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Living on the road can be wonderful, but just like any home, from time to time, your RV is going to need some repair. The good news is that you may not need to call in a professional, and a little TLC can go a long way in keeping your recreational vehicle in tip-top shape. Many parts in a recreational vehicle are made from molded plastic and tend to have a high failure rate just because of the additional weight and movement of a motorhome. That means that you probably need to keep an eye on things or have a professional give it the once-over at least once or twice a year.

First Things First

When you discover that a minor RV repair is required, you may be able to handle it on your own, depending on the source of the problem. The first thing that you should do is see if your motorhome repair is covered under any warranty or insurance. Next, give an honest assessment of your own skill level and the complexity of the RV repair you are considering.

If you have the basic skills and tools, and it's something as simple as a leaky window seal, then you can probably pick up the materials for a reliably quick fix at a home improvement store. Be advised, though, leaks are something you really need to look at quickly.

Handle Leaks Quickly

Just like any roof leak in a traditional home, the longer you wait, the more damage water can do. That means that if you see any evidence that there is a leak, make sure you get to it as soon as possible (or promptly hire someone to handle the RV repair for you). In the case of a leaky window, you may want to call an auto glass specialist, but be advised that many do not work on motorhomes. If you are comfortable with tools and choose to do it yourself, it can be a simple procedure. First, you will need to find a replacement window, either from a parts dealer or a junkyard. A simple online search can help you locate the part, but make sure you call first and double-check to see if it is still in stock.

Next, you will need to clean and prep the area. You can remove any excess caulk with a putty knife. Whether the glass is cracked or not, you should still wear gloves to protect your hands and safety goggles when you are taking a window out or putting one in. Once you have applied new caulk or putty, you need to carefully replace the window and tighten the screws. Be sure to double check that the seal is flush and watertight.

Do not Get in Over Your Head

While at first blush, you may feel a bit apprehensive about going it alone, with a little research and an online video or two, you should be able to save yourself a lot of money and handle many of your RV repairs yourself. If you do get in over your head, do not hesitate to call in a pro to handle the job right.

Source by Andrew Stratton

When going to get a used popup, trailer, or motorhome, there are obviously things to look for before making the big purchase. Here are some main pointers for completing this task. Remember- the more you know, the happier you will be with your purchase down the road (literally and metaphorically)!

As mentioned in another post, the value of these things depreciate very quickly. Even in a year, your new investment will have already decreased greatly in value. This, of course, is where buying used comes in. The savings are huge, and the difference between used and new can be minimal if you play your cards right. A used big unit may be the same cost or cheaper than a new, smaller unit.

Research, people. Research is what it’s all about. Being patient and acquiring the right knowledge on what you’re looking for will make the task of buying the perfect used unit much easier than going in blind.

Of course, when looking at a used unit, you should place overall condition high on the list. Remember this- the exterior of the unit is the easiest part to keep nice. What you really need to look into is the interior. Has it been smoked in? Pet or kid inhabited? Etc. Also, make sure everything is up to date mechanically and electrically. You don’t need a fire hazard on your camping trip. With RV’s, check out the drive train, undercarriage rust, tires, and everything else that you would when purchasing a vehicle. Yes, you are going to need to do a big time inspection to be sure that what you are looking at is worth the price.

If there are problems, no matter how small, learn how much the repair or replacement will cost you, and tack that on to the initial price. Maybe it will still be a good deal, given the seller realizes these things, but more often than not, the seller will try (maybe even unknowingly) to hide these issues. Go over all switches, lights, and appliances inside of the unit. Make sure the water system and restrooms are functional (hot AND cold water, as well. I have seen many water heaters go out in said units). Check out the a/c. Check out the heat. If you aren’t mechanically inclined enough to look into the engine, electrical components,etc.. bring along a buddy or maybe even hire someone who is. Ask to test drive, or “test tow” the vehicle as well, not only to make sure everything functions correctly, but to be sure that you feel comfortable with maneuvering on the road with the added size.

Back to the bottom line though, the price. Obviously, you are going used to save money. If there’s a big dealer mark up, you’re shooting your plan in the rear end from the get go. Knowledge is your best friend here. There’s tons of price guides out there to find a great guideline on what’s a good deal and what’s not. Take advantage of the web and use the resources available here. Hopefully, you’ll soon find yourself in the used unit that saves you money and fulfills your desires.

Source by Cam R Snyder

Well it is now time to hit the road. Unfortunately your motor home is dirty from months of non-use and neglect. Although your motor home is sure to accumulate road grime and bugs along the way, no one wants to start out in a dirty coach. Let's face it; you are going to have to get it washed, before you can experience the freedom of the open road. Rather than procrastinate the inevitable, you may be surprised to find out that the task is not as difficult as you think. When washing your motor home there are two choices. Do it yourself or have some one do it for you.

