It’s time to clean up, spruce up, and check up your RV for the 2008 touring season!

Now is the time to think about taking our RV out of mothballs so that you will be ready for that first trip in the spring. It is really a matter of cleaning up, sprucing up, and checking up all of the RV components and systems to prepare for the busy touring season.
            If your rig was covered during the winter, begin the process by washing the cover while it is still on the RV, and let it dry before removing and storing it until you need it again next fall. Once you have taken care of your RV cover, it’s time to examine the exterior surface of the vehicle for signs of weathering, corrosion, and mildew that may have developed over the winter. I use Spray Nine to clean any of these spots off and then apply a coating of wax to protect the surface.
            If you have a rubber roof, check the Dicor website for excellent maintenance tips (www.dicor.com).  Now look over the inside to see if any moisture has crept in over the winter at windows or slide-outs. This is a good time to inspect around roof vents for any cracks that might have been caused by the weight of the snow. Check all seams for a good seal. Often, the expansion and contraction between different types of materials will cause a seal to open up enough to allow water to seep into the RV.
            Roll out your awning and make sure that it is clean and dry. Use WD40 on the metal moving parts, and use silicon spray to lubricate all the window tracks.
            Now is a good time to check all of your tires for proper inflation. Many tires lose up to three psi of pressure a month over the long winter. We have even found one tire that lost all of its air and we had to pump it up before going to the service centre. If you have dual wheels on the rear of your RV, kneel down and look between them to see if there is approximately the same distance between the two sets of wheels. If one tire is low, you can see this easily.
            Before starting the engine, check the fluid levels and consider changing the oil before you head out on that first trip. If you have 75,000 km or more on your vehicle, it is time to have the transmission fluid changed as well. When the RV is up on the hoist, have the technician look to see if any wires have been nibbled by the resident rodents where you store the vehicle. Rabbits and mice love the taste of plastic insulation.
            It is also a good idea to check the interior for any damage caused by our little friends. They often make a nest under the cushions of the dinette or the mattress on the bed. Birds love to make a nest under the top of the roof vent for the refrigerator or the sidewall vent for the cook top. Always remove the filter from the exhaust fan over the range and remove any debris left by the birds over the winter. The birds like these places as they are dry and out of the wind. It is always better to remove any debris from a nest and possibly any live young birds before you turn on the exhaust fan.
            Open the inspection panel at the back of the refrigerator and look up to see that there are no obstructions to the flow of air that the refrigerator will need to work properly. If you have a generator installed, start it up and turn on your air conditioner to provide a load, and then run it for at least an hour to make sure that all the lubrication systems are working properly. This is a good time also to pour some of Thetford’s Drain Valve lubrication fluid into your holding tanks so that it gets directly up against the dump valves. You can also pour some of this fluid into the toilet so that it comes in contact with the flush seal.
            Fill your fresh water tank and flush out any antifreeze in the system. The antifreeze will then be in your holding tanks, where it can be drained out the next time you decide to dump your tanks. Turn the winterizing bypass valves on the back of your hot water heater to allow fresh water to fill the tank. If you have filters on the water supply to the icemaker in your refrigerator, remember to replace these as bacteria might have grown in your old filters over the winter.
Open the propane valves and turn on each appliance to remove any air in the lines. It may take a few moments for the air to be chased out of the lines before the appliance will light. I often start with the stove top as it is easy to see when the flame establishes. Then turn on each of the other appliances, one at a time.
            Inspect your fresh water and sewer hoses to be sure that they have not deteriorated over the winter. It is a good idea to change your sewer hose each year to prevent it from springing a leak just when you don’t expect it. Clean the seals on your slide-outs and use a protectorant to keep them supple.
            Be sure to plug your trailer into the tow vehicle to check that all clearance lights, turn and stop signals are working. Clearance lights are notorious for developing poor electrical connections in the light sockets. The trailer connector on your tow vehicle often deteriorates over the winter from the effects of the road salt, so this is a good time to change it.  Jack up the trailer wheels and spin them to see that there are no grinding sounds from the brakes. Take the trailer to your favorite dealer and have him check each of the brakes on the individual wheels for proper adjustment. When you are travel, the brakes can get warm, then when you stop at night, moisture can condense on the metal surfaces causing a thin film of rust on the brake drums.  Each time that I drive away from a campsite, I always drive slowly and apply the trailer brakes lightly by hand with the brake controller. This causes the brakes to drag and scrub off any rust that has formed overnight on the braking surfaces.
            Check your batteries to be sure that they are fully charged after the winter. Top up the electrolyte with distilled water so that it covers the plates. Check that the battery cable connections are clean and tight. Then use some Windex and a paper towel to clean the top of the batteries. This prevents a parasitic current from traveling across the top and discharging your batteries while the RV is sitting still.
            Always take a short trip as the first RV excursion of the year to be sure that everything is working properly. It is not a good idea to go on a long trip as your first outing, as you may be far away from a dealer when you find that something is not working as it should be.