The busy RV season is just around the corner. And, that means RVers are getting ready for a summer packed full of travel plans. But before you hit the road, you’ll want to make sure your RV is completely ready for summer travel after its winter break. What does that mean exactly? It’s time to dewinterize your RV to get it ready for summer. Here are the steps you can take to get your RV ready.
1. Start With The Water
During the winter season, you probably put some anti-freeze in your RVs water system to stop it from freezing and melting constantly and putting too much pressure on the internal workings. Frozen water systems are more likely to break, causing leaks and costing far more than the bottle of anti-freeze you used to prevent it.
Part of dewinterizing your RV involves flushing out the whole RV freshwater system. The special RV anti-freeze you used isn’t toxic, but you will want to make sure your water is anti-freeze free because it’s still not a good idea to ingest anti-freeze of any kind.
Just run all your faucets in your RV to empty it and flush it with fresh water a few times.
2. RV Service Maintenance Package
The very best thing you can do for your RV after the winter break is to have it thoroughly serviced.
A comprehensive RV service maintenance package for towable RVs should include a wheel bearing pack and brake inspection, roof inspection, a service of your water heater and refrigerator, lubrication of your slide seals, an exterior wash and interior detail to get your RV ready for the road again. Of course, some of these tasks can be done yourself if you feel confident and comfortable doing so, or we can help you out with a service appointment at Sky River RV. To check out our RV service maintenance packages for towable RVs, click here.
As for a full-service package for motorized RVs, this should include:
- Generator service
- Roof inspection
- House batteries service
- Water heater and refrigerator service
- Lubrication of slide room seals
- Exterior wash and interior detail
Again, you might not require the full package, but here at Sky River RV, we offer everything from a comprehensive service to a basic one to get your RV ready, so click here for our service and maintenance packages for motorized RVs.
3. Check Your Tires
Another thing you want to do to get your RV road-ready is check your tires. If your RV hasn’t been used over winter, then tire pressure may have dropped. It’s your job to make sure the tire pressure of your RV is in the optimal range to guarantee safety on the road.
So, start with a quick visual inspection, making sure everything is OK, and then check the tire pressure and tighten any lug nuts to make your RV summer road ready!
4. Test Your Electrics
Next, is just checking that all electrical is working. Plug things in to check the electrical outlets. Make sure your refrigerator gets cool and will be ready for all your food when you hit the road. Make sure everything is working. Things may have gone wrong over the winter, so it’s best to know this now before you hit the road so you can get the problem fixed ahead of time.
5. Test Your Gas
We’ve dealt with water and we’ve dealt with the electrical, so next up is the gas. Air can sometimes get stuck in the gas line over the winter, so it’s best to get this released before you hit the road.
Simply turn on the propane tank and light the burners of any gas appliances to make sure they work. Your stove, water heater, and furnace need to be working before you start making any summer travel plans, so you know everything is OK. Gas appliances can sometimes be temperamental after a winter break, so it’s good to know if there are any problems now.
6. Important Safety Checks
RV safety has probably been at the back of your mind during the winter because you haven’t been using it. But now that you’re thinking about using it regularly again, you need to take active steps to make sure it’s safe to do so.
Simple things like changing the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors could save your life on the road. A few simple safety checks after the winter months to ensure everything is safe, you’ll have peace of mind on the road.
Another good thing to check is your fire extinguisher to make sure it’s full. Just look at the gauge on it to make sure it’s still in the green zone.
Final Takeaway
Even if you have your RV maintenance completed by professionals, make sure to check everything over before getting on the road. After that, all that’s left to do is plan a fun summer of RVing with friends and family.
