Are your problems "Preventable"??

[edgray]

The following is a synopsis provided by Coach-Net Technical and Roadside Assistance outlining the top operational RV issues. Lake Havasu City-based Coach-Net, which offers a variety of services to the RV and auto industries including RV Tech Advantage, researched more than 85,000 service calls and found the majority of the problems are preventable through proper maintenance.

Engine:

Engine concerns top the list at 31.7% of the calls. "Most inoperable engines are not due to catastrophic engine failure," says Patrick Cipres, RVIA-RVDA Master Certified Technician. "Minor problems such as those caused by incompatible coolant, a filter needing to be changed or improper fuel are the root of most calls related to chassis." If left unattended, minor issues often lead to major ones. Do you remember the Fram ads from the past: "You can pay me now, or pay me later"???

Brake and Suspension Systems:

Modern air brake and suspension systems result in the second most common call to Coach-Net. "Many stranded travelers simply need operational guidance," Cipres said. "For example, when trying to level their RV, some owners unknowingly 'dump the air' in the suspension, causing system failure." Reviewing the owner's manual and checking system operation prior to use will help travelers avoid this problem. How many of us have actually read the owners manual completely?

Batteries:

Third on the list are batteries. Ensure they are well-maintained – even new ones. If the RV is in storage or at an RV park, charge the engine battery every 7-10 days by running the engine for an hour. If the RV is plugged into shore power, the house battery charges automatically, but check the water level weekly at a minimum. If power problems begin at a campground, question the reliability of the shore power connection.

Slide Rooms and Leveling Systems

Twenty-four percent of calls surveyed reveal the most common "house" issues are slide rooms and leveling systems that fail to retract. Many times they will stick from non-use. Avoid getting stuck during vacation, and test slide rooms beforehand to ensure they are in good working order – especially if the RV has been stored. "Use it-or loose it" and "Lot rot" come to mind !

Electrical AC 110-Volt

Fifth on the list of concerns is overload of the electrical alternating current (AC) 110-volt. RVs are rated to operate harmoniously with the appliances outfitting them. Be careful about adding big amp draws, such as a hairdryer, a blender or coffeemaker. The roof air conditioner probably is the largest power consumer, so before switching it on "high," turn off other appliances, or risk tripping a circuit breaker. Do YOU have a quality surge guard and under/over voltage shut off device installed? You should!

Thanks to Coach net and RV Business for providing this information. ED

[edgray]

The following is a synopsis provided by Coach-Net Technical and Roadside Assistance outlining the top operational RV issues. Lake Havasu City-based Coach-Net, which offers a variety of services to the RV and auto industries including RV Tech Advantage, researched more than 85,000 service calls and found the majority of the problems are preventable through proper maintenance.

Engine:

Engine concerns top the list at 31.7% of the calls. "Most inoperable engines are not due to catastrophic engine failure," says Patrick Cipres, RVIA-RVDA Master Certified Technician. "Minor problems such as those caused by incompatible coolant, a filter needing to be changed or improper fuel are the root of most calls related to chassis." If left unattended, minor issues often lead to major ones. Do you remember the Fram ads from the past: "You can pay me now, or pay me later"???

Brake and Suspension Systems:

Modern air brake and suspension systems result in the second most common call to Coach-Net. "Many stranded travelers simply need operational guidance," Cipres said. "For example, when trying to level their RV, some owners unknowingly 'dump the air' in the suspension, causing system failure." Reviewing the owner's manual and checking system operation prior to use will help travelers avoid this problem. How many of us have actually read the owners manual completely?

Batteries:

Third on the list are batteries. Ensure they are well-maintained – even new ones. If the RV is in storage or at an RV park, charge the engine battery every 7-10 days by running the engine for an hour. If the RV is plugged into shore power, the house battery charges automatically, but check the water level weekly at a minimum. If power problems begin at a campground, question the reliability of the shore power connection.

Slide Rooms and Leveling Systems

Twenty-four percent of calls surveyed reveal the most common "house" issues are slide rooms and leveling systems that fail to retract. Many times they will stick from non-use. Avoid getting stuck during vacation, and test slide rooms beforehand to ensure they are in good working order – especially if the RV has been stored. "Use it-or loose it" and "Lot rot" come to mind !

Electrical AC 110-Volt

Fifth on the list of concerns is overload of the electrical alternating current (AC) 110-volt. RVs are rated to operate harmoniously with the appliances outfitting them. Be careful about adding big amp draws, such as a hairdryer, a blender or coffeemaker. The roof air conditioner probably is the largest power consumer, so before switching it on "high," turn off other appliances, or risk tripping a circuit breaker. Do YOU have a quality surge guard and under/over voltage shut off device installed? You should!

Thanks to Coach net and RV Business for providing this information. ED

[RV Wizard]

I have always been a big believer of preventive maintenance. The more I learn of these problems the more I find it to be true. Sure there are times that something can break but I a unit is properly maintained the chances are greatly reduced of a failure to "just happen". "Take care" also means the RV.

[chasfm11]

Although we have less than 3 years experience with our RV, I've already learned the wisdom of your words. I've been maintaining my own passenger cars for over 30 years and how have a Ford van that is 17 years old and has 155K miles on it. I can count on one hand the number of breakdowns that I've had with it - with none them classified as "preventable". I learned that things like changing the transmission fluid on regular intervals can keep it operating correcting without repairs even with pulling a 3.5K pound sailboat regularly for years. Belts don't break and hoses don't leak if they are replaced at reasonable intervals.

Although some seem to feel that the manufacturer's recommendations for maintenance are over-kill for RVes, considering the limited use that they get, I strongly agree with the "use it or loose it" approach. Because the RV doesn't get used every day, it needs more, not less, maintenance to keep it operating. I'd be more afraid of a used generator that was not run regularly (per the instructions) than I would be of one that had hundreds of hours on it because it was run monthly. Checking out everything before leaving on a long trip just seems to be common sense to me.

[Oemtech]

In my early years I was forced into repairing my own vehicles (I could not afford to take anything to the dealer). I bought the tools as I needed them and learned about Preventive Maintenance. Another lesson learned was fix the PROBLEM, not the SYMPTOM, fix it correctly and replace any other parts that look worn at the same time (this will same time and money later). Lastly do not band aid any failure.