RV Unpacking Tips
Imagine you’re just pulling into your home after a long excursion with your RV. Ahh, you can’t wait to unload the rig and unwind for a minute, maybe in your own wing of the house since you’ve spent a lot of time with your family lately. You may want to park your RV and head inside the house, but before you unpack all of your things and head inside, you should take some time to do some maintenance before your close up your rig for the next camping adventure.
Before you unpack from a long trip make sure to do these chores:
REMOVE ANYTHING THAT WILL EXPIRE:
Don’t close up your rig without going through the contents of your refrigerator, cabinets and freezer. The last thing you want is to forget about those left over burgers in the fridge and find a moldy smelly mess when you return for your next RV adventure. Make sure you go through your cabinets in case you forget about putting that fruit in the back.
Once you have taken out the groceries that could go bad, make sure you let the refrigerator and freezer dry out before sealing it up. If there is any condensation or ice, you will want to let it defrost and dry out, or else you will have to deal with cleaning up mold, and no one enjoys that! We also suggest keeping your RV vents open to promote airflow and keep the temperature down during the summer months, but be sure the exterior vents are covered to keep rain and water out.
Speaking of things that expire, when gasoline sits in your generator unused for a long period of time, it will do some serious damage. If you aren’t planning on using your generator for a while, and it still has gas in it, we recommend draining it or running it until it runs out of gas. It’s best to always use fresh fuel every time you use your generator to prevent breakdown and gum buildup.
CHECK THE SEALS:
After you’re done with your travels for a little while, make sure you take a look at all of the seals on your RVs windows and doors. If your RV is not garaged or covered by a roof, and it has cracks in the seal, it will allow water to seep in, damaging the surfaces and promoting mold growth.
KEEP IT COVERED:
Our best advice to take care of your RV while you’re not in it? Make sure it’s covered while you’re away. The sun is tough on RV roofs and seals, and they will degrade naturally over time while exposed to the elements.
Our last tip? It’s always a great idea to clean up after a trip by sanitizing and changing linens. Keeping a small vacuum handy will help, as well as basic all-purpose cleaners. That way, the next time you load up the RV for a big trip, you won’t need to air it out because it smells funky from all of your camping gear on the last trip!
