RVs are pure fun, but making sure they stay healthy can take some work. If you’re not careful with your recreational vehicle, you could be faced with expensive repairs like tire blowouts, dead batteries, and many other issues. At Beaver Coach Sales, our service department is always here for you if you need repairs, but we also put together this guide to help you save some money with some preventative strategies. So when you have questions or need service, come on into our dealership in Bend, Oregon. We take the stress out of RV repair!
TIRE BLOWOUT
RVs are heavy, and all that weight gets supported by nothing other than the tires. Over time, this can have a severe impact on the tires’ health, especially when you’re driving over bumpy or worn-down roads. If you don’t take care of them, this can easily lead to a blowout, which can be extremely dangerous on a trailer or motorhome. Keep in mind that the top-heavy structure of an RV makes it less stable, which means that a blowout could easily send your trailer or motorhome reeling off the road. You can avoid this issue, thankfully, by simply checking the tire pressure before every trip. This can be done with a simple tire pressure gauge, or, if you want a more convenient setup, consider having a tire pressure monitoring system installed in your RV. You should also have a spare tire at all times, and check the pressure on the spare before you use it.
WATER DAMAGE
One of the most common problems that RV owners face is too much condensation in their trailers or motorhomes. These compact models are harder to ventilate, which means moisture gets trapped more easily, and, as you know, too much moisture can cause wood rot, mildew, and mold. These issues will ruin the structural integrity of your walls and floorboards, and they’re extremely expensive to repair, so it’s important that you learn how to combat condensation. Keep fans going, open the window when doing the dishes and during showers, and don’t leave wet clothes hanging around. You could also purchase a dehumidifier, as this will filter out a majority of the excess moisture in the air.
EXTERIOR DAMAGE
The exterior of your RV isn’t exactly fragile, but taking several cross-country trips every summer in the same vehicle can start to take a toll on the walls. It’s no secret that motorhomes, travel trailers, and fifth wheels are harder to drive than a passenger vehicle, and the taller profile is more likely to catch hanging branches and flying debris. On top of that, hail and other extreme weather will wear away at the exterior walls over time. You can avoid a lot of this damage by covering your RV during the offseason, and while driving, go slow around corners and bumpy roads so you can avoid excess scraping from foreign objects.
BATTERY FAILURE
If you’ve ever lost power in the middle of a campsite, you know how disruptive it can be for your vacation. The nice part about an RV is that it makes you feel at home, but it won’t do a very good job of that if the battery doesn’t work properly. On top of that, RV batteries are expensive to replace, so you’ll waste a lot of money by allowing your batter to die prematurely. When your RV isn’t in use, it’s not a bad idea to disconnect the battery cables to conserve energy. Otherwise, the electrical devices will draw energy out of the battery, even when they’re not in use. Along with that, you should connect your battery to a tender if you plan on keeping it in storage during the winter. This will prevent it from losing it’s charge, so it’ll be fresh and ready to use as soon as the spring rolls around again.
Hopefully you can prevent a lot of common RV issues with this information, but when you do need repairs, come on into our service department at Beaver Coach Sales. We are Central Oregon’s choice for RV repair! We’re located near Portland and Salem, Oregon, where we serve the areas of Seattle, WA and Redding, CA.