So you've decided to live full time in an RV, RV Ready yet? If not, that's okay, I've given a lot of advice, tips and starting points for the life on this blog if you make up your mind to do so. I share all you need to know and then some. I'm going to give you the best RV'ers pre-trip checklist
In a week we leave for Williamsburg and I need to get prepared!
Maria and I have been living in the Newmar/Mothership for three years and every year there's always something, that's a part of this life. Every time we are dormant for five or six months, and before hitting the road, I have a routine I follow. Routines for a successful journey are always necessary, at least to me, and give me some reassurance that I did everything I could to make our travels a little less pain staking, and avoid mishaps. Let me get started and share some helpful ways to make your future trip worthwhile with a full time RV'ers pre-trip checklist...
Check Tire Pressure
I check all the tires, the motorhome, our tow dolly and the car (2010 Hyundai Accent), this will help avoid tire issues, blowouts or flats. Check your specific pressure for the tires you are monitoring for the accurate PSI. Also check for cracks, dry rot, and dates on the tires to be sure they don't need replaced.
Oil Changes
You can take your rig and vehicles in to a garage for this, but I do my own oil changes on the Motorhome, and the generator. I follow the specifications listed in the manual for our Chevy Chassis, and the Onan generator, which is built-in and lists all the part numbers and the amount of hours to do an oil change, filter change, and all the good stuff. I recommend following your rigs instruction for this. Doing my own oil changes saves a ton of money, in fact one mobile RV tech said they charge over $300 for a filter and oil. I spend around $90 for both filters and the oil for the Motorhome and the Generator. Total time is about an hour and a half and I know the job was done right. I do this task once a year, usually in the winter before leaving north for the summer months.
Lube
I use a silicon spray and lube the gears and arms on the slide outs before leaving, usually twice a year.
Wash the Motorhome and Car a couple days before
I love to start out clean so I wash the motorhome and car, both inside and out, to get a clean start for the journey. Plus, I advertise on the back of the Mothership and want my brand to look good, since I'm rolling down the highway with advertisement.
Interior windshield and exterior windshield
I love to clean the large window on the front of the motorhome and inside the motorhome. Driving the motorhome, I like the chassis area to be clean, so I'm able to look and see for safety while driving, and believe it or not the front of the motorhome gets a little messy with dust and debris while sitting.
Slide rubbers/seals.
I use a product on my slide seals to help preserve them and stop the sun from fading and rubber from cracking. There are many products to use, and if you're a full time RV'er and are reading this, please comment your preference, and I'll take it into consideration. You can find the slide out protection anywhere on the internet.
Touch-ups and other items
There is always something while sitting somewhere for a duration. I continuously start the engine, at least once a month. This time around I started it and the battery had died. I noticed there was a small draw so I installed a shut off, or "kill switch" on the chassis battery for times when we'd be sitting in the future. I have also replaced a curtain tie back, painted decals on the back, and repainted the steps this year, and recalked some areas on the roof to avoid potential leaks.
Slide Outs (in and out)
A week or so before departure I always bring all three of the slides in, and put them out, to make sure that I don't run into a slide out issue the day of leaving. That is something I don't want to deal with and a delay I can live without.
Propane
If the area I'm in delivers propane, I will set this up, if not I usually fill the tank at a local propane dealer and start with a full tank. The propane tank is built into the motorhome so I have to drive to get if filled if delivery is not an option.
Water
I don't travel with more than about a quarter tank of fresh water, to keep weight down in the rig. This amount of water is good for a three day stretch and may accommodate two quick showers, but we dry camp a lot on the road, and typically get a full hook up site somewhere in between to refill the water levels. Just monitor your levels if you opt for this and all should be well.
Generator
I run our Onan generator for an hour or so every couple months on a load. I typically run both air conditioners while running the generator. Remember the generator can be a lifesaver on the road if you need your batteries recharged, or temps drop too cold and you need the furnace or an electric heater/heat pump during those cold snaps.
That's all I can think of, quite a lot of prep, but so worth the worry free travel event by taking precautions. This lifestyle is one of the most freeing if you have a solid routine, can plan your travels and have the right tools available to function. Remember, routines and practice helps life become successful. If you have any routines you like to perform before you hit the road please let me know in the comments. As always if there are any questions, feel free to reach out, I'm an open book and will probably feature my answer on the blog in the future!
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Tim Eagle
Tim Eagle is an author of the novellas Stolen Seed, Life Ship, and the Vasectomus Collection. He lives full time, on the road, with his wife, Maria and their dog, Cocoa. He grew up in Michigan and is inspired by the dysfunction of America. His books are available on Amazon, godless and this site timeaglefiction.com
Thanks for the tips!