Here goes:
If you removed your batteries, top off the water and give them a good charge and re install them, paying careful attention to positives and negatives! Check all tires for correct inflation pressure.
Remove any covers that you put on for storage. Make sure to get them all, especially if you covered up the refrigerator or furnace vents. Replace the plug in your low point drains and water heater. Check the water heater and refrigerator compartment area and clean out any spiders or critters.
Now is a good time to grab a spray bottle of soapy water and make sure that there are no open flames or ignition sources nearby. Turn on the main propane supply valve and carefully spray a bit of soapy water on each and every fitting. Watch for soap bubbles forming at connections that would indicate a leak. Wipe excess soapy water off with a paper towel or two as you go. Don't forget to use your nose, if you find a leak or smell gas, turn that main valve off right away and check your system to find the leak.
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| Water Damage when its left unnoticed! So check your unit! |
Interior inspection is a key observation. Look for leaks or discolorations of ceiling or walls and floors.
Take a careful look at the outside of the rig. Make sure that everything is in place and in good repair. Open any storage compartments and have a look inside. Clean out any old gear that you no longer need or use to make room for new toys and evict any squirrels or other pesky residents that may have found a new home last winter.
If your rig is a motor home, do a careful check of all fluid levels and look under the hood and under the rig for critter nests and cobwebs. Grab your owner's manual and follow any manufacturer recommended procedures for removing the rig from storage. Once you're sure that you've covered all those bases, fire up that engine. While the engine warms up, test your headlights, brake lights, turn signals and running lights. A drive around the block will help shake off that winter stiffness and give you a chance to listen for any new worrisome noises. Hopefully, everything sounds good.
If your rig is a Travel Trailer or 5th Wheel, take a close look at all hitch components. Look for any damage and replace any items that look questionable. Clean off old grease and re-lubricate the hitch components following the manufacturer's recommendations. Go ahead and hitch up, plug in your lights and test them. Remember to test those trailer brakes manually before heading out for your first road trip.
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| My favorite Brake Controller from Tekonsha! |
Now, let's deal with the plumbing! If you don't have fresh water available where your rig is stored, then you need to move it. We need to flush out the plumbing system, especially if RV antifreeze was used. One possibility is to take the rig to Granite Hill Camping Resort or any other local RV Park and use their water and sewer hookups. Hook up your water hose and fill your fresh water tank. Run your water pump and open each faucet in the rig one at a time and allow water to flow for a minute or so. If you used antifreeze, let the water flow until all color and odor is gone. Also run water in the toilet and the shower until all the color is gone and the water is clear. Remember to open your gray water dump valve. Turn off the water pump and hook up your hose to the city water inlet. Run some more water through the system to get that last bit of antifreeze out, then unhook the hose again. Be sure not to un-bypass the water heater until you've flushed all the lines.
To put your bypassed water heater back in service, reset the valves for normal operation and make sure that the drain plug is in or that the drain valve is closed.
If you see water running down the side of the RV, you may have left the drain plug out of the heater. Now run the water pump and open a hot water faucet. Once the water heater tank is full, shut all faucets and wait until the pump turns off. Listen for a few minutes to make sure that the pump does not cycle again. If the pump cycles on and off repeatedly, it may indicate a leak somewhere in your fresh water plumbing.
If a leak is suspected, take a flashlight and visually inspect all the plumbing under your sinks and see if you can spot any leaks. Look carefully in compartments and inside of cupboards and storage areas until you find the drip. Fix any leaks before continuing.
Now, let's sterilize your fresh water tank and plumbing. Mix about a cup of plain household bleach in a gallon of water. Pour this mixture into your fresh water tank and top it off with the hose. Turn on the water pump and run each faucet until you can plainly smell the chlorine. Top off the fresh water tank again and let the system set for at least a few hours, longer is better. Then, drain the fresh water tank and refill with clean water. Flush the system out by running the clean water through each faucet again. Use lots of water, until the chlorine smell is gone.
This procedure will usually result in clean, odor free water in your RV. If you have problems with lingering antifreeze taste or chlorine odor, you can re-flush the system using I cup of baking soda dissolved into 1 gallon of water and follow the same procedure as above.
Now you should be ready for a Serious season of Relaxation and memory making.
Chris
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