In this video, we take a closer look at the life-expectancy of an RV. See what’s most likely to fail first of these RV components:
- RV refrigerators
- Deep-cycle batteries
- Propane tanks
- RV tires
- RV slide-outs
- RV awnings
- RV roofs
- RV vent covers
- RV solar panels
- RV air conditioner covers
See WHERE, WHY, and WHEN each of the above RV components will likely wear out in your RV!
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TRANSCRIPT:
Hi! I’m Curtis with The Fun Times Guide. This video will show you a few more items and explain what type of service life you can expect out of them.
We will take a closer look at the REFRIGERATOR. The fail item in the long term for a refrigerator is the cooling units. These tubes have an ammonia solution which percolates through the refrigerator for the cooling. And over many years, the lining on the inside of the tubes breaks down. And it will eventually plug up the system so that it can’t circulate and hence it won’t cool. That usually takes… You know, you’re usually safe for at least 10 years and probably around 15 years you could look into that being a problem.
Deep cycle BATTERIES have a useful life expectancy of around 5 years. And that is all hinged on how well you take care of them. If you allow them to discharge below 50%, you will rapidly lose the ability to maintain a charge and they won’t last that long. But I have found that 5 years is a good average.
PROPANE TANKS come… as they come, they are certified for 10 years worth of use. So you may need to get them re-certified after the 10-year mark.
It is commonly said that TIRES are good for 7 years from the date of manufacturing. But I sure would not count on it, on travel trailer tires. Even these Goodyear Endurance tires, the company that sold them to me said that they would probably be good for about 4 years. And it is by far better to judge on the caution side.
On SLIDE-OUTS, the wear item will be seals AND where the slide-out slides into the trailer. These rubber seals will age in time and become stiff or brittle and lose their ability to flex as the slide out goes IN and OUT. I would estimate by the time the trailer is 10 years old, you probably have lost a fair amount of your ability for the rubber to seal up against the slide out.
AWNING fabrics I would estimate at probably lasting roughly 10 years. This awning is 2 years old and there are already a few pin holes shining through — which you could coat with fingernail polish to prevent any further deterioration. Having the awning stored will not guarantee longevity on the awning because the final loop of the fabric will always be exposed to the sun. And that is probably where deterioration is going to show up first.
The industry standard today is a rubber ROOF. Your rubber roof comes with a 10-year warranty against deterioration. To extend the life of your rubber roof, you should consider coating it with a quality roof coating designed specifically for the type of material that your roof is made of. That will greatly extend the life of the roof.
Your vent covers should be… All your ROOF VENTS should be covered with a protective housing such as these Camco roof covers (vent covers) — which will prevent deterioration from ultraviolet rays and greatly extend the life of your roof vent.
Most SOLAR PANELS come with a standard 25-year warranty. So it is unlikely that you would have any issue with them. The plastic covers on top of air conditioners are relatively fragile and they will deteriorate in sunlight — probably in a matter of about 5 years.
I hope you have found this information useful. And it should give you a better idea of what you can expect as the service life of your new RV in the future. Thank you for watching!
