Period between trips

[Wizards&OZ]

What are some of the things you recommend we do to our motorhome in between trips. Like, those times we park the RV in the driveway for a month or less before heading back out on the road. What are some obvious and less than obvious things we should consider doing to the RV. Like, empty tanks? Fill tanks? Refridgerator? Open/Close windows? Etc. This would be during the summertime, so winterizing won't be necessary. Thoughts?

[Barbaraok]

Are you hooked up to power or not?   If not, throw disconnect switches.

Is the refrigerator emptied, if so, keep doors open.

Open roof vents (assume you have covers for them) and cover windows

Empty tanks when you leave the last stop, then had a few gallons of water to each tank to keep the bottom of the tank wet.

Make sure you have water in the traps.  I fill zip-lic bags 1/2 full with water and place over each drain and also over the the toilet valve.

Make sure there are no food items left that could swell if they get very warm or break apart (boxes letting go).

 

[rynosback]

I would refer a lot to your owners manual on maintenance and storage. Some rigs might have specific things to do over others.  This could also be a good question to pose on a forum that is all about your make and model of rig. Since I do not know what you own, you will have to Google it.

[sandsys]

If you plan to leave dry foods in the rig be sure they are in rodent proof containers. Also, find out what type of rodents frequent the area and what type of deterrent works best for that. Then vacuum every crevice where you might have spilled food--one time we had carpets cleaned and when they moved the couch the guy exclaimed, "Treats!"

Linda

[chindog]

Check the water levels in your batteries every month regardless of use.

[kb0zke]

If you are actually only parking for <month, you probably don't have to do much of anything. If you have power, even 15A, you can keep the refrigerator going and your batteries charged. I'd take the time to sanitize the fresh water tank a couple of times a year with that sort of use. That downtime can be helpful for getting maintenance done or doing upgrades.

Some people like to keep their RV ready to go at all times, especially those in fire-prone areas or hurricane paths. Unless you are willing to abandon your S&B every time there is a tornado watch, though, trying to leave when a tornado threatens probably is a waste of effort. They can move faster than you can.

[Rockie]

I saw a pretty good list on https://www.rvriders.com/rv-road-trip/

 

Quote

 

Things to do when done traveling in your RV and you are ready to store it:

• Remove all extras the the RV, including linens and clothing.
• Unplug the fridge and freezer then let them dry out.
• Remove the propane tanks.
• Drive the RV around the block every couple of moths to prevent flat spots on the tires of the RV.
• Cover vents with bug preventing screens.
• Wash and apply a heavy coat of wax to the RV.
• Apply a cover that has holes for the air vents.
• Turn off the circuit breaker.
• Remove all valuables.
• Remove your battery and store it at home.
• Pay your mail forwarding service.

In areas where the winters are cold, anywhere but the beach, you must follow some winterizing procedures:

• Pressurize the water pump.
• Add some antifreeze to the windshield wash solution.
• Seal off all faucets.
• Put a cup of antifreeze in the drains.
• Empty the water heater.

 

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[richfaa]

We have no idea what our time between trips are as we never kept a record. When between trips the RV is on our property  with full hook up since we have been on the road for 8 to 9 months of the year for the last 12 years the time between trips is not all that long. We are never in cold weather and have not winterized a RV since 2005. We do  remove  perishables  when not on the road but keep the fridge powered up  at all times. We winter in a warm climate for 6 months of the year so it can be said that our time between trips is 6 months.