If you are convinced on doing it yourself here are some tips. First you'll need a brush with soft bristles. It is best to find one with an 18-inch width. The normal truck washing brushes you find at the RV shops are only 12 inches and are soft bristled however, having and extra 6-inch width will cut your scrubbing time by a third. Anything over 18 inches becomes too heavy and does not allow you the same leverage while brushing, plus it gets heavy once you dip it in the soap bucket. Too wide of a brush will teach you that there are muscles you did not even know you had. Even if you golf or go to the gym three times a week, the muscles you use are very different from the ones you use driving a ball to the green, or working out on the machine down at the gym. You will also need a bucket.

It is better to use a bucket that the window washers use, since it is rectangular. A five gallon pale is not the weapon of choice because you will have to keep dipping your brush in one side twirling it and dipping in the other side all the while your soap is accumulating on the drive way. A bucket, which is standard equipment in the window washing business is perfect and can be purchased in any janitorial supply house along with a soft bristle 18-inch brush. Also pick up a lambs wool soap square (1 foot by one foot) or a soap mitt. You will need some soap too.

Although it may seem easy to go behind the sink and use dishwashing soap like Joy or Palm Olive these will tend to deteriorate the gel coat on your unit. Most Motor Coach and Trailer Manufacturers recommend that you do not use Clothes washing soaps or dishwashing soaps. All temperature Cheer or Extra Action Tide are excellent for clothes but not too helpful in cleaning your motor home. We recommend a soap, which is specially made for gel coats. Usually your local motor home supply shop will have what you need. Campers Choice carries a soap called "Good Sam's" and you can find other good soaps at Camper's World. If not look in your phone book for an Automotive Detail Supplies Company, such as Pro chemicals, Auto Magic or One Step in the yellow pages or order online from

http://www.starbrite.com

boat detail supply companies. They specialize in gel coat soaps and polishes. Most all marine soaps and waxes work excellent on motor homes. If you do not have access to the Internet and are in a rural area with few detail supply companies the next best thing is Protect-All soap or Zip Wax soap at your local automotive supply store.

Now that you have all the proper and safe supplies, you can start. Be sure to shut all windows, lights, and vents. It is important to open all portable awnings to prevent water from getting in between and causing rotting, also to thoroughly clean them. You should begin by rinsing the top of the unit first. Be sure to remove debris, leaves, stagnant water and dirt. Fill up the bucket with water. Only use two-three capfuls of soap per bucket. By this time the water is dripping from the top around the side. Spray the rest of the motor home off to make sure it is all wet. Start washing the sunny side first.

If you have access to De-Ionized water or Reverse Osmosis, R / O, use it. Dip your brush in the bucket and go for it. When you get to rims, handles, and window borders, use the Soap Square or mitt, try to Hand soap these areas. When you are done soaping immediately rinse. Take the brush, rinse it and hit it against the driveway in a vertical direction to get all the soap and water off. Then take a big terry cloth towel and rap it around the brush and handle and dry off the side of the motor home drying the windows first before the towel gets too wet. When cleaning rollout awnings be careful no to push too hard, short quick strokes are best. Rinse for about two minutes.

If you have a spray nozzle or turbo nozzle concentrate the spray directly on the awning to make sure all soap is removed. When drying the side of the coach or trailer you can lay the towel as flat as possible and use the distance from your elbow to your hand to move the towel in a vertical diagonal direction forward to dry the largest surface area as possible. Flip the towel over to a dry side of while drying. Dry as high as you can reach comfortably and dry the rest with the towel tied to the brush. Repeat this process for all sides; you can take you time and move slower on the shady sides since there is no problem with water spotting in the shade. Expect the entire wash to take anywhere from 1 to to 2 h hours.

Let us say that you can not wash your coach in your driveway due to CC and R's of your neighborhood, space requirements, personal physical limitations, park restrictions, or it is just too much work and you do not really have the desire or the time . Well you still have many options left at your disposal. You can take it to a coin-op car wash which has extra long hoses and at least one high bay and wash it yourself there using their facilities and supplies. If it is purely a physical reason or if you hate to wash it yourself, you can take it to a truck wash, carwash, hire a mobile service, go to a carwash fundraiser at the school, or church or heck, just wait for a strong rain with horizontal winds.

