We’ve spent the past several months in Oklahoma. This has been great except for one thing; tornados and RVs don’t mix well. In fact, an RV is one of the most dangerous places a person can be when a tornado hits. So far, we’ve been fortunate enough that a tornado has never touched down where we were parked, but we have had some middle-of-the-night tornado warnings.

If you’re planning an RV trip during tornado season, you may be wondering how to prepare. Here’s what we have learned.

When and Where Do Tornadoes Strike?

First, it’s important to note that during most of the year and in most locations, tornadoes are not really all that likely. That said, in states like Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, the risk of a tornado touching down increases significantly during the months of April and May.

For this reason, it’s best to avoid planning RV trips through Tornado Alley during the springtime if at all possible. If this isn’t possible, read on to learn what you need to know to stay safe.

Safety Tips and Planning Ahead

Okay, so you can’t avoid spending time in a Tornado Alley state during tornado season. Here are my top tips for staying safe while camping in tornado-prone areas.

Pack a Bug-Out Bag

First, I highly recommend packing a “bug out” bag that you can grab on your way out the door if you need to seek shelter. This should include important documents, a weather radio, an external phone battery, medications you may need, snacks and bottled water, a first aid kit, a flashlight, and anything else you may need. Keep the bag by the door at all times.

Locate Shelters

While planning your trip, look for campgrounds with tornado shelters. When you arrive at a new campground, locate the shelters so you know exactly where you’re going if the sirens go off.

Learn the Difference Between a Watch and a Warning

It’s important to understand the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning.

• Basically, a watch means the conditions are right for a tornado, but there is not currently a tornado in the area.
• A warning means a tornado has been spotted in the area and you should seek shelter immediately. If the sirens go off outside or you get an emergency alert on your phone, a warning has been issued for your area.

Pay Attention to the Weather Forecast

It’s important to 1) keep an eye on the weather because it can change quickly, 2) download several weather apps and allow push notifications on each one so you are alerted of watches and warnings, and 3) allow emergency alerts from your phone.

Have an Evacuation Plan

Talk to your family about your tornado evacuation plan. Make sure everyone knows to put on shoes and grab their phones on the way out the door, and ensure each member of your party knows where the shelter is.

What to Do During a Tornado

If the tornado sirens or phone alerts go off, that means it’s time to head to the shelter. Grab your shoes, phone, and bug-out bag and go.

If you’re driving when this happens, avoid parking under an overpass, as this can actually create a wind tunnel that is incredibly dangerous. Instead, park at the nearest sturdy structure and run inside, putting as many walls as possible between yourself and the outside. If no buildings are around, pull over, get out of the vehicle, and lay flat in a ditch.

After the Storm

Once the storm passes, put on your shoes and carefully exit the shelter, watching out for debris that could be dangerous. Ensure everyone in the area is safe and call 911 if there are injuries. Check your RV for damage, take dated photos of any damage you find, and report the incident to your insurance company.

Balancing Safety with Adventure

While RVing in tornado-prone areas during the spring isn’t ideal, it is possible to do so safely. Make sure you use the steps above to prepare, stay weather-aware, and go out there and have fun!

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

RV slide outs are a pretty awesome thing. The way they increase living space is incredible, and they’re especially appreciated by full-timers who spend all of their time in their RVs.

That said, when we got our first RV, I actually searched specifically for one without slide outs. This is because I kept hearing horror stories of malfunctioning slides and didn’t want to deal with those issues. When we got a second RV and it had a slide out, we were very careful to take good care of it and ended up falling in love.

As of this writing, my position is that I’ll never again buy an RV without a slide out, but I’ll also never neglect RV slide out maintenance. Here’s what you need to know to keep your slides in tip-top shape.

Lubrication and Cleaning

The first thing you need to know about RV slide outs? The moving parts really need to be kept clean and free of debris. They should also be lubricated regularly in order to keep running smoothly. Fortunately, it’s easy enough to head under the slide with a washcloth, wipe everything down, and add some silicone lubricant. I recommend doing this about once a month.

Caring for Slide Out Seals

The seals of your slide outs also need some care and attention. These are the things that keep water from entering the slide, meaning they protect your rig from water damage—something that is not easy to fix.

Make sure to check your slide out seals regularly, looking out for cracks, missing pieces, melted bits, etc. If you see damage, replace the seals right away. I was able to do this all on my own, so it’s definitely a DIY project.

You can protect your rubber slide out seals using a slide out seal conditioning product. This will help prevent the aforementioned cracking and breaking, meaning the seals will last longer.

