Recreational Vehicle Inspections
By Butch Jones
As our Recreational Vehicles (RV) get older, so do we. There was a time when most RVers would not even consider taking their RV to a dealer or independent shop for repairs or service. They would simply do the repairs and maintenance themselves. Something that I have discovered as that as I get older, there are some things that I just don’t want to do myself. Add to that the proliferation of electronics and computers in today’s RVs and more of us are choosing to let someone else (someone with the skills, knowledge and tools to do the job better and potentially cheaper than many of us can) perform some of these tasks.
As we age with our RVs, we can become accustomed to the smell, the feel and also the little blemishes and dings that happened long ago. There comes a time in most RVers lives when it is time to let the old unit find a new home or get sent to the auction yard. When trying to sell or trade your current RV, everyone wants to get top dollar. Over time we tend to forget about some of the things that need repair or replacement because we may not use or need them. However, a new owner might need or want those things in proper working order. It could be that we just want to keep our vehicle in good operating and functioning condition for our own use. Most of us think that we do a good job of keeping our RVs in good shape, but there are some systems that need professional help to keep in top shape. Some of these are the propane, water heating systems and air conditioning systems, to name a few.
Some states require an annual or biannual vehicle inspection. At present there are 16 states that require such inspections (there are 32 states that require an emissions inspection/test, but 16 or those do not require a vehicle safety inspection) that means that 34 do not. These are good to help us keep at least the vehicle safety systems up to a state standard. But who inspects the rest of the RV and who checks these systems in those states with no state vehicle inspection? If you perform this yourself, do you use a checklist or do you perform from memory? If you perform from memory, what did you have for dinner Tuesday two weeks ago? Can’t remember? Well, how do remember everything to check on your RV without some sort of reminders?
Consider that, unless you full time, your RV is usually operated for 6 months or less per year and all that time may be at one outing, meaning you leave home and return in 6 months or so. The RV sits for much of the rest of the year. Recreational vehicles travel an average of 4,000 to 5,000 miles per year. Those miles are usually a combination of flatland, hills and mountains and in warm or HOT weather, then we bring them home and basically put them in storage until we decide to use them again. When we add to that the fact that 56% of all RVs are overloaded, we can see that we may not pamper our vehicles as we might think.
We can see that some sort of comprehensive maintenance program, beyond changing fluids and running the generator might be helpful in keeping our RVs in good and safe operating condition. Some RV dealers and independent shops offer an inspection program which provides inspections and operational checks of most if not all of the systems on most all RVs. Some RV dealers offer a lifetime warranty if the vehicle get an annual inspection, which cost around $400.00 to $450.00 per inspection.
This type of inspection can also be beneficial when purchasing a used vehicle or if getting ready to sell one. Knowing what a potential buyer might find and have the opportunity to address those issues before the buyer starts negotiating could net more than $450.00.
To keep us and our RVs safe there is a need to have a maintenance program, have your RV weighed (this is sometimes available at FMCA rallies) and either perform the maintenance yourself or find a dealer or independent shop to perform it for you.
Wishing everyone safe travels.
Butch Jones, Safety Chairman
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