3 Easy Steps to End of Summer Maintenance

Take care of your RV, and it will be part of your family for a long time!

We are nearing the end of the hottest days of the year.  As we transition from Pina Coladas at the pool to pumpkin spice lattes and flannel, pause for some end-of-the-season maintenance.  What can you do now to protect your investment?



Seasonal maintenance is an excellent opportunity to get into a regular routine with cleaning and care.  Doing work on a seasonal basis will also keep some jobs from becoming overwhelming and costly. There are three main areas to focus on:  exterior, interior, and gear.  Get your gang-involved and tackle this project in no time!

Exterior Care

Regardless of the type of RV that you have, you need to do a thorough scrub from the roof down.  Our pop-up was small, and I used a drill attachment to scrub everything thoroughly from top to bottom.  With a travel trailer, you might want a long-handled brush that attaches to your hose.

Start with the roof on your RV and work from the top to the sides.  Use RV-specific products to condition and protect your roof and the rest of your RV.  The sun is harsh on your trailer.  Regular care does make a difference.

        

Your awning is just as important as the remainder of your RV exterior.  Again, use an RV-specific product.  A foaming awning cleaner works well to loosen up grit and grime.  Extend the awning.  Spray all over and roll it back up before allowing it to sit with cleaner on it for about 30 minutes.  Extend your awning again and rinse clean.  I also recommend using 303 Mold and Mildew Blocker once everything is cleaned and dry.

This is also the time that you should lube any slides and condition your seals.  A can of spray lubricant and seal conditioner should be applied once you have cleaned everything else from top to bottom.

            

Finally, be sure to check your tires, propane, and battery.  Make sure that everything is in good working order. Check the tread on your tires and pressure.  Don't forget your spare!  We had a flat spare and didn't know how long it was like that until we needed it.  Luckily, we were at home, and wasn't a big deal.

Tank Treatments

If your tanks have been in heavy rotation this summer, give them a good scrub.  Use a tool like Tank Blaster to thoroughly clean the black tanks or grey tanks if you want.  This product works overnight.  I recommend using this at the campground the night before you leave.

You can also clean your fresh tanks with a sanitizer and cleaner.  Just remember that you will need to follow the instructions explicitly and rinse everything thoroughly.

Interior Care 

Give everything inside a good scrub.  This is especially important if you have been camping all summer on a seasonal site.  Be sure to check your filters for your AC as well as your cooking vents and anywhere else that needs cleaning.  It's like spring cleaning at the end of the summer.  I use Thetford's Foaming Kitchen and Bath Cleaner for nearly everything.

Do an overall inventory of what is depleted and restock for fall camping.  Be sure to check your first aid kit, matches, paper goods, cleaning supplies, and more.

Gear

Go through all of your gear and toss out old pool toys and noodles that are past their prime.  Get rid of anything that is broken.  And, if you have gear that you are not using anymore, ask yourself is it going to come back into rotation.  If it is no longer needed or wanted, maybe you can sell it to another camper.  But, clean, toss and reorganize.  Over a season, things get moved around and misplaced.  Reorganize as you go.

Everything is cozy and ready for our next trip after a good cleaning.

If you are busy and can't do all of this yourself, pay someone to wash and wax your RV or give the interior a good cleaning.  In our service-driven economy, there is no shortage of people willing to make a few bucks doing a good job.  Just remember to provide the products you want to be used if you are not taking your RV into a dealership.  A person that you hire to do the job at your house may or may not use RV-specific products to do the job.

I've created an RV Maintenance Checklist that you can use throughout the year.  Until next time...

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