Go RVing photo
By Darcy Nybo
Vacations are meant to be relaxing and fun. Before you go, make sure you prepare your RV for the best holiday ever.
Here’s an alphabetical checklist to make your play time, safe time.
Alarms: Test all your gas, smoke, and fire alarms regularly, and replace the batteries at least twice per year. The alarm itself should be replaced every five years. The best way to remember is to change your RV smoke and fire alarm batteries when you change the ones in your home, usually in the fall when we switch to daylight savings, and again in the spring.
Anti-Theft Protection: Make sure your RV and/or tow vehicle are equipped with steering wheel locks, trailer coupler locks, hidden battery cut-offs, locking chocks for tandem wheels and kingpin locks for fifth wheels. If it looks like it’s going to be too much trouble to steal it, prospective thieves will probably go somewhere else.
Batteries: You’ve checked the batteries in your alarms, now don’t forget to check the ones in your RV. Check both the chassis battery and the house batteries to ensure everything is running smoothly for your trip. When charging your batteries, make sure they are fully recharged before using them again. This will extend your battery life and keep some money in your wallet.
Fire Extinguishers: Choose a fire extinguisher that is right for your RV. Most RV fires begin in one of two areas, the kitchen, or in a rear-engine diesel pusher, in the engine bay. Typical RV refrigerators utilize evaporative cooling, which utilize a propane burner or electric element to provide that heat, and overheating can potentially start a fire. The fire extinguishers that came with your RV may be too small to be of much assistance. Select your fire extinguisher by the type of fire it is designed to put out. Make sure you have a suitable extinguisher for kitchen fires at a handy location and another near the electrical or engine compartment or in the tow vehicle of a fifth wheel. When in doubt, ask the experts and get the ones that are right for the size and style of your RV.
Pure, Clean Water: Make sure the water coming out of your taps is clean and safe to drink. Change all interior and exterior filters on a regular basis. You may as well do it while you’re changing the batteries in the smoke and fire detectors, and that way you’ll know it’s ready to go when you need it. Check the manufacturer’s instructions on how many gallons the filter is designed to process before it should be replaced. Your sediment and carbon filters may need to be changed more often if you use your RV year round, or if you visit places that tax the filters.
Stay in Control: Getting your vehicle to handle better may cost a little more, but it is worth it. Have a trusted professional install and/or check your weight distributing hitches, sway controls, steering stabilizers, air springs, and auxiliary braking systems. There’s nothing worse than not being able to steer your RV around a tricky corner or away from a sharp drop off. An RV that is difficult to drive will also cause driver fatigue, which could lead to delayed reaction time to obstacles or other vehicles on the road.
Surge Protectors: You probably have them at home so remember to put them in your RV as well. A surge protector will save you from having to replace your RV’s fridge, stove, A/C, microwave, and any other electrical equipment that could suffer if the parks power is unstable. You may have one built in already; check the manual to make sure. Portable and hardwired surge protectors are available online and at most RV dealerships for both 30-amp and 50-amp RV electrical systems.
Tire Pressure: You’ve seen far too many blown tires on your road trips, don’t let the next one be yours! The number one cause of blowouts is low tire pressure. Check tire pressure before you leave on your trip, and again every morning before you head out. Always carry a quality tire gauge and use it daily. For those times when you can’t move to get more air in the tires, get a portable air compressor for quick and easy solution.
A little bit of preventative maintenance can go a long way to having a safe and relaxing time in your RV.