Spring Cleaning

OK, it still being February, we may be jumping the gun a little to talk about spring cleaning, but it isn't really that far away. And the sooner you discover any needed repairs, the more time you'll have to take care of them before your first outing. Of course, if you are still experiencing below-freezing temperatures you won't want to de-winterize your fresh water and holding tanks just yet. Wait until the freezing weather is over. But you can get a head start on a lot of other tasks.

General Exterior Cleaning. After sitting all winter, your RV is going to be in need of a good bath, even if its been kept under cover or in a garage or shed. Begin by carefully sweeping dirt and any accumulated debris from the roof. If your RV has been stored outside, especially if it was parked under trees, inspect the roof for damage from falling branches and bird droppings. Check the caulking of all seams and around all vents and fixtures on the roof. If the caulking is cracked, it should be removed and replaced. Then, if it isn't still below freezing outside, wash the roof and the rest of the RV as described in a previous post (Maintaining Your RVs Exterior Appearance). Remember that when you are washing your RV is good time to check for leaks. Run a little extra clean rinse water around vents, air conditioners, windows and doors and check inside for any evidence of leakage.

Roof repairs. One of the most common roof problems will be dried and cracked caulk. Carefully remove all the old caulk. A plastic putty knife usually works pretty well with less risk of damaging the surface below than a steel scraper. Rubber coated roofs are especially susceptible to damage when removing old caulk so be extra careful. Then apply a generous coating of new caulk over all screws and rivets and along the edges of all attachments. Punctures: punctures should be repaired as soon as possible. Small punctures, say up to the size of a dime, can be sealed with silicone or another sealer compatible with the roofing on most roof surfaces. Larger holes, such as might be made by a falling tree branch, will need to be patched first. Really big holes will require major roof repairs, better left to a professional as it involves removing and replacing an entire roof section. For manageable sized holes, up to perhaps 4" across, you may be able to get by with external patches. First obtain some suitable patching material, such as sheet aluminum or tin. I have successfully used commercial dry-wall patches from my local home center on 2-3" holes. They may be made of aluminum or fiberglass mesh and some are even self-adhesive. If you use tin or steel you will have to worry about rust. Aluminum, plastic, or fiberglass won't rust. Cut a piece about 2" larger than the hole. Sop up any water that may be in the hole and carefully use heat gun or hair dryer to dry it out before covering it over.  Apply a generous amount of caulk around the hole and press the patch in place, making sure the patch overlaps the hole all around and the caulk extends out beyond the edges of the patch. Large patches may need to screwed down to make sure they are secure. Use short screws to reduce the risk of penetrating wiring or even punching through the ceiling or hitting wiring inside. Then coat the entire patch, including any screws and all edges with caulk to form a completely waterproof seal. It may not look pretty, but it will keep out the weather, and, hey!, who's gonna see it up there anyway? Whenever using any caulk or sealant, make sure it is compatible with your roof. You should not use any petroleum-based sealants on rubber roofs.

Check all the lights, including clearance lights. Replace any burned out bulbs and correct any bad grounds or loose wiring or blown fuses. Loose or corroded ground connections are a very frequent cause of lighting problems on all kinds of RVs. Problems may occur at fixtures or elsewhere, such as where a ground wire is connected to the vehicle ground. Replace or repair any damaged lenses. Be sure to check any auxiliary lights, such as porch lights or work lights, step lights, and exterior cabinet lights.

Clean wheels and tires and check lug nuts and tire inflation, wear, and condition. You can use a penny to measure tire tread depth. Hold the penny so you can put the edge with the top of Lincoln's head into the tread. If the top if his head is covered, your tread is OK. If is not, you need a new tire.  And don't forget to check the date codes on your tires.  Many RVs get little use so tires will usually time out long before they wear out.  Out-dated tires can fail unexpectedly, not only causing a lot of inconvenience, but can often cause serious and expensive accidents.  Tires aren't cheap, but accidents and the damage a blow tire can do to an RV is a LOT more expensive!

