Question 1

Do I have to have my black and gray tanks cleaned professionally?

Accepted Answer

No, you certainly can do this yourself with some basic tools and get a half decent job done.

However, professional cleaning service utilize specialized tools that enable a more thorough cleaning.

Question 2

Do I need to have my ACs cleaned?

Accepted Answer

It is recommended your ACs be inspected quarterly if used on a regular basis.

If you're not using your RV fulltime, at a minimum we suggest having your ACs cleaned and inspected at the beginning of the RV season and at the end prior to placing in storage.

If you're living in your RV fulltime we suggest having your ACs cleaned and inspected on a quarterly basis, depending on usage, to prolong the life of your ACs.

We also recommend having a Soft Start device installed to reduce wear and tear on the components inside your AC such as the compressor and capacitors.

RV Road Ready LLC provides AC maintenance services as well as Soft Start installations.

Question 3

What can I do to ensure my fresh water is clean and safe to drink?

Accepted Answer

We recommend flushing your fresh water tank quarterly and sanitizing your fresh tank and your plumbing lines twice a year, depending on usage. Over time sediment and minerals can accumulate inside your fresh water tank, as a result of hooking your RV up to different water sources at RV parks you visit.

This build up can, over time, cause your water to have odd odors and tastes. In addition, if water sits in your fresh water tank for extended periods of time bacteria, and other not so friendly pathogens, can develop that can result in unpleasant outcomes, ruining your adventures.

RV Road Ready LLC provides fresh water tank maintenance services.

Question 4

How safe is it to run space heaters in my RV?

Accepted Answer

Space heaters are what is called a resistive load. This means as current flows through the heating element the electricity experiences friction, which is the source of the heat from the heater. Akin to when you rub your hands together on a cold day. The friction on your skin where your hands rub together begins to warm if you rub hard and fast enough. Similar principle. In the case of a space heater,  the high wattage is calculated by multiplying the volts, 120V in the US, times the amps, ~12.5A for a 1500 watt heater. It is the 12.5 amps that is causing the heat from the friction in the heating element.

The issue at hand, and why there is a broad and growing concern about using space heaters in RVs, is that the typical outlet in an RV has a 15 amp breaker with a max load of 1800 watts, under perfect conditions. Also, in most cases, most of the outlets in an RV are GFCI protected...often by a single GFCI outlet, where the various outlets are daisy chained together to leverage the GFCI protection. Meaning, all the GFCI outlets are on the same breaker circuit, with a max wattage of the 1800 mentioned earlier.

This means while you may have 4-5 outlets, it may be that all 4-5 outlets are connected in a series. A single 1500 watt space heater only leaves room for another 300 watts to be used on the entire circuit, across all 4-5 outlets. Adding a second space heater will overload the circuit. If everything works correctly the breaker will trip and open the circuit thereby cutting off the flow of electricity.

If there is anything amiss it is possible the two space heaters will pull far too many amps and overload the circuit. If the breaker does not trip and cut off the flow of electricity, then there could be a thermal condition that results in the wires and outlet melting from an excess amount of heat and potentially cause a fire.

No body needs or wants an unintentional fire in an RV. Before using any space heater type appliance in your RV, be sure to confirm the circuit capacity in your RV, including if there is an extension cord involved as they may not be rated for such use.

Also, we suggest you never run a space heater when sleeping. Only run one while awake and present. If you go to bed or leave the RV, be sure to turn off AND unplug the space heater from the outlet, thus removing any possibility of that space heater having a connection to an electrical source.

RV Road Ready LLC provides energy audit services to help you better understand your RV's capabilities. Detailed energy audits can be used to explore solar and power system upgrades.

Question 5

Why is my AC not cooling effectively?

Accepted Answer

RV ACs are power hungry appliances that are exposed to both conditioned space inside the RV as well as outside weather conditions. External weather conditions directly affect the performance capabilities of your RV's AC. If it is too hot outside, or overly humid, the cooling capacity will be affected. It may be the weather conditions are too extreme for the type or size of AC.

However, if the AC was working fine and now is not, it may be there is a problem with the AC, such as a compressor starting to fail or a capacitor is weak, or a fan motor is having problems.

Regular maintenance, like a health physical for a person, is designed to catch, if possible, issues before they become issues. Failing components often hint at their failure in various ways from electrical resistance or hinderance of electrical flow, capacitors starting being unable to consistently hold a charge, fan motors start making noises and over-cycling of the compressor (AC turns on and off more often) or slightly warmer air flow can be a symptom of a pending failure.

RV Road Ready LLC provides AC maintenance services.

Question 6

How often do I need to check my RV's roof and sidewalls for seals and leaks?

Accepted Answer

Regular maintenance of your RV's roof and sidewalls often means getting on your roof on a regular basis or pulling out your ladder, if you have one, to check those higher locations. But what does regular mean in this case?

We suggest checking your RV's roof and sidewalls before and after every trip towing or driving it somewhere. Road debris can cause damage unknowingly so walking around your RV while pumping gas/diesel, may allow you to avoid  issues that might become more impactful over time if left unaddressed.

If you plan to remain at a location for an extended period of time, we suggest checking the roof and sidewalls monthly, after a storm or other type of inclement weather and at least once a year perform a comprehensive assessment, resealing as needed. Depending on the age of your RV and the manufacturer, there may be warranty requirements to have your RV roof and sidewalls professionally checked and resealed annually. Suggest checking your owners manual and warranty stipulations.

RV Road Ready LLC provides roof and sidewall maintenance services.

Question 7

How should I care for the various seals on my slides?

Accepted Answer

There are numerous products sold indicating they preserve and protect RV seals. The composition of many seal materials have UV protection built in and often sprays and other conditioning product may damage the seals themselves through different chemical processes.

One of the best options is to simple keep your seals clean and free of debris and you can do so with a mild dish soap and water. Yes, you read that correctly, simply keeping the seals clean using a mild soap and water mixture, is often the best medicine, so to speak. No need for additional chemicals.

Question 8

What are some winterization best practices for my water system?

Accepted Answer

It is important to keep in mind that there are almost as many different water system configurations as there are RVs. Each manufacture designs the plumbing a little bit differently than another manufacturer. Be sure to refer to your RV's owner's manual for specific recommendations by the manufacturer.

That said, the main goal is to reduce the amount of water in the system so as to reduce the ability of water to freeze, expand, and rupture water lines, waste water plumbing components like p-traps.

Be sure to empty your fresh water tank, including your water heater, waste tanks, both gray and black (at an appropriate dump station), outside shower/sprayer. Every RV should have what is called a low point drain, where water is intended to run to and eventually drained. You may consider connecting your RV's water system to an air compressor to force water out of the system, though do not go above 40 psi to avoid damaging plumbing and water lines.

Once you've done your level best to remove as much water from the system you'll want to fill your system with the pink, non-toxic RV anti-freeze, being sure to bypass your water heater. For this to be done make sure to reference your RV's owners manual for correct steps. Also, pour some anti-freeze in each sink to replace the water in the p-traps with the pink fluid. Don't forget the toilet and the outside shower/sprayer(s).

RV Road Ready LLC provides winterization and de-winterization maintenance services.

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