How to Properly Maintain Your Motorhome in Ontario
How to Properly Maintain Your Motorhome in Ontario
Posted on May 22, 2023
Purchasing a motorhome can be an expensive endeavour. That’s why it’s essential that you ensure your motorhome stays in tip-top shape so that you and your family can enjoy its companionship on your camping trips for longer. If you complete the proper maintenance on your motorhome, you’ll also save significant money on repairs in the long run.
Regular Maintenance
You can regularly complete these maintenance checks at home on your motorhome without spending a minimal amount or even a cent. Regular maintenance checks should be completed in the interior and exterior, including checking your motorhome seasonally to ensure that your motorhome provides you with the full camping enjoyment it was meant built for.
Exterior Maintenance
Looking after and maintaining your motorhome’s exterior will protect your investment and ensure it remains as pristine as the day you bought it.
Wash and Wax
Once you return from your holiday, you must wash and wax the exterior of your motorhome. Remove all debris and remains from the elements to ensure your motorhome doesn’t get any sun damage.
Proper Storage
Invest in covers for the exterior and the wheels to further protect your motorhome against the sun, wind, and rain if you don’t have a covered space to park it while it's not in use. Most campers in Canada use their motorhomes in the summer months. If you’re not a keen winter-time camper, we suggest that you protect your camper for the winter season.
Greasing
There are many surfaces located on the exterior of the motorhome that requires greasing regularly. All moving outside parts, such as hinges, locks, and slideouts, need to be lubricated to ensure that the mechanisms don’t rust and break.
Interior Maintenance
It’s crucial to maintain the interior of your motorhome. Ideally, you’d want to complete the below checks after each camping trip so that you can just jump into a fresh fully-working interior when you go on your next camping trip.
Window Seals and Windows
Always check the windows and window seals after each camping trip, especially after you’ve been to a camping site that has extensive uneven terrain. Seals can become loose, or that a small stone may have hit your motorhome while travelling. You can easily fix these small imperfections with the required window repair service.
Gas Bottles and the Water Heater
After every camping trip, it’s recommended that you check all your gas bottles to make sure that you don’t get stuck at your next destination without the means to cook. It’s advisable to complete this maintenance task quite soon after your return since most campers forget about this small but crucial aspect. Additionally, you should check that the water heater is fully operational and have it repaired if required.
Bug and Rodent Proofing
Camping is a joy. However, you may have brought home some unwelcome visitors that need to be evicted. All kinds of bugs and rodents may have sneaked into your motorhome that could damage the interior of the vehicle significantly while it's not mobile. Luckily, this problem can be easily solved by going to your local supermarket.
Cleaning
Thoroughly cleaning the floors, ceilings, window blinds, bedding, appliances, scatter pillows, toilet, and bathroom after each trip is important. Additionally, don’t forget to change the sewerage container to ensure an absolutely clean environment on your next adventure.
Tire Pressure
The tire pressure of your motorhome must be checked regularly, especially after a camping trip. The correct tire pressure not only makes your vehicle more fuel efficient, but it will also ensure that you remain safer on our Canadian roads.
Seasonal Maintenance
Every vehicle requires a seasonal service, and your motorhome is no different. Below are our expert maintenance seasonal tips. Happy camping!
Belts and Hoses
The engine of your motorhome has many moving parts, belts, and hoses that all need to be properly maintained in order for the vehicle to run smoothly. Check all hoses for cracks, small holes, or any bulges caused by overheating. There may also be some rust on the hose connections or areas where the hose may have collapsed due to oil contamination.
Search for the engine belts located at the front of the engine. You should be prepared to remove some covers in order to get to it. If you’re unsure, it’s better to have a professional engine mechanic do this on your behalf. Ensure that you inspect the belt after each oil change and that the belt is aligned on the pulleys correctly. Lastly, you should have the belt inspected after at least every 100,000 km to 160,000 km.
Engine Fluids
Engine fluids are the bloodline of the motorhome’s engine. The engine requires brake fluid, oil, water, battery fluid, and windshield water to operate at top efficiency. Typically, you can check and replace all these components by yourself if you have the necessary knowledge. However, you can also take your motorhome to a professional service.
Battery
Batteries take a lot of wear and tear in the harsh Canadian winter months. Regularly check your motorhome’s battery for rust at the connections. You must also start your motorhome’s engine regularly (especially when out of season) to ensure that the battery doesn’t go flat.
Wipers
Check your wipers seasonally. The seasons in Canada are extreme and harsh and can be very destructive on the wiper blades. Check that the wipers remain smooth and firm and capable of withstanding extreme weather conditions when you’re driving.
Air Filter and Air Conditioning
It’s recommended that you complete a full check on your motorhome’s RV air conditioning filter at least once a month if you camp regularly. The filter can be removed easily, vacuumed or washed.
Brakes
The brakes on the motorhome are the most important component that’ll ensure your family’s safety on the roads. If you hear a scratching when you apply the brakes, you need to get your vehicle to a service centre as soon as possible, as this is an indication that the brake pads need replacing. To avoid further damage to your brake system, this is imperative.
However, depending on how much your camp with your motorhome, you should inspect every six months.
Conclusion
If you follow the above maintenance tips on your motorhome, the vehicle should give you enjoyment for years to come. These steps are generally easy to follow, but missing out on them could mean paying higher costs to repair your vehicle in the long run.