If you intend on taking your coach to a truck wash there are some things you should know. Most truck washes use Hydrofluoric acid, which can cause instant and permanent damage to the pigmentation of your paint and deterioration of your gel coat. Even though gel coats are ten times thinker than the average clear coat on a car, you still need to be careful with it. The other problem is Hydrofluoric acid will kill a good wax job. Be sure to ask the operator of the Truck Wash if they use acid in their wash. If they do not and can not guarantee to wash your coach without acid then go somewhere else. If they can wash it without acid you will pay approximately $ 1.25- $ 2.00 per foot. Some truck washes have minimums so you may find a 22-foot motor home still costs forty dollars even though they usually charge $ 1.25 per foot. Also if you have stripping which is peeling in anyway, forget the truck wash since the high pressure will worsen the situation. Whatever you decide, be prepared to wait in line for your turn at a truck wash. To find a truck wash near you go to Truck.net. The largest truck wash in North America is Blue Beacon with 90 locations. The best truck washes for quality is Little Sisters out West and The Truck Wash Guys a mobile service.

Carwashes are often good sources for washing a motor home. Try to go on a Tuesday, that is the slow day for car washes, ask for a hand wash and usually they will oblige. If you go on a peak Saturday or Sunday, they may tell you they are not interested due to space problems and they are too busy. Expect a carwash to charge upwards of $ 50.00 for even a small motor home and break out you dollar bill roll for tips to the crew, the workers usually rarely on tips and only make minimum wage, so they are expecting it. Be real nice to the manager of the car wash since they are not really set up for motor home type washing and they will feel they are doing you a favor. Plus they will tend to put their best help on your motor home, if you are really nice and pleasant.

If you have the patients to wait until there is a local youth group is having a fundraiser then be sure to clear it with the supervisor first before getting in line and pull out $ 30.00 and hold it in your hand while you ask them if they can do it (that always works). Bring your own brush (two if you have them) for the kids to use, since usually they will not have a soft bristle long handled brush at a carwash fundraiser for cars, pick-ups and SUVs.

If you want to hire a mobile washing service you will often find them in the phone book yellow pages under "Automotive Detailing" heading. There are also companies, which offer services online and deliver the wash to your home, business, RV Park, or Storage Yard. One such service is The Car Wash Guys. It is similar to the online grocer concept. If you store your motor home at a location, many times the storage manager will have a name and number of a local washing service to give you. If you use their recommendation you may have just found the perfect place to wash your motor home. Often Storage managers will take a 10% commission for referring customers to a local mobile washing service. This fee is usually never paid, since it is often traded to the storage company manager for a free car wash. Prices for mobile washers range from $ 1.00 per foot all the way up to $ 4.00 per foot.

Expect the mobile operator to try to sell you additional services such as waxing, carpet cleaning, etc. All of which maybe a great idea and you can determine if in fact they are needed or if you would rather use that money to offset fuel costs this season. This may be the gentlest way to wash your motor home other than washing it yourself. To insure a great job tell the mobile washers that you will refer them to your friends and have them do it next time it gets dirty.

Whatever you decide stop procrastinating, just wash it. After all, is not it time to hit the road, it is a big continent and there are so many great places to see. Go for it, you only live once.

Source by Lance Winslow

Plastic mouldings ABS and GRP

Quite often, front panels are made from acrylic capped ABS plastic and some manufacturers have been known to use a gauge too thin for the purpose. These have been replaced under warranty in the event of failure, but this is not good news as this a standard material now for the fronts of caravans.

Different types of plastic

GRP (often called fibreglass) is usually rough on the unseen face and smooth on the other.

ABS plastic is normally smooth and shiny on both sides except when it is used for dark coloured bumpers where it tends to have a textured finish.

Although ABS can be repaired if necessary, there are far more GRP repairers out there who do a great job, partly because it is easier to match colours with GRP. Caravan repairers generally prefer to replace complete mouldings, which can be expensive. If you wish to attempt your own repairs, then in the UK you can buy Sikaflex 512 adhesive sealant and a surface filling compound. For more permanent repairs there are purpose formulated ABS repair kits which are more expensive at about £100.

Sheet GRP panels

These are often used in place of sheet aluminium which was used in the past. Skilful specialists can repair localised damage.

Monocoque body shells

These single moulded structures give massive strength and light weight. There seam free construction ensures there is never any ingress of water problems.

Aluminium skin

This was the traditional cladding for caravans, pre painted aluminium sheet. These are always full of holes as there are loads of screws holding all the external parts, like lights, number plates etc. When the bedding sealant fails, the caravan starts to leak and this is the normal demise of the previously dry van. When a caravan made like this receives damage, the normal strategy is to patch it up with a new piece of aluminium over the damage.

About campervan conversions

Campervans use their original vehicles steel bodies, so they are just repaired at a car body shop, just like a car would be. This is quite an attractive proposition when you think that any other body types may involve long waits for parts to arrive.

Source by Rick Lomas