9 of the Dumbest RV Mistakes
And ohhh aren’t there a few of these. Whether we’ve made them or seen them, some mistakes can become legendary – in the ‘Napoleon invaded Russia during winter’ way.
Some of these mistakes might just end up in some dents or wet floors, others… leave you without an RV
1. Leaving your vents open.
Some newer units have fans with sensors to close the vent during bad weather, however we wouldn’t recommend taking the risk of relying on those exclusively. Don’t risk bad weather getting in while you’re out and close the vents while you’re driving or leaving the rig for any amount of time.
2. Not checking for clearance before deploying slides.
That sound is like nails on a chalkboard and the crunch will haunt your dreams. Deploying your slides willy-nilly can damage them or even get them stuck on something, so always check what’s what before you hit the switch.
3. Driving too fast.
We’ve all seen someone driving a truck and trailer or RV on the road way too fast. Not only is this insanely dangerous to yourself and others, but trailers are not built for high speeds and can cause you to lose control of your vehicle. Play it safe, stay in the slow lane and in ideal conditions maintain the speed limit or lower, the max speed recommended being between 88-96 km/h. Although this depends on a lot of factors such as: weather, trailer type, and whether you’re going up or downhill in which case you’ll want to go slower to avoid damaging your engine.
4. Not checking your propane.
You should regularly check your propane lines to ensure they haven’t corroded or been tampered with by rodents. It is also important, and this may be of a differing opinion to many, to keep your propane OFF during travel or when not in your RV. Imagine you’re in a highway accident and that propane ignites…boom.
5. Leaving the water on.
Don’t go chasing waterfalls…or rather, don’t turn your RV into a slip n’ slide. You don’t want to come back to a flooded rig or be driving down the highway only to have passersby waving you down to let you know you’ve got water pouring out the back!
6. Leaving your awning open.
Now this may not seem so bad, but in many cases, such as with manual awnings or if the sensors aren’t tripped or fail, your awning is a VERY expensive thing to have replaced if it is damaged by wind or weather. So roll it away when you’re not using it to be safe.
7. Leaving the black tank open when not dumping.
Allowing water to build up in the black tank helps keep it working properly and avoids “pile-ups” and dried waste clinging to the sides of the tank. Also…it helps with
8. Not winterizing early enough.
And we go through the whys in our winterization run-down. Whether you’re doing it yourself or taking it into a shop, you need to winterize every year in Canada or you risk serious damage to your unit.
9. Regular maintenance including your roof.
Whether motorized or pop-up, we’ve all seen at least one example of a poorly maintained RV. They’re rusty, loud, and look more like a health hazard than anything else. So keep a log of regular care: engine, tires, roof, slides, jacks – the works, and you’ll achieve not only safety and comfort, but a good resale value when the time comes! For more info on roof maintenance check out our post on roof sealant.
