RVs: Tips on Maintaining an RV

So you just bought a new RV. Or maybe it's not the fact that it's new; it's more that it's you that's new to it. The RV itself is a mammoth of machinery you never in your life ever owned. Some people might even call it a house. And even to those who do not, they at least know one thing and one thing only: an RV is very big. So, how does one go about maintaining, let alone driving, an RV?

Here are a few simple words of advice on how to properly maintain an RV. (Yes, even those Class A titans.)

The inside of an RV will generally house a shower. At least the bigger ones do. While out on the road, be sure to conserve water. This can be especially true when driving down a stretch of wilderness. Fresh, clean water will not come readily. The basic principle behind taking a shower inside an RV goes like this: wet yourself, turn the water off and lather, and then turn the water back on to rinse away the soap. Sorry folks. No standing beneath hot, steamy currents to toast away the morning chill. The life of an RV is maintained by constant conservation, especially when in a large party of people.

Now second all that with power conservation. And add to that the septic tanks. Yes, it's the down and dirty, but it concludes the three basics of interior RV maintenance. Measure out and plan where to unload your septic tanks. It is essentially water that has been heavily polluted, and thus should not be discarded anywhere. For the sake of the environment, dump your polluted water in designated areas.

Never weigh your RV down to its limits. Just because the inside looks like a house doesn't mean you should treat it as such. Rather than a concrete foundation, your RV rests on rubber tires. Rubber tires that careen over asphalt. A heavy RV could and will suffer a tire blowout; even if the tires are perfectly new.

And when driving, please drive on the left-hand lane as often as possible. An RV, namely a Class A titan, is indefinitely a wide-load vehicle. Be courteous, and avoid potential rear-ends, by sticking to the right-hand lane. If the road is just a single lane, steer as far to the right edge as possible. Take into consideration the RV's length and width. Be weary of drifting behind the wheel (especially on those sleepy, late-night stretches of road), as an RV already tends to fill up most of a single lane. Avoid bulging out against an oncoming lane; as an RV or semi going in the opposite direction could just as easily make a mistake, too.

And so, lastly, when it comes time to put your RV into storage, it all becomes a matter of insurance. Why pay for year-round coverage when, in truth, a casual RV owner will only need coverage season-to-season, when trips are more sporadic?The final tip is to get coverage based on the consistency of your trips. And so, for the seasonal enthusiast, cut costs by getting, what else, seasonal coverage.

Jim Kang
RV Insurance

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RVs: Tips on Maintaining an RV

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