Before your first trip you'll want to get a full service lube and oil change. And don't forget the generator. It also needs an oil and filter change and an air filter and fuel filter check.

Belts and hoses. Belts and hoses on motorhomes and tow vehicles are highly susceptible to environmental deterioration and should be checked frequently. They are usually fairly inexpensive to replace and can often be taken care of by the average do-it-yourself mechanic. Even if you have to pay a professional, the cost of replacing an old radiator or heater hose is far less expensive than replacing an engine if you lose coolant and the engine overheats. Another rubber part to check frequently are windshield wipers. It is easy to forget about them until you need them and find they are cracked, tattered or brittle and leave streaks or don't work at all. Again, they are pretty cheap and easy to replace. You can buy covers to protect them from the sun or just use a length of foam pipe insulation or slice foam swim "noodles" to fit over them.   Either way can extend the life of wipers considerably. Sometimes you can buy wiper dressing at your auto parts store.   You put some on a cloth and wipe it on the rubber edge of the wipers.  You will usually see a black streak on your cloth as it  removes oxidized rubber.  Not only does the dressing clean the wipers, it helps condition the rubber to restore or retain flexibility.  In a pinch, try gently wiping the edge that contacts the glass, even if you don't have any dressing.  Often that is enough to remove debris and smooth out some of the rough spots to improve performance so you can get by until you can replace the wipers.

General Interior Cleaning. There are two good times each year to perform deep annual interior cleaning: winterizing and spring cleaning. It may seem redundant to do major cleaning without any use in between, but it really isn't. Even in storage, things can happen which require a thorough cleaning and inspection. Rodents and insects love our RVs about as much as we do, especially as safe winter homes. Our absence during the winter enhances their opportunities to make themselves at home. Transient dust can make its way inside a closed RV and soil counter tops, carpets, bedding, and upholstery. Just being all closed up for the winter can make it smell stale or somewhat musty.  Go through your unit from end to end, wiping down hard surfaces (counters, cabinets, sinks, tile or vinyl floors) and vacuuming and shampooing carpets and upholstery. Use a good fabric freshener like Fabreze on cloth upholstery, drapes, rugs, and carpets. Vacuum the mattress too. You will be more comfortable and it will be healthier sleeping on a clean mattress than one that smells dusty or musty from months of storage. Clean all your windows and mirrors, inside and out using any good glass cleaner. I like the kind that also contains an anti-fog ingredient. I usually use residential aerosol furniture polish to clean cabinet faces and my favorite detail spray, SC-1, to restore luster and protection to vinyl surfaces, like the acres of dashboard in my motorhome. If you are fortunate enough to have leather seating, invest the time and a couple of extra bucks to clean and condition it with a saddle soap and a good leather cleaner such as Leather Balm. Good old fashioned saddle soap does a good job cleaning badly soiled leather seats.  You can give any special woodwork (such as hand rails) extra attention using a beeswax based polish.

Take inventory of your on board utensils, cooking supplies, cleaning supplies, linens, and clothing. Now is a good time to replace any missing or damaged items and get rid of redundant, outdated, or unused stuff. It is also helpful to make sure everything is stored in its proper place. Socks in the silverware drawer and spatulas in the shoe drawer won't be of much use when it comes time to get up, get dressed, and prepare breakfast in camp!

Check out all appliances. You will want to make sure all appliances are functioning normally. Turn on the water and make sure you get water to all fixtures. Run the fridge for a day or so to make sure it is working right. Fire up the furnace and water heater. Light the burners and oven on the stove. Run your generator and test roof A/C units and microwave oven. I unplug my motorhome from shore power and run the generator to power the microwave to boil a cup of water, testing both systems at once. Test all your electronics (radios, TVs, VCRs, DVDs, satellite receivers). Now is a good time to replace the batteries in your remote controls, smoke detectors, and test gas detectors too. Check furnace vents, refrigerator cooling coils, and refrigerator and hot water heater burners and remove any debris or insect infestation.

