Just like the items inside your house, RV components have a certain life expectancy. Following is a list of all the items in and on your RV — and their expected lifespan. Items are listed in the order they are most likely to wear out, with time ranges showing the approximate number of years each item typically lasts. The list includes all major RV components — from the drivetrain and electronics to slideouts, roof vents, toilets, refrigerators, and more! A checklist of RV repair issues that you should be prepared for + DIY tips to make things last longer.
Leaks
Water leaks can destroy an RV in no time! The only way to prevent mold from growing inside your RV is to dry out the area fast using the tips provided here. RVers share their personal experiences with RV water tank repairs, RV toilet repairs, and other RV plumbing repairs that you can do yourself. Plus RV winterizing tips to prevent leaks before storing your RV for the winter and how to repair RV rooftop seams -- a common source of leaks.
RV Maintenance Checklist For Spring – 8 Things You Must Check Each Year Before You Start RVing For The Season
How do you dewinterize an RV and get ready for summer RV camping? Our Spring RV Maintenance Checklist includes 8 tasks that will quickly verify that no damage was done by winter’s wrath while your RV was in storage and ensure that your RV is safe to drive for the spring and summer RV camping season.
RV Maintenance Checklist For Fall – Things You Should Check Each Year Before Winter
See a list of fall/winter RV maintenance tasks that are most important. These are the things you should do every year during the fall before winter hits. One of the MOST important is RV roof maintenance… see why!
Winter RV Tip: How To Winterize Your RV Better Than An RV Dealer Would
Should you take your RV to a professional to have it winterized? Or is this something you can do yourself? The professionals are only concerned with what damage ice in the water system will do to your RV. Here’s how to do ALL of the RV winterizing yourself… according to someone who’s been winterizing RVs for over 50 years!
RV Refrigerator Stop Working? Money-Saving Tips For Repairing vs. Replacing It
RV refrigerators can fail for a number of reasons. A common problem is when the refrigerator stops cooling properly — especially after it hasn’t been used in awhile. See how to solve a number of RV refrigerator repair issues yourself, online repair manuals for Dometic and Norcold refrigerators, and when it makes sense to replace instead of repair an RV refrigerator.
RV Water Tank Repair: How To Replace A Leaking RV Black Or Gray Water Tank Drain Valve
Replacing the waste valve assembly is a low-cost DIY project that any RV owner can do easily. Here’s how to do it – step by step, with photos and videos.
DIY RV Plumbing Repair: How To Prevent Permanent Damage After An RV Leak
Have an RV plumbing leak? You must act quickly! The only way to prevent mold from growing inside your RV is to dry out the area fast using these 4 tips.
RV Class A, Class B, and Class C Motorhomes Explained
If you haven’t had much exposure to the RV lifestyle before, then you’re probably wondering what Class A, B, and C are all about. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of the 3 RV types.
RV Propane Basics From An Experienced RVer
Every RV is set up with a different combination of power sources. Propane is one of the most popular alternative power sources for RVers. Today’s RVs, regardless of size or class, make use of propane in many ways. The most common use for propane is to provide a way to cook meals, though in most recreational vehicles it does so much more. Propane is the most versatile system in your RV. Without it, today’s RVs would be rather impractical. Here are basic facts about RV propane generators, ways to use propane on your RV, and where to refill propane tanks.
RV Plumbing Repairs You Can Do Yourself: Faucets & Showers
RV plumbing problems such as leaky faucets or shower fixtures are easy do-it-yourself repairs. Your best bet is to spend a few extra bucks and upgrade to household quality faucets & fixtures. Here’s how to replace the bathroom faucets, kitchen faucets, and shower fixtures in your RV.
Do-It-Yourself RV Roof Repair Tips & Yearly RV Roof Maintenance Tasks You Can’t Ignore
Yearly inspections can catch RV roof repair issues early — before expensive damage occurs. Here’s how to do RV roof repairs without causing more damage.