Slide Out Operation Best Practices

Check First

Always, always check outside before extending a slide out. We’ve never had a slide run into anything, but we’ve seen plenty of campers run their slides into trees, poles, and other obstructions.

Likewise, you will want to check before pulling the slide in. Make sure nothing is caught under the slide, as this can damage your floor. Also make sure there is no debris on top of the slide, which can cause problems as the slide comes in. Slide out toppers can help with this.

Avoid Heavy Loads and Uneven Ground

One of the biggest issues we ever had with a slide out occurred when the slide got too loaded down. The excessive weight caused the slide to lean and get stuck. We were still able to help the slide along by pushing on it, but it never ran the same again. This is why you should never put too much weight in a slide out, especially when moving it in or out.

Another thing that can cause a similar issue? Extending or retracting the slide on an uneven surface. This can cause the slide out to move unevenly, leading to issues with jamming.

Store Properly

Slide outs should always be pulled in before the RV is put into storage. This helps avoid wind damage, hail damage, and leaks that could occur with the slides out. That said, you will want to return to the RV periodically to extend and retract the slides and add lubricant to the moving parts. This will ensure the slides are in good working condition when it comes time to go camping again.

RV slide outs really are a fantastic thing. Make sure you take care of yours and they will continue to offer you plenty of space to spread out while camping for years to come!

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

Recently, we noticed our RV water heater was leaking. This was, of course, incredibly unfortunate. I was super nervous to try to replace it, but we did figure it out with some help from friends. Here’s what we learned along the way…

Diagnose the Problem

My first (and possibly most important) tip is to properly diagnose the problem before fully diving in. We realized after we had already ordered a new water heater and pulled the old one out that our leak was likely just a fitting that could easily be replaced.

Even with that being the case, we were only with those friends for a short period of time and I didn’t want to risk the old water heater leaking again and being stuck without help, so we did go ahead and install the new one and made sure all the fittings were high quality and fastened tightly.

That said, I highly recommend finding the actual problem before ordering anything. It might just save you hundreds.

Choose the Right RV Water Heater Type

When I started shopping for a new water heater, I realized I had lots of options in terms of replacements. Looking through these and learning about each took time. Here’s what I found out.

Propane Tank Water Heater

This is what we had originally and what we decided to stick with. We like that the propane tank heater is good for boondocking and allows us to both carry a bit more water and avoid wasting water while waiting for hot H₂O to come through the lines. That said, these traditional tank heaters are a bit more expensive than other options and are also heavier.

Propane and Electric Tank Water Heater

We also had the option of buying a tank water heater that had an electric heating element in addition to propane heating. This would be nice to have, but ultimately we decided it wasn’t worth the extra cost and installation hassle (i.e. wiring up a new control panel that includes an electric heater switch).

RV Tankless Water Heater

Tankless RV water heaters are all the rage right now. They are pretty cool because they heat water on demand, meaning you never run out of hot water. They are also relatively lightweight.

They heat water using propane, which would lead you to believe that they are good for boondocking. Unfortunately, as of now, that isn’t the case. They take several seconds to heat up water once kicked on, meaning you have to run water down the drain as you wait for it to get warm at the tap.

We also hear that some campgrounds do not provide sufficient water pressure for the heater to even kick, meaning some RVers are using their pumps all the time in order to have hot water.

Under-the-Sink Mini Electric Water Heater

I really wanted this option to work because these under-the-sink water heaters are so much cheaper than their RV-specific counterparts. They are also plug-and-play, meaning I could have installed one by myself without ever even removing the old water heater.

Unfortunately, these little water heaters use electricity to heat water, and they use a lot of it. This means you can’t run much else on the electric system when using your water heater in your RV. It also means it won’t really work for boondocking.

After debating all these options, I ended up ordering a direct replacement for my propane tank heater. However, I can definitely see how a different option might work better for you, depending on your situation and needs.

Check the Fit

Make sure the heater you buy will fit in the space you have. We chose a direct replacement so we wouldn’t have issues with this. That said, we did have to hunt around a little because our original water heater was an Atwood model, and Atwood no longer makes water heaters.

We found out that Suburban now makes a direct replacement, and it did seem to be almost identical to the old one.

Removing the Old Water Heater

Removing the old water heater was straightforward enough. Here’s what we had to do:

1. Disconnect and turn off all water and power sources, including the shore power, batteries, city water, and water pump.
2. Bypass the water heater and empty the water heater by pulling the plug on the front.
3. Disconnect the water lines to and from the heater and snip the electrical wires to the heater.
4. Remove the door on the front of the heater and remove the screws on the front of the water heater.
5. Pry the door frame from the sealant holding it in place and pull the heater out.

