Picture this: You’re driving down a long windy road in your RV with your family during a summer road trip and all of a sudden you hear a “clank, clank,boom!”
You obviously pull off to the side of the road and realize it’s your engine. After some time, you realize you never changed the oil and it’s destroyed your engine.
You completely forgot that your “home on wheels” is still in fact, a vehicle that needs maintenance and sometimes more maintenance than a typical vehicle.
Thank goodness that is just a scenario and NOT something that will happen to you…if you take the proper steps to maintain your RV and plan for annual upkeep.
Now that we’ve got you thinking about RV maintenance, let’s discuss costs and an easy way to help you remember everything you need to do to keep your RV in the best shape possible, on the road, and safe!
What Is Involved In RV Maintenance?
We get it, RV maintenance on your RECREATIONAL vehicle seems like an annoyance, but again, it is still a vehicle and an expensive investment.
Depending on how much time you spend in your RV you’ll likely spend between $500-$1,500 on average per year for annual maintenance and upkeep.
Costs can also vary due to the age of your RV, any upgrades or modifications you’ve put into it or if it’s been repaired before due to an accident.
A good rule of thumb is to check your RV at the beginning and end of your trip or season, after long drives, or bad weather!
There are simple tasks you can complete yourself that will help keep your RV going strong and other tasks you’ll need professional help with.
RV Maintenance Checklist
Here is a helpful list of tasks that you’ll need to complete a maintenance check of your RV so that you can enjoy a trip with peace of mind that you checked everything before you got on the road!
RV maintenance checklist:
- Check and change the oil if needed
- Test the battery
- Look under the hood for any debris or out of place items
- Check all fluid lines
- Check and test the generator
- Check your emergency kit (tools, and medical supplies)
- Clean and inspect all windows, windshield and mirrors
- Test tire pressure
- Test spare tire pressure
- Test your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors
- Look for any cracking, dents or issues with the outside of the RV
- Check the tow hitch
- Check your propane tanks
Here is a great RV Maintenance checklist that you can look at for pre-trip, monthly and yearly maintenance, along with other resources on how to be best prepared.
Our biggest RV maintenance tip however is to make sure you have proper and up-to-date insurance on your RV!
Need RV Insurance? Contact RVInsurances.com Today
Like we said, even though your RV is supposed to be a fun investment, it is still necessary to have proper maintenance and insurance to give you and your family a chance to hit the open road in the best shape possible!
We offer RV insurance in California for weekend warriors, part-time and full-time RV enthusiasts.
We can also assist in insuring other recreational vehicles like dune buggies, ATVs, motorcycles and more!
For more information and helpful tips, continue reading our blog page featuring articles like our latest which discusses recreational vehicle gap insurance.
If you’re in need of insurance for your RV or any other of your vehicles, contact us today to get a quote!