, we should check the connections and fuses. If more than one fuse is blown, we should investigate the cause. Squirrels, rats and other small critters may build a nest inside our RV. They could chew electrical wires and wreak havoc on our electrical system. We should bring spare fuses during the journey.

5. Check A/C Electrical System

Modern RVs have more than a few appliances that run with A/C electricity. So we should make sure that the A/C electrical system works flawlessly. We should check the Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) and whether it has the test and reset button. The reset button should click when we push it, if not; we may a problem that we need to fix.

6. Check Sewer Valves

Sewer system is essential to ensure good sanitation during the whole trip and we shouldn’t overlook it. We should make sure that all the sewer valves and pipes work well. A broken sewer system can be a nightmare for any RV owner and repairing it could prove to be a huge expense.

7. Check Water Systems

The water system should be in a good condition if we winterize it properly with enough anti-freeze solutions. We need to check the pipes for leaks and we may need to flush it before the journey. When de-winterizing our water system, we may need to change the positions of some valves, so we should read the instruction carefully.