People are getting ready to enjoy camping the minute it warms up. Some of you are out there right now! You can already smell the campfire and taste the s’mores, but first things first – before taking your RV out for its inaugural adventure of the season, be sure to take the proper steps to de-winterize it.
Inspect Your RV
The first thing you need to do when bringing your rig out of storage is inspect the entire coach for any damage or signs of deterioration. If you put a tarp or cover, make sure all snaps, cords, and fasteners are loosened and nothing is in the way or binding when removing it. It’s also a good idea to get up on top to see if there is any standing water, branches, or other items that you need to be aware of. If there is water or even ice, make sure you brush it off before removing the cover, especially if you left a vent cracked open slightly (which I don’t recommend!). Remove any covers or plastic you might have installed over the refrigerator vent, water heater vent, furnace vent, or roof vents!
Now do a good walk around the rig to see if there is any bulging in the sidewall, signs of rodents or other animals, and go inside and look for signs of moisture penetration. This is also a good time to wash the rig and apply the appropriate conditioner for the roof material. Then visually inspect all the sealants on the roof, sidewall, and end caps for signs of cracking, separating, or deterioration. If there are suspect areas, you can clean it with denatured alcohol and apply more of the appropriate sealant for the roof material. I suggest the self-leveling lap sealant from Dicor for roof sealants and then find the appropriate sealant for other areas. Windows generally use Butyl tape which is a material, not silicone! Other components use a special silicone known as 321 or 301 depending on the application. Check with your RV manufacturer for the appropriate sealant. Generic silicone is not recommended.
Reinstall Batteries
If you removed your batteries at the time of storage, reinstall them and make sure to clean the posts and terminals and check fluid levels. If you stored your rig hooked up to an electrical source, check the fluid levels and the condition of the batteries.
For motorized, you may have dead engine batteries which means your engine computer has lost its settings and may need a series of steps to bring it back to normal operating condition. My parents had a Chevy Vortec that they stored without hooking up and every spring we have to jump start the rig, let it idle for about 15 minutes, drive for 15 minutes at a lower speed, and then drive for another 15 at 55-60. Otherwise, it will not get over 1500 rpm and won’t leave the storage lot! Check your owner’s manual for specific steps for engine computer resets.
Gas Tank
For motorized units, hopefully, you stored the unit with a full gas tank and some type of preservative. If not, the gas tank can develop condensation and rust and you will need to change the fuel filter more often. If you have not stored the unit with full fuel for the last few years, it might be a good idea to change the filter this spring. Check your owner’s manual to see if you should change oil and filter before putting it in storage or after. Always check all engine fluids and perform recommended maintenance on the chassis.
Lights
For both motorized and trailers, check all marker lights, brake/tail lights and others light for operation.
Tires
Check your tires for sidewall cracks (weather checking), bulges in the sidewall, or uneven lumps in the tread that would indicate a split in the steel belts. Also look for any signs of irregular tread wear or even chunks of missing tread! Check pressure and lug nut torque specification. For trailers, it’s a good time to have the bearings checked and repacked if necessary. Also for trailers, clean any rust off the trailer hitch and pin, lubricate to the manufacturer’s specification, connect the cord to a tow vehicle and test all the lights and especially the trailer brakes. You can drive slowly and manually apply the brakes to verify they are working correctly.
Water System
Hopefully, you removed the water heater plug and drained it or filled it with antifreeze.
Otherwise, your next step is to replace the water heater tank! Ouch. If your water heater is the type with an anode rod, inspect the rod to determine if it should be replaced. Remove any antifreeze with fresh water throughout the system. This is also a good time to disinfect and sanitize using a bleach and water solution. Depending on your fresh water tank size, you can use about 1 qt bleach to 40 gallons of water and run it through the entire system. This will sanitize and eliminate any stale odors. There will be a slight bleach smell/taste which should dissipate shortly, however you can use the scented bleaches that will be less offensive, or the fresh water odor products from Thetford and others.
LP tanks
Open the LP tanks/cylinders slowly as the excess flow valve will shut the system down if pressure exceeds the normal flow. This is common on DOT tanks used on trailers, 5th Wheels, and even residential grills. This is a good time to check all connections and valves at LP appliances for leaks. Get an approved leak test solution, not just soapy water as some detergents will start to disintegrate seals and gaskets! Just dab some around all connections and look for bubbles. If there are any present, shut the system off immediately and take it to a certified RVIA mechanic for inspection.
Awnings
It is also a good idea to open any slide rooms that have awnings and pull out your patio awning as it’s common to get condensation and moisture on the fabric/vinyl. You may need to clean it with the appropriate cleaning solution for either fabric or vinyl. Find your brand and model number and check the owner’s manual or website as there are specific cleaners and conditioners recommended. You do not want to use the wrong cleaning solution on acrylic fabric will remove the waterproofing layer. If the awning is clean but wet, let it dry before rewinding it as mold will form.
LP Appliances
Next, you will need to bring all your LP appliances back on line such as the refrigerator, stove top, furnace, and water heater. Keep in mind that you do not want to turn on the 120-Volt operation of the water heater without water in the tank or you will ruin the heating element. I typically start with the stove top as the LP system needs to purge the air in the line and I can actually see the flame trying to start.
