Before embarking on any road trip, you try to prepare as much as you possibly can for every eventuality. On a recreational vehicle, this prep work can be much more advanced than traveling by other means. One component of preparation should involve what to do if your rig breaks down while you’re in transit. You don’t want to have to wait for hours in the hot sun for a mechanic to show up, or worse, require a tow truck to haul your broken RV to the nearest repair shop.
While you can’t predict everything, you can take some steps to better prepare yourself to address RV repairs on the road. RVs and Boats For Less in Chubbuck is your Idaho RV dealer, which is why we’ve assembled these instructions. Come chat with us if you have any maintenance concerns!
Perform A Pre-Trip Inspection
One of the best ways to prevent problems is to spot them before you leave the driveway! A thorough pre-trip inspection can help to ease your doubts about the sanctity of your rig’s interior and exterior condition. This is of special importance when your RV has been in storage for a while, since components may have broken down in that time.
Walk through the inside of your RV, searching for signs of pest infestation, water leakage in cabinets and ceilings, malfunctioning appliances (including the electrical system) and anything else that seems noteworthy. Then take a walk around the exterior of your rig and check the tires for bald spots or low pressure, slide-outs for stiffness, locks on windows and doors and the interiors of storage compartments, as well as the engine if you have a motorhome.
Address what you can with your own tools, like airing up tires and lubricating slide-outs. Don’t hesitate to give the experts a call when you need them, though! The service department here at RVs and Boats For Less can schedule you an appointment with our mechanics if you’d like us to have a look at a particular problem.
Have Roadside Assistance Numbers
You won’t be able to fix everything that could break down. That’s why it’s important to save some numbers in your phone for roadside assistance, particularly when traveling out-of-state. If your passenger vehicle insurance provides your car with roadside assistance coverage, see about extending that to your RV. You may also want to look up some mechanics in cities along your route to have their numbers on hand just in case.
Include Emergencies In Your Budget
Something else you’ll want to account for is having money set aside to address those emergency repairs. You don’t want to be strapped for cash because every penny you have is dedicated to your travels. Make sure to have some money in your budget specifically dedicated to addressing emergency repairs. It’s unlikely you’ll need to spend it, but it’s better to allocate funds in advance than to not have anything set aside at all.
Carry The Proper Tools
Finally, you’ll want to assemble an RV repair toolkit to carry with you in your rig to address those repair needs. Some of the supplies you’ll want to stock it with include a set of wrenches, several Philips-head and flat screwdrivers, a hammer, spare tires and a tire jack, vice grips, duct tape, wire strippers, pliers and an air compressor to fill up a flat. Reference your owner’s manual to determine the sizes of wrenches you may need. You can also consult video tutorials on basic repairs to see what tools they use and how they perform the repairs.
Repairing your RV on the road is perfectly doable in many cases, provided you carry the tools with you and know what problems to look for. Seeking RVs for sale near Idaho Falls? Visit our location in Chubbuck today to check out our current range of new and used RVs for sale. RVs and Boats For Less welcomes our Idaho customers coming from Pocatello and Twin Falls, and our Utah customers coming from Logan and Salt Lake City. If you want to have your rig checked out by a pro before you head out on your summer vacation, contact our service department to schedule an appointment with our mechanics!
