10 essential tips for new RV Owners (if you bought used)

First time RV owners Checklist

Buying an RV/Travel Trailer or Motorhome for the first time can be pretty exhausting. Therefore you need to know all the RV tips you can get and everything your RV needs to make sure, it is in a safe condition when you start going on adventures.

Check through these 10 essential tips for new RV Owners (if you bought used) and be safe on your travels.

I just bought a dated Travel Trailer, what do I need to do now?

It is so exciting to start going on trips with an RV, for us it is freedom, for our son it was adventure when he was young. Strolling through National Parks, making campfires, running around in the woods, riding his bike, going fishing, making new friends. He still talks about it.

But before you start your adventure, there are some things you just have to check through to be on the safe side.

Even if your seller told you ‘everything works great’ don’t believe him. Do your check through and know what is in good condition and what has to be exchanged.

If you just bought a used Travel Trailer, these are the things you should check before traveling with it:

• the roof
• the tires
• the window caulking
• the anode rod
• also think about getting a trailer lock, a leveling system, a tire monitor, and a good GPS system.

RV for Dummies

RV for Dummies: Just bought your very first RV? Check through this first time RV owner Checklist to be on the safe side:

10 essential tips for new RV Owners (if you bought used)

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1. Check the roof

The first thing you should do is to check the roof. You need to be sure you have no leaks, the caulking around the vents is in good condition, the seams have no cracks.

Unfortunately, we missed doing that and when we checked on our RV (which was in storage) we noticed water running down on the inside. Well, it came from a cracked seam we missed to check.

To fix it fast and actually pretty efficiently, we used Eternabond tape to cover all the seams. This is very easy to do, takes about 30 minutes to cover all the seams.

If the roof is in bad condition, consider repairing your roof as soon as possible. Depending on what roof type you have you need different kind of material. This is not a fast and easy job, please inform yourself first about the best material to use and how to do it.

This is a good article about roof repair if you need some information on RV roofs.

2.Check the tires

Check the date of the tires (the tires shouldn’t be older than 7 years at most) and the condition they are in. The worst thing that can happen is a blown-out tire while driving on the Highway. No bueno. Invest the money in good, high-quality tires. The idea of being stranded on the side of a Highway waiting for hours until AAA is stopping by makes me very nervous.

Check prices on Goodyear Endurance and Michelins and buy the heaviest rated tires in the size you need.

Have the bearings checked at least once a year while you have your check-up done. Or DIY and Grease the bearings at least once a year. We didn’t know about this and had a tire lock which ruined the axle and cost us $1,000 in repairs. Maintaining bearings is a low cost service, so please don’t forget this.

3.Check the window caulking

Use Dicor caulking to caulk around the windows in case the old caulking looks bad. Do not use silicone outside, as silicone cracks and this is the last thing you want to happen.

4. Check your anode rod in your water tank drain

If the anode rod in your water tank looks like this left one, replace it. It is done.

Sacrificial Anodes extend the life of your water heater tank by sacrificing themselves to corrosion instead of your tank.

Sacrificial rods allow minerals from the water to attack the rod and leave the interior of the tank alone. Not all hot water tanks need them, some are built with protective material already. It is also attached to your drain plug. Once it deteriorates, the tank starts to go, therefore replacing it annually is a good thing.

(Note, Atwood water heaters do not use a sacrificial rod).

10 essential tips for new RV Owners (if you bought used)

5.Get a Trailer Lock

Get a Trailer hitch lock for security as many Travel Trailers are being stolen. The demand is high and not many good RVs are available at the moment. Depending on where you store your RV (in your driveway?) it seriously makes sense to protect it.

Here are some recommendations from Proven Industries or a MegaHitch Vault Lock

6.Level your RV right in seconds

You can of course level your RV with blocks. It just takes a lot longer and you have to run around your rig to make sure it is leveled. Depending on your preference it makes sense to get an automatic leveling system. Also please note that you should not run your slide-outs if the RV is not leveled.

Here are more details:

7.Pack the right tools

Here is a tool packing list you should download . Put the tools in your rig so you are prepared.

Especially if you bought an older RV there is always something you need to do. Also, check if you have the correct lug nut wrench in your tool collection.

8.Tire monitoring system

As already talked about above, good tires are essential on your journey. So you want to know how the tires are doing – especially if you are on a long drive. Use a digital tire gauge or a TPMS system to monitor your tires directly from your cab.

9.Know your measurements

I still remember one of our first RV trips with a rented RV. We were driving from NYC to Washington DC and it was already getting dark when we were hitting one bridge after the other. We didn’t know the height of the RV and that was a pretty bad feeling driving through them. We were sweating… You don’t want to get the AC cut off from your RV.

Also, if you bought a big rig, check out the sticker next to the door. Hopefully, there is one that tells you the length but you still have to add tongue and hitch length. If you added bikes to the back add the length also.

Make a sticker with all the important dates and put it on your dashboard so you have all the measurements available when you need it:

• Overall height
• Overall length
• Weight of your RV and check the tire’s load capacity PSI chart
• PSI

10.GPS system

I know, your phone is doing a great job navigating you around, but if you drive a big rig and you don’t want to get caught in a dead-end with no way of turning around, or get stuck under a bridge, invest in a good GPS system.

That’s it, that is all you need to do to be good to go. Of course, you need to know the must-haves, like a brake controller if you bought a Travel Trailer, weight distribution and sway bar, and a couple more things. You find the complete list right here.

Thinking about making the RV really pretty?

Is it your dream to update the interior of your dated RV? You don’t know where to start, what material to use, and how to do it?

No problem, check out my video course if you are more a visual learner or my Ebook which gives you a lot of tips and inspiration on how to remodel a dated-looking Camper.

Summary of 10 essential tips for new RV Owners (if you bought used)

Summary of 10 essential tips for new RV Owners (if you bought used)

This is so exciting, buying an RV and taking the whole family on adventures. Nothing better than packing an RV and driving off. But you want to be safe especially when you bought a used RV, so do not skip these tips I mentioned above.

Also go to my Resource Library and download the Checklist how to set-up a Travel Trailer for first timers. You will find a lot of more information right there.

Have fun on your journeys and see you on the road,

Conny

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