Winter RV Storage Alert! Any Food Left In Your RV Will Cause A Mice Problem
Winter RV storage can lead to some serious issues. Leaving any food items in your RV will guarantee a mice problem. Read on to find out how to deal with that, but don’t forget to watch the snow load too. You don’t want to start next season with water damage.
How To Fix Leaking RV Toilets
Got a leaky toilet? Here’s how to fix your leaking RV toilet, plus tips for replacing an RV toilet. Keep in mind, a leaking RV toilet can be caused by a number of things.
Downsizing From A Large RV To A Smaller RV – In Our Case: A Dutchmen Travel Trailer
After owning numerous larger RVs while we were full timing, now that we only take shorter trips a smaller RV seemed appropriate. We still enjoy RVing, but we no longer need a 37-foot vehicle and multiple slideouts. Our 2007 Dutchmen 18B travel trailer is half the RV we had before. See how it has worked out for us!
RV Slide Out Guide – The Pros & Cons Of RV Slideouts
There are some trade-offs when you choose an RV with huge wall expansions created by slideouts. For instance, there are some times where the slideouts create more problems than they’re worth. Here’s the scoop.
Safety Check: It’s Time To Change The Batteries & Inspect Your RV Safety Equipment
Here are some of the detectors and monitors inside your RV that need to be checked each year — and have a fresh set of batteries installed.
RV Water Leaks: Possible Causes & Treatments
Here are some possible sources of RV water leaks, along with ways to accurately determine the source of your leak.
Winter Full Time RVing: How To Get Your RV Ready For Snow, Ice & Freezing Temperatures
Is it possible to survive the winter months in an RV? Absolutely! Here’s how to retain heat inside your RV, how to keep the RV water line from freezing, tips for winterizing the sewer line, and how to make sure you always have enough propane on hand.
How To Replace RV Rooftop Vents And Breathers
Weather and age will take a toll on every plastic vent, appliance cover, or breather that may protrude through — or is mounted on — the roof of your RV. Here’s how to repair or replace RV rooftop fixtures including RV vent covers and more.
How To Clean And Repair Your RV’s Rubber Roof
Regular cleaning will help reduce the amount of chalk buildup and help prevent the white stains seen on the sides of many older RVs. There are also a number of repair and patch kits on the market should you puncture your RV’s rubber roof. Here’s the inside scoop about rubber roofs.
RV Toilet Repair – How To Fix That Problem Toilet
Aqua Magic toilets produced by Thetford are the most common toilets found in all but the most expensive of RVs. One nice feature of the Thetford RV toilet is the fact that Aqua Magic parts are readily available. As a result, repairing rather than replacing the RV toilet is a common practice. Here’s how to repair your RV toilet.
How To Fix Leaking RV Waste Water Valves
The first sign there is a problem will be when you remove the black cap in preparation to drain your waste tanks. If you’re greeted with about a half gallon of waste water as soon as you loosen the sewer cap, then one of your dump valves has lost its ability to contain the water in the tank. The next step is to determine which of the dump valves is leaking.
DIY RV Water Heater Repair Advice From An Experienced Full Time RVer
Here’s what should know, in the event that you need to do an RV water heater repair. In most cases, it makes more sense to simply replace the entire RV water heater, rather than try to repair the old one.
RV Faucet Repair: How To Replace The Kitchen Faucet & Shower Fixtures
Rebuilding or repairing the standard water faucet on your RV just isn’t worth the effort. Most likely, you won’t be able to obtain seals or parts anyway. Instead, your money and time are better spent upgrading to a quality unit from a name brand that provides replacement parts and seals. It just isn’t that expensive to do it right.
How To Repair A Burst Water Line In An RV
What do you do if you turn on the water pump and immediately see water running out onto the floor? After you have located the spot where water sprays out, you need to determine what type of fittings or hose will be needed to make the repair. Here are tips for fixing the water pipes in your RV.