Usually, the refrigerator is close enough to the stove top that it will light with a few tries on the LP mode. Same thing with the furnace and hopefully you won’t need it until the fall.
Air Out The Unit
Finally, air out the unit and look for any condensation that may have formed in cabinets or closets and clean it out. You may want to add a little DampRid to remove the moisture.
To ensure you have easy access to this handy checklist every year, feel free to download, print, and share with your RVing friends.
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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Ray M. ~ “We’ve had a service plan with Coach-Net with 2 different RVs and we’re so glad we do. Twice in less than a month we’ve called with tire issues. Both times your representative helped us to get back on the road in a short amount of time. Thank you from two happy campers.”
There is something very calming about driving down the road in an RV – that is until you encounter that unwelcome rattle or broken dish. This experience is made even worse when the damage occurs in a trailer in tow and the resulting mess is not discovered until you make camp.
Before setting out on that “Maiden Voyage” with your brand new, or new to your RV, there are some things you should know and be prepared for. Here are some little tips and tricks the seasoned RVer learns the hard way such as campground restrictions, where to find dump stations, great gadgets you should never leave home without, and much more.
Something unusual happened this past winter that rarely happens here in Vancouver. We found ourselves in a snowy deep-freeze. Although most of the rest of Canada and many areas of the United States would find our 15-degree Fahrenheit temperature and 3 feet of snow laughable, it is something that rarely happens here on the West Coast. We normally enjoy fairly mild winters with very little snow, in fact, it is uncommon to get much below freezing.
Make sure you have propane in your LP tank instead of butane. While propane will continue to vaporize down to -40 degrees Fahrenheit, butane condenses at around 32 degrees Fahrenheit so it will start to become ineffective below freezing. If your RV is equipped with electric heat such as heat strips or a heat pump, use it as much as possible and minimize furnace use. Although electric heat is less efficient and doesn’t work well at very low temperatures, it is effective as a supplement to gas heat and will save propane. NEVER use your stove or oven to heat an RV.
Most RV owners either head South when the temperatures hit below freezing or tuck their units in for a long winter’s nap. However, with better insulation, dual pane windows, and basement heat, more brave souls are hitting the powder and experiencing other winter activities. During my seminars, I ask the audience how many people are going to camp in the winter and it’s surprising how many raise their hands. Then I like to joke with them and ask how many are going to camp in the winter where it’s warm??? You may not want to camp all winter long in freezing temperatures, but what about taking a late Fall trip into the mountains or early spring? You can still run into some freezing weather and should be prepared and know a few tricks.
For water, I drained all the tanks and blew out the lines with compressed air. Make sure you turn the air compressor down to 30 psi or you will be replacing a few fittings…I learned the hard way! Also, put a small amount of RV antifreeze down the sink drains as there is a “P” trap underneath that is designed to hold water and prevent odors from coming up from the tank into the rig. If there is water in the trap, it will freeze as well. Then I carry a few gallon jugs of water placed in the shower pan to use the toilet and dump a gallon of RV antifreeze in the shower pan and toilet. We use the sanitized wipes or gel to wash our hands so there is no need for water from the sink faucet as well. Keep in mind, if you use the sanitized wipes or gel with paper towels DO NOT THROW THEM INTO THE TOILET! They do not dissolve and will cause problems. Keep a small plastic shopping bag handy to throw them away.
Towable RV owners know that factory-installed brakes don’t always meet our expectations. The electric drum brake systems on our rigs sometimes lack the smooth and reliable stopping power we enjoy in passenger cars and trucks. After messing with our own fifth-wheel’s brake controller one too many times, we decided to take the plunge and invest in an electric over hydraulic trailer disc brake conversion for our 27′ Arctic Fox fifth wheel.
In 
Loosening of the spring tension is manifested as the awning not properly or fully retracting due to the torsional force on the springs being too low. Occasionally one or both of the springs will break, but this is not as common. The springs are located at each end of the awning roller tube and are attached to the end caps. Re-tensioning is not technically difficult, but due to the high spring force that can easily result in personal injury, self-repair is not recommended. If you suspect that your awning has lost spring force, consult your local RV repair facility. Re-tensioning the springs is not an expensive procedure, as it should take a certified technician only a short time to perform.
In Part 1 of this article
One of the many features on an RV that has a tendency to stay “out of sight, out of mind” is the awning. One of the first things we do when we pull into a campsite is extend the awning, and one of the last things we do is retract it. We expect it to faithfully serve and generally don’t have to think about how it works, what to do to maintain it, and how to repair it. This article will present some awning tips for maintenance and repair.
Wearing mismatched clothing is a big no-no for most of us. But when we let our RVs wear mismatched tires, most of us don’t think twice – until something like a tire blowout happens. Don’t let a roadside emergency teach you the importance of having a matching set of RV tires with correct load range. That’s what happened to me. Several months and almost a thousand dollars later, here’s what I learned about buying the right RV trailer tires for my 2010 Arctic Fox fifth wheel.
After two trailer tire blowouts in less than a year, we knew we had a problem. Our first strategy to determine the cause was to 