After you bought your new RV, you’ll have to be aware of your state’s law and regulation of your RV. Fun Town RV has compiled a summary how to maintain your RV so you can make memories for years to come.
Here’s the Fun Part: Logistics and Maintenance
RVs need inspections to be compliant with state laws and regulations. As with a car’s yearly registration, they need inspections and updated documentation that would need to file the document with the state. Conveniently, Fun Town RV has a blog that will help you get your RV ready for the season and a checklist that you can look at for essential RV maintenance while deciding when to take your RV in for service.
Fun Town RV has researched and developed a great checklist you can use to help you figure out what you need and look for with your RV. Below will have a short overview list of what to look for during your maintenance check.
Exterior:
- Check the Propane tank
- Tires
- Exterior Sidings
Interior:
- Spring Clean
- Restock Supplies
- Check fire extinguishers
Operating System:
- De-winterize your system
- Check Alarms and Batteries
- Check electrical system and gas lines
- Check air conditioning filters
Don’t forget to check the paperwork for your RV! RVs need to be registered over a specific weight class. Your RV must be documented with the state while also researching your state’s laws with what they need. The DMV has rules and policies on what you would need to head out for the summer. If you want to check out specific laws and regulations your RV needs, check out RV-Camping for more detailed information about our national park system. Most major insurance carriers will have an RV and Motorhome insurance option that might be available through your insurance. Fun Town RV offers insurance work service and accepts most major carriers. If you have an RV already and looking into service for your camper, you can check our Service Page or Paint Body Shop page for more information.
As you come to your RV decision, you outweigh what makes more sense to you: in a dealership, online, or even third party? In-person at a dealership is excellent for understanding the space you are working with. You get to see how big the RV is, which would be hard to understand with only pictures. You’ll have one of our knowledgable Fun Town RV Sales Professionals that will walk you through the process of what to expect out of an RV while pointing out things you might not have realized you need when you head out. Online is great if you know what you want. You’ve had an RV in the past or have experience in living with one. It’s harder to place yourself in a space you haven’t worked in before. What about a third party? Third-party has risks; you won’t have guaranteed service like choosing a used unit from a dealership. You could be buying a 10-year-old unit and be paying way more than what should be feasible with that RV.
Not all RVs are the same when it comes to the location of tank waste valves and the placements of valves. If you choose in dealership, you’ll have RV walk-throughs of how to operate your RV, what to check when doing a basic rundown before you head out, and how to dump your waste system. They can provide a walkthrough of how to set up and take down at a campsite.
Decision Made: New RV, now what?
At this point, you know what RV you want; the next step is to start planning for your trips. Do you plan on long-term traveling or a quick trip? The best thing to do is plan and research when works best for you.
Some of your planning would include when is the best time to travel. The best time of the year is May through mid-October; however, that is when everybody else is setting out, so you’ll have to plan to figure out where your destination is for the season, and that means reserving your spots you won’t get in a bind for a holiday weekend. As you figure out your RV schedule, you’ll be able to determine what supplies to bring. RVs can easily be made ready for winter traveling; most RVs are insulated for warm and cold weather to keep it nice and cool in the summer to warm in the deep winter months. You can also add a generator or solar panels to help your RV stay warm off the grid. Most of Fun Town RV’s campers have an electric fireplace in the living area and even sometimes in the main bedroom; you’ll stay cozy all year round with this great feature.
When you start planning your route, you’ll need to plan around your destination if you don’t have the space in your RV where a grocery store is or even attractions. It’s good to plan where you are stopping for the night to figure out where to get food if you need to safely dump wastes from your RV or a laundromat to clean your clothes or sheets. If you plan to explore your destination’s area, can you find a place to park and stay for the night? It’s easy now to find RV Park, or even a big parking lot for a night can work great. RV Parks sometimes have length limits or regulations you wouldn’t think about. When researching RV Parks, always check the rules and policies they typically display before reserving your spot. Some of these rules that RV Parks have are related to pets, fire bans, or even the administrative practice they use. Parking at a big-name box store has more freedom and is suitable for one or two nights when going between places. But there are off-grid camping options called boondocking, which has no hookup and could be off-road parking. They tend to be first come, first serve to have an introductory rate of 20 dollars that might have covered essential site maintenance.
After you finish RVing for the season, Fun Town RV has some great storage options. We can easily winterize your RV, so you won’t have to worry about messing up; Fun Town RV is ready to help you with anything!
If you are looking for your next RV but want some tips on what to look for? Check in to Fun Town RV’s blog for part 1 and 2 of this year 2023 RV Buyer’s Guide! Come in to your local Fun Town RV or contact us today; we at Fun Town RV are excited to help you find your next RV of your dreams!
