Your RV is probably your favorite vehicle during the summer months when you head out on the open road for that cross-country trek. As fall comes around, besides signaling that summer’s fun is behind you, it lets you know that it’s time to prepare your RV for the winter properly. Protecting your vehicle from the outside elements can ensure that it stays in good shape for many seasons. Here are some tips to help you out.

Wash the Exterior

After traveling hundreds of miles over the summer, your RV probably needs a good washing. Use a mild soap that’s designed for vehicles. Make sure you have dedicated sponges and rags for this purpose. You don’t want to use anything that could cause small scratches to the surface.

Address the Interior

The inside of your RV needs to be cleaned out before storing it. Otherwise, you might be faced with some unpleasant odors come spring. You could also be attracting rodents or insects if you have garbage that remains inside. Wipe down all of the interior surfaces. Also, it’s not a bad idea to disinfect your RV.

Take the Pressure Off

If you were to leave your RV in one spot for the entire winter, flat spots would develop on your tires’ bottoms. To prevent this, you’ll want to take away some of the pressure on your tires. You can do this by jacking the RV up and placing blocks underneath. If you can’t manage this, attempt to take your RV out for a drive once every few weeks during the winter months.

Repel Pests

While rodents and insects are usually pretty harmless, they can also destroy many materials in your RV. You don’t want them to chew through something like your interior wiring system. Make sure you don’t have any unsealed areas like windows, pipes, or vents.

Cover It Up

Using a cover on your RV can protect it from snow, ice, rain, sleet, hail, and UV damage. You want to make sure you’ve invested in a good quality tarp that is designed to keep out moisture. The wheels should also be covered to protect against the effects of UV rays and eliminate premature cracking of your tire sidewalls.

Pick a Spot to Store Your RV

Not everybody has the room on their own property to store their RV at home. If you pick a location somewhere outdoors, you simply want to make sure it’s covered and locked up. Indoor storage will help protect your RV better.

You should check on your RV periodically to make sure that there aren’t any issues. After confirming everything is ok, seal the vehicle back up until the next time. If you follow these tips, you’ll be ready to hit the road again in the springtime. Contact Reliable RV to find out more.