More RV Information

Something that I am sure many of you are not aware of is that the materials used to decorate your unit may go obsolete as early as 3 months after production. This creates many an angry customer due to the fact that if damage occurs, owners will be forced to replace obsolete materials with something that may not completely match the original interior. We often recommend a contrasting color that is not a print, but many customers are not happy with that answer. One thing you can do is take good care of your upholstery and curtains. If you have pets, take care that they are not damaging the materials. If they are sitting on sofas or chairs, add a pillow to help protect them. Another cause for material damage is sunfading. If your RV tends to be parked in one place in an outside environment for long periods of time, you will notice that one side no longer matches the other, due to the sun shining into the windows on one side and fading the interior. Avoid this situation by turning your unit in the opposite direction every few months. This is also a good idea for your tires. Tires that sit too long in one position can dry rot, and rv tires are very expensive to replace. I can't express enough, the importance of a good maintainance routine to avoid costly damage and help you get more enjoyment out of your RV.

More stuff you need to know about your RV

Fall is upon us and soon many of you will be winterizing your units for storage. You may not know that it is not necessary to fill your water lines with anti-freeze. You will however, need to make sure that all lines as well as your water heater and pump, have been blown out using air pressure, and are dry. Once that is done I do recommend adding a bit of anti-freeze to your sink p-traps and your toilet. This will save money on anti-freeze, and time when rinsing them out in the spring to begin the season again.

Service help out in the field

I'd like to take this time to plug some of the service centers out there who do excellent work and do all they can to make the customer happy. These guys all deserve a pat on the back, and I hope you will give them your business if you are in the area.

First up AAA Mobile RV repair in Zephyrhills Florida. Since he is a mobile repair service, he will come to you, but there will be a modest charge for the service call. This guy has some of the best service rates in the country though, so you will be getting the best deal around. Dale is extremely personable, and great at customer relations. He has garnered many kudos from customers out on the road in need of service.

Alpin Haus in New Albany New York are a great bunch of guys to work with. I know first hand that they will fight tooth and nail to make sure their customers concerns are all taken care of. They really go out of their way to provide great service.

Another of my favorites is Findlay RV in Las Vegas. I have seen these guys bend over backwards to make a customer happy. They are a great team and don't send customers away unhappy.

If you happen to be in Colorado Springs, Colorado and need some service, check out Intermountain Coach. I know when I was in the biz I sent them a ton of work and they never turned me down. They do excellent work at a great rate.

These are some of my favorites right off the top of my head. if you have others you know of, feel free to add to this post.

Have a great day

Gas Prices

I see that gas prices are starting to creep up there again for the summer season. I would like to remind everyone that loading your RV correctly can help optimize gas mileage and improve drivability. If you have items that you store in your compartments that you don't always use, take them out and leave them home for certain trips. Can you wait to fill up your fresh water tank until you arrive at your destination? The more your coach weighs, the worse your gas mileage.

More RV Information

Another important consideration for those of you with a motorhome is loading and front end alignment. Many people find that their tires are wearing after only a few thousand miles. The manufacturer I worked for performed an alignment after the coach was built and before it left to be shipped to a dealership. Sometimes things happen on the road, but throwing off an alignment isn't all that easy. Typically the dealers were suppose to recommend that someone purchasing a motorhome would load the coach like they were going to use it, and then have it aligned.

The way you load your motorhome has a lot of impact on your alignment as well as the driveability of your coach. Just because you have a huge pass-through compartment on the rear end doesn't mean you should cram everything you have into it. weight should be distributed evenly throughout your compartments. Make sure you are not putting all of the heavy stuff on one side and lighter on the other. I think you get the gist here. Loading your coach evenly throughout will make the coach drive better and keep the tires from wearing unevenly or too soon.

What you need to know before buying an RV (cont)

I'll never forget the day that a customer called in wanting to know how to drain his holding tanks. I politely asked him how long he had owned his coach, and he politely replied "over a year". WOW!! his explanation was that he did not know he HAD to empty the tanks. It made me wonder if he thought all of the waste and water would just evaporate into thin air.

Draining your tanks ( and flushing them out) is an important step in the maintenance of your unit. Fresh water will get stagnant and we don't want to speculate what will happen to the other stuff if not regularly flushed out of the tanks. I do know this, bacteria will form and the solids will dry up and cause problems with future flushing, and also your tank capacity.

Most RV supply stores carry cleaning products specifically designed for use in RV holding tanks. I highly recommend using one of those products. A lot of people wanted to know if they could use bleach. Bleach is an excellent disinfectant, however, it takes many many rinses with clean water to get the residual bleach out of your tank. This typically would not harm you in the black and gray tanks, however, you will want to be extra careful in flushing out your fresh tank if you are using bleach. I mean, after you think you are done rinsing, rinse it a few more times....you definitely do NOT want bleach in your drinking water.

More of what you need to know before buying an RV

For those of you who plan to tow a vehicle, listen up. Once again, an amazing number of calls come in to the manufacturer about towing capacities. Many people actually call in to ask if they can tow more than what their factory installed hitch is rated for. The answer is a resounding NO. Each unit is typically engineered to the maximum specs it can handle. You should receive a sheet in your owner's packet that will tell you what the weights are on your vehicle. The GCWR is the Gross Combination weight rating, this is the maximum allowance for the total loaded weight of the motorhome and tow vehicle. Exceeding this amount will result in extra wear on the engine and brakes of your vehicle, not to mention difficulties with the driveability. Just don't do it. If you plan to do any towing with your motorhome, make sure you are buying one that can handle the weights that you will require. You might want to consider upgrading if you currently find yourself in a position where your tow vehicle is heavier than the allowable weight, there are motorhomes on the market that have considerably more towing capacity, built especially for those who do a lot of towing for races or other such activities. You will be better off in the longrun than doing damage to your current vehicle.