De-winterizing. When weather permits, you will want to de-winterize your plumbing systems and make them ready for use. First, run the water pump and allow any antifreeze in the lines and fixtures to drain out. Then add some water to your fresh water tank so you can flush the lines and fixtures. You may want to sanitize your fresh water system as described in a previous post ( Post Trip Procedures) to ensure odor free, good tasting water. When you have finished sanitizing your fresh water system, refill the fresh water tank. Take your RV to a dump station and dump and flush the holding tanks and add the proper amount of appropriate holding tank chemicals.

Chassis Preparation. Your motorhome chassis or your tow vehicle needs a little TCL before you start out on your first trip of the year. In addition to a full service oil and lube, check all the belts and hoses. Replace any hoses that are cracked, leaking or feel spongy when you squeeze them or have become brittle. Belts that squeal or are glazed or frayed should be replaced. There are sprays to renew fan belts and it is probably a good idea to carry a can in case of emergencies. However, don't try to substitute a quick fix for replacing seriously worn or stretched out belts. Belts will stretch over time, so you may need to adjust them. Many newer engines have belt tensioners that automatically take up the slack of normal expansion as the belts heat up in operation and stretch over time but the only solution for older models is to adjust or replace the belt. Loose belts can cause serious problems, such as over heating and loss of output from the alternator. Keeping your fan and serpentine belts in good condition is a very wise investment that can save you hours of frustration on the road and tons of money in repairs.

If you are towing a trailer, check the receiver, hitch, and electrical connections. The tiny screws that hold the wiring inside of trailer connectors have been known to work loose due to vibration and cause shorts within the connector. You can test the functionality of the connector on the tow vehicle using a test light. Be sure to test running lights, left and right turn signals, and brake lights.  Clearance lights are on the same circuit as park lights.  If you have a trailer brake or a trailer battery charging lead, be sure to test these as well. If any lead fails to light up, take the connector apart and check the screws inside and test the wiring directly. If there is power at the wires but not in the connector, the contacts in the connector are probably corroded. You may be able to clean them, but the best long term solution is to replace the connector. Examine the receiver and the hitch for any signs of wear or cracking. I've seen hitches fail where the ball mount is welded to the tube that fits into the receiver, dropping the trailer tongue smack into the dirt! Far better to discover failing parts and replace them now than have them fall apart on the road! Be sure to test your trailer brakes. You don't want to learn they aren't working when you have to make an emergency stop or negotiate a long downhill.  By then it is too late!

Tools and Supplies. Spring Cleaning is a good time to take inventory of your on board tools and supplies. Over time we all tend to "borrow" tools and supplies from our RVs for home use and they don't always get put back. I usually take advantage of this time to clean and re-organize my tools and supplies too. I find taking them out and wiping them down is one of the best ways to check condition and verify inventory. Not only do I make sure nothing is missing, it helps remind me what I have and where to find it when I need it. I like to keep my tools well organized. I use socket rails and wrench holders so I find the right sizes quickly and can tell at a glance if something is missing.   You might ask why bother cleaning tools when they'll just get dirty or grease again the next time you use them?   Well, clean tools are safer and more pleasant to use than dirty ones. It will also be easier to detect any damage when they are clean so they can be repaired or replaced before you need them.   Supplies, such as lubricants and cleaners, can develop leaks or, in the case of aerosol products, loose their propellant and/or become clogged, so check them carefully to make sure you aren't carrying around empty or useless cans.

OHV Equipment and Gear. Just like your RV, your OHVs will need to be cleaned and serviced. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for annual servicing. Clean and lubricate your vehicles. Inspect your personal gear to make sure it is clean and in good repair and that nothing is missing. You don't want to get 150 miles from home and discover you left your riding boots at home! I've seen riders wrap duct tape around their flip-flops when they've left their boots at home, but I CANNOT recommend that solution. The resulting injuries were not pleasant for them or for anyone who observed them! USE YOUR CHECKLIST. Make sure you have everything you need and it is ready to do its job.

Spring into action!