Routine Maintenance

“How long do RV brakes last?” may seem like a simple question, but the lifespan of RV brakes can vary a lot. The type of RV you have, how much it weighs, and where, how, and how often you drive it can have a major impact on how long the brakes will last. Today’s post …

Tracking all of the items that need to be maintained on your RV can be a challenge and having some sort of RV maintenance checklist is imperative. We’ve used an RV maintenance spreadsheet in the past, but now RV Life offers a service that makes maintenance tracking simple. In this post, we’re covering the RV …

If you’ve got a diesel pusher motorhome, knowing when to change the diesel engine air filter is important. And if your rig offers easy access to your air filter, knowing how to do it yourself can save you some cash. We found the RV diesel air filter change to be one of the easiest routine …

Clear, bright headlights are key to safe nighttime driving. They not only light the way ahead but also make sure that other drivers can see us. Unfortunately, headlights can become cloudy or yellowed over time due to sun damage, light scratches, and environmental contaminants. That’s why knowing how to clean cloudy headlights is an important …

Road tar, tree sap, squashed bugs, and water spots on your RV windshield (or any windshield) can be a pain to remove. That’s why we’re sharing a tip we’ve been using on all of our vehicles (including both of our motorhomes) for over 25 years — cleaning the glass with steel wool. Yes, you can …

If your RV’s hot water isn’t as hot as it should be, the problem could well be your RV water heater thermostat. Fortunately, most RV water heaters aren’t all that complicated. So when this happened to us, we had an easy DIY repair on our hands. In this post, we’ll show you exactly how we …

What is an RV low point drain valve and where is it located? Does every RV have one? What does it do? A low point drain is an important part of an RV, and in this post, we tell you why. We cover what a low-point drain valve is, what it does (and what it …

This post is a guide to draining, flushing, cleaning, and descaling an RV water heater. We’ll show you the method we’ve used for years to effectively flush and clean our tanked water heater and how to descale a tankless one, too (like our new Truma AquaGo Comfort Plus on-demand water heater). Our method for our …

One of our favorite pieces of RV gear is our Viair air compressor. In fact, we actually have two of them. We carry one in our RV and keep a smaller, lighter model in the back of our Honda CR-V toad car, in case we need it when we’re away from the RV. We’ve spent …

Finding RV roof leaks can be tricky, but it’s one of the most essential maintenance and repair tasks an RV owner can undertake. Identifying and repairing leaks while they’re minor will save you from costly repairs in the future and could even save your RV from destruction. In today’s post, we’ll discuss the best way …

Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a full-time RVer, proper maintenance of your RV refrigerator will help ensure that it continues to operate efficiently and keeps your food fresh as you travel. In today’s post, we’re providing a guide to the most important RV refrigerator maintenance tips. RV Refrigerator Maintenance Tips Keeping in mind that …

We’ve always been pretty obsessive about keeping our motorhome neat and tidy, and we’ve also posted on various aspects of RV AC maintenance. But how do you clean RV air ducts to keep your rig’s air quality clean and healthy? That’s what we’re covering in today’s post. To be clear, we’re not talking about just …

We recently wrote a post answering the question, “How much RV antifreeze do I need to winterize my RV plumbing?” We noted that the answer depends not only on the size of your RV but also on whether you choose to blow out your RV water lines vs using antifreeze. (Even when blowing the lines …

Caulking is an important maintenance task for all homes, including RVs. A good caulking job seals gaps and prevents leaks, keeping living spaces comfortable and well-protected and leak-fee. But achieving a smooth, professional finish can be a challenge, especially for beginners. In this post, we’re offering some smooth caulking tips to make the job easier …

Whether you’re just out for a drive, taking a weekend road trip, or crossing the country, there’s nothing quite like hitting the open road in your car, truck, or RV. But that often means getting bugs on your vehicle’s exterior. Since dead insects as well as other debris such as tar and sap can be …