Make sure you have a towel on hand, as there is likely to be water in the lines. You’ll also want to make time for (gently!) scraping old sealant away from the side of the trailer. It does need to be removed so the new water heater can go in properly.

Installing the New Water Heater

Because we purchased a direct replacement water heater, installation was pretty easy:

1. Apply butyl tape to the wall around the outside of the water heater opening, then push the heater into place.
2. Connect the water lines going to and from the tank and connect the wires using wire nuts.
3. Screw the frame into place.
4. Apply silicone sealant around the frame.
5. Replace the door.

Double up on butyl tape in gaps if the walls of your RV are not smooth. It’s also important that you connect all wires correctly, so make sure you know what you’re doing. Once the water heater is installed, make sure to fill it and watch for leaks.

If leaks do appear, it may be that you’ll need to reroute the nearby water lines a bit to relieve tension. We found that the fittings on the new heater were ever so slightly shifted from the old ones, and our lines were too rigid to handle the change without some modification.

Once you’re sure the heater is water-tight, turn it on and wait to see if the water heats properly. If it’s on propane, ensure that the flame is a nice, healthy blue.

Congratulations! You just replaced your RV’s water heater like a pro.

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

One of the most difficult things to do as a full-time RVer? Balancing work with travel and fun. After all, there’s only so much time in a day, and sometimes it can be difficult to make sure you’re getting out and exploring what you came to see while also staying on top of work, chores, and other day-to-day tasks.

The good news? It is possible to do this. Here are some excellent tricks I’ve learned over the years that really help me balance work and my RV lifestyle.

Stay in Each Place Longer

The first and most important tip in this article is to simply stay longer in each place you visit. Yes, it can be tempting to hop quickly from one place to another when your home literally has wheels, but this means you have to try to squeeze all the sightseeing in each location into a small amount of time, leaving no time for work or day-to-day life.

Instead, we like to stay at least two or three weeks in one spot, giving ourselves time to do all of the usual stuff in between sightseeing sessions.

If we absolutely can’t stay in a certain spot for this long, we will plan a long stint in a less exciting place on either end of the short stint. This allows us to get work and chores done in the boring location before heading to the short stay, so we can spend all of our time seeing the attractions during the shorter stay. Heading to a less-exciting location afterwards gives us the catch-up time we may need.

Get Up Early

Getting up early to get work done before the kids wake up is an excellent way to ensure your work gets done while still giving yourself time to go exploring. I’ve met lots of families who use this method, and many of them are finished with work by noon, meaning they have the entire afternoon to explore.

Unfortunately, my husband and I are NOT morning people, so this method doesn’t work for us. What has worked better for us is staying up late instead. I’ll stay up after the kids have gone to bed and accomplish as much as I can without distractions from them. This gives us the morning and early afternoon to explore the next day.

Plan Work-Heavy Days

Work-heavy days are the method that is working well for us right now. This involves doing all of my work in 3–4 days each week, so we have the rest of the week as fun days, during which we can just play and enjoy our free time.

This does require me to be really focused during my work days, but it is doable, especially because my husband is able to focus on things like schoolwork with the kids and household chores while I work, so everything is caught up by the time our fun days roll around.

Work Efficiently

Obviously, the less time you spend working, the more time you’ll have to get out and explore. This is why finding ways to make your work as efficient as possible is a must. For me, this often involves heading to a coffee shop to work, as I am much better able to focus when I’m out of my own home and away from my kids. That said, some people find that setting up an RV office or heading out to a Clam tent to work does the same thing for them.

Other ideas for making your work as efficient as possible include:

• Keeping a detailed planner so you know exactly what needs to be done on a given day.
• Invest in a good internet connection. This might mean splurging on Starlink or buying multiple hotspots and a cell booster.
• Automating or delegating mindless, repetitive tasks.
• Using the Pomodoro Technique (25 minutes on, 5-minute break) to maintain focus.
• Batching similar work together.
• Avoiding time-consuming meetings that could be handled via email.

Set Boundaries

No matter when you decide to work, make those your work hours and make it clear that you will not be working outside of those hours. Don’t answer emails or do any small tasks while on outings. Instead, make your family time completely work-free. This will ensure you are spending quality time exploring with your family, and it may even help make your work time more focused.

Create a Family Calendar

Last but not least, I have to recommend creating a family calendar. Write work hours, school time, chores, outings, and classes on a calendar and keep that calendar in a place where everyone will see it regularly. This will help keep the whole family on the same page.

