O'Connor RV
Are you heading south this winter? If so, here are a few things to do before you go. Since you will probably cover several thousand miles in a short time, you will want to get your truck, trailer, or RV inspected and in tip-top mechanical condition. Also, this is a good time to do some maintenance, organize "all your stuff", and give everything a good clean.
RV Holding Tanks
When tanks sit for a long time, without getting the benefit of motion to help clean them, they can get pretty mucked up. Before you leave, it would be wise to add some extra tank cleaner and give the tanks several full flushes. This is also a good time to inspect the sewer hose and hardware for any cracks or potential problems. The freshwater tank should get sanitized. To sanitize it, fill the fresh tank half full and add a half cup or so of bleach. Then go for a short drive. This gives the mixture a chance to swirl around during the trip. Then a few days before departure, run the bleach mixture through the water lines, refill the fresh tanks and repeat.
Purge the Weight
When you are full time in your RV, you tend to collect things and the RV slowly gets more and more packed with stuff. Bit by bit, the accumulation adds a surprising amount of weight to the RV. A good idea is to stop at a free roadside weigh stations and check your weight. If it's more than last year it may be time to purge some items. You may want to pull everything out of the storage bays and cupboards and make some serious decisions on what you really need. Anything that you hadn’t used in the last year can go, short of safety equipment of course. This keeps your weight down and gets you nicely organized.
Another thought to keep in mind is that escaping to a warmer winter climate doesn't necessarily mean that you'll always be in t-shirts and flip flops. Depending on your departure date from the Northern latitudes, you can be subjected to everything from snow to freezing fog on your way south for winter or on your springtime return trip.
DON'T FORGET!
Once you arrive at your winter destination, it's not uncommon to experience occasional wild temperature shifts – sometimes a region can plunge from daytime temps in the 80s down into the 50s almost overnight.
No matter where you go, random deep freezes are always a possibility so keep this in mind when packing your clothes.
If you're the type of RVer who enjoys tempting fate by putting off a departure date until late Fall, consider leaving your rig winterized until you hit the road to avoid sudden damage by unexpected cold snaps.
A few other quick things to do
- Lube storage bay locks and hinges
- Defrost refrigerator
- Clean and condition rubber roof
- Visually inspect all seams and seals
- Wax front fiberglass cap well –this helps ease bug removal
- Flush out the water heater
- Check all lights – make sure to have a good assortment of replacements
- Check AC operation and clean filter
- Steam clean the RV carpet and upholstery
- Check bolt torque on suspension, kingpin, and hitch
- Lubricate the hitch
- Add water to truck and RV batteries if required
- Run the generators for an hour or so
- Clean the barbecue