What You Should Look For When You Do Your Inspections

Hoses: Coolant hoses and heater hoses should be fairly soft and pliable, that is if you squeeze a coolant hose and it doesn't take a lot of effort then the hose is still in serviceable condition. If on the other hand it is getting hard and takes a lot of effort to squeeze the hose then it needs to be replaced. You could use the same schedule you would use for your car but if you are not using the motor home for more than three months out of the year then this would be a waste of money.

Belts: The accessory drive belts and water pump belt may be a all in one serpentine belt or there may be two or more smaller 'v type' belts. Look at the outside of the belt, if you see any damage at all change it. Twist the belt and inspect the inside of the belt, look for cracks, some belts have groves cut into them, if you see pieces of belt missing then replace it. The older 'v type' belts you can see the 'cord' that the belt is laminated with, if you see cracks or the first layer is cord then the belt needs to be replaced.

Belt tension: The newer vehicles have a 'belt tensioner' that applies tension to the belt and does not require any adjustment. Older vehicles do not have this luxury and the tension needs to be checked. You can check the tension on the belt by placing your thumb on the belt and pushing inward on the belt. The belt should have no more than a half inch of movement and no less than one quarter of an inch. A belt that is too loose will come off, slip, or the accessory that is supposed to drive will not work properly. A belt that has to much tension will cause the bearings in the accessory to wear out sooner.

Tires: You should let a professional determine if you need a new tire or tires. But a rule of thumb for when to go to a professional will help. You can buy a tire depth gauge at most truck stops. This is a small tool that is calibrated in thousandths of an inch. It has a plunger when you put the gauge on the tire you press in the groove of the tire, then you look at the mark that tells you how much tread you have left. Or you could use a penny, on the heads side you put the edge of the coin with Lincoln's head in to the groove, if you can see the top of Lincoln's head then you need to replace the tire. As I said before get a professional opinion.

Fuel: Because you are going to be driving in areas that you are not used to you will want to use additives for your fuel system. Some of these additives clean out water and other contaminates that you pick up from fueling up.

Note: Also when you store your RV it is recommended that you fill the fuel tanks fully to prevent condensation of water. Now days you can buy chemicals that prevent the fuel from breaking down over time causing a film of 'varnish' on components. This can be quite expensive to repair. Follow the manufactures recommendations for long term storage.

Coolant: When you do your periodic checks and maintenance don't add water to the radiator or over flow tank, add anti-freeze recommended by the manufacture. Adding water will dilute the anit-freeze that is in the system. Each manufacture will have a chart in the RV manual that gives the 'specific gravity' of the anti-freeze. You will need a special tool to check this. You could have it checked when you have the RV serviced, be sure to ask the service technician to give you the reading. With this information you can make a decision on if you want them to add anti-freeze or water. This is important because where you live the amount of anit-freeze may be lower than where you are going.

These inspections should be done on a schedule, some are common sense and should be done before you hit the road. Other inspections should be done periodically.