Balancing RV life with on-the-road work can be difficult. Even after a decade of doing it, I still find myself having trouble with it from time to time. Fortunately, the tricks above always help me get back on track quickly and I imagine they’ll help you too.

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

It is important to periodically check your RV’s tire tread looking for unusual wear patterns. Your tires are one of the most critical safety components in your RV, and their condition can directly impact your handling, fuel efficiency, and overall safety on the road. Unlike passenger cars, RVs often carry heavy loads for extended periods, which puts extra stress on the tires. Ignoring subtle signs of wear could lead to blowouts, alignment issues, or even costly repairs down the line. By regularly inspecting your tire tread and being aware of common wear patterns, you can prevent problems before they occur and keep your RV in top-roadworthy condition. Below is an image I created to help identify types of wear patterns to watch for:

Tire Wear Patterns

Center Wear

This is typically caused by overinflation which creates a rounded tread pattern and excessive heat on the center which wears the tread faster. It is important to check the pressure of your tires every time you hit the road. This should be done at the beginning of the trip when the tires are considered cold or at ambient temperature. To fix this, check the inflation of your tire and reduce the pressure to the recommended PSI which should be listed on the data label of the trailer.

Outside Wear

This is typically caused by an underinflation tire which flattens the tread and creates a reverse curve causing the outside of the tread to wear faster. Check your tire pressure before every trip and adjust according to the recommended PSI. This condition can also be caused by overloading the RV. It is important to weigh your rig on a CAT Scale to ensure that you are not over the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).

Inner Wear

If the inside tread is wearing faster than the rest of your tire it is typically due to an overloaded situation that puts excess weight on the axle and creates a loss of camber or simply put, a bent axle or spindle. It is important to check the weight of your RV to ensure it is not over GVWR and reduce weight if needed. The only fix for this situation is typically an axle replacement.

Outer Wear

This wear pattern is caused by excess camber which could be a bent spindle, damaged axle, or improper axle installation. This typically requires a laser alignment inspection and spindle replacement.

Periodic Inspection

It is a good idea to periodically inspect the tread of all your tires looking for excessive wear, bulges, cracks, or other imperfections that could cause premature tire wear and even a blowout. Rub your hand across the face of the tread back and forth. If you feel a rough or “feathered” tread in one direction and smooth in the other, this is an early sign of misalignment. Getting it checked by a quality service center will prevent tire issues in the future.

Cupping and Flat Spots

A flat spot on the tire tread is typically caused by over-aggressive braking and usually means the auxiliary trailer brake is set too high for the weight of the trailer. The trailer brake is designed to simply slow the momentum of the weight of the trailer, not stop it or the tow vehicle in case of brake failure. One of my drivers always had the trailer brakes set to maximum as he liked the feel of the pull when braking. His tires always came back from a trip almost square! Have your auxiliary braking system set according to the trailer weight.

Cupping can be caused by unbalanced tires, improper seated bearings, or improper weight distribution. If the tongue weight is too high or too low, you will experience highway hopping or porpoising which can be corrected by having the tongue weight checked and corrected. Some tire centers do not balance trailer tires as they do not feel it is necessary, however, I have always felt it was important to verify not only the tire but the rim is running down the road in good condition.

When Is It Time To Replace A Tire?

There are several conditions that would require a tire to be replaced starting with age. There is quite a debate regarding how long a tire should be kept in service and typically one will blow out long before it gets too old. All tires have a date stamped on the side of the tire. It starts with DOT and the last four digits are the week and year of the tire. In this case, the tire was manufactured in the third week of 2016.

For many years, tire manufacturers have recommended replacing a tire after it is 7 years old, then switching to 10 years due to newer technology. However, today most tire manufacturers do not have an age recommendation but rather a suggestion to inspect the tire and replace it if there are imperfections or excessive tire wear. Most tire experts recommend replacement after 7 years.

Another issue is tread wear as indicated earlier. Excessive and uneven tread wear should be addressed and tires should be replaced accordingly. The Department Of Transportation (DOT) has a minimum tread depth of 4/32” on steer tires and 2/32” on all others. Check your tire depth with a quality depth gauge as part of your pre-departure checklist.

About the author: Dave Solberg: Managing Editor, RV Repair Club

For the last 25 years, Dave has conducted RV maintenance and safety seminars, developed dealer and owner training programs, written RV safety and handyman articles, authored an RV handbook reference guide and logged over 100,000 miles on the road in an RV.

RV Repair Club is your go-to online resource for enthusiasts who want quality RV maintenance, repair, and upgrade information – a community where passionate RVers can come together to gather knowledge and share their experiences.

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