Living full-time in an RV comes with some challenges when it comes to RV Maintenance. After all, you are living in it, you cannot leave it at the garage for days! However, ongoing maintenance for your RV is not only critical for the long-term health of your vehicle, but it is necessary for your safety on the road.

Tips on Handling RV Maintenance When You Are Full-Timing

It is important to remember that RVs are big and complicated vehicles that travel through all sorts of terrain. Since they go through so many placed and all sorts of weather, you need to follow the basic maintenance tips below to take the best care of your RV. That way it can take care of you on your amazing travels.

• Be prepared: You want to make sure you have a budget for RV repairs. You want to think ahead of your travels to determine what work should be done and also budget for yearly maintenance. The basics such as oil and filter changes as well as coolant and transmission checks need to be performed regularly, so make sure they are on your schedule.
• Schedule appointments weeks prior: If you can, call the garage weeks prior to schedule the appointment. Tell them that you are living in your RV full-time so you won’t be able to leave it there for days. When I had a problem with my RV, I scheduled an appointment for a day to diagnose the problem and scheduled another date for later when they already had the part and fixed it the same day.
• Tires: Tires are one of the biggest safety items in your RV, so it is important to keep them in optimal shape. Always ensure the tire pressure is correct before driving and this involves getting your vehicle weighed often. You need updated and accurate weights to determine the correct and safest tire pressure. You also want to keep your tires clean and covered when you are parked to get the most out of them.
• Accidents: At some point, you will be faced with an unplanned repair or accident. Always be prepared to tow the vehicle if necessary (you will want to include that in your traveling budget). If you are away from home, you need to search for the right repair facility that specializes in RV maintenance and repairs. While accidents are not fun, they can be easily overcome so long as you remain flexible and prepared.
• Do stuff yourself: Even if you are not the handiest person, you can still learn basic care for your RV. I am learning a LOT from YouTube! There are tutorials online that can walk you through basic upkeep and repairs for your RV which will save you money and time. You can learn to upgrade your internal décor or even learn how to change tank valves for the toilet. The more you can do yourself, the less time you need to spend looking for someone else.
• Downtime maintenance: Too much downtime can be bad for an RV because they are meant to be driven. Things can begin to deteriorate so you need to be diligent about maintenance during downtimes. Oil in your tires can dry out causing them to degrade and gas in the tank can break down and allow algae to grow. Making sure you stay on top of these potential issues will ensure your RV lasts a long time and that it will be ready to go whenever you are.