Pre-Departure Maintenance Checks

When you head out on a trip in your RV you look forward to the sights and scenery along the way, and to the fun you will have when you arrive at your final destination. Nothing will ruin all of the fun and adventure quicker than an unexpected breakdown.    There are three basic types of maintenance for your RV, preventive maintenance, scheduled maintenance and emergency maintenance. The lack of preventive maintenance and/or scheduled maintenance will eventually result in emergency maintenance. If you don’t check the air pressure in your tires (preventive maintenance) the under-inflated tire over heats and prematurely fails resulting in emergency maintenance.  There are pre-departure safety checks and pre-departure maintenance checks you should make on your RV prior to leaving on a trip. Today we are going to concentrate on some of  the maintenance checks you should make before hitting the road.  Check all fluid levels: a      Engine Oil: Automotive wise this is perhaps the most important PM check you can make. Check your engine oil on a regular basis. Add oil as required, but do not overfill. Consult your owner’s manual for the type of oil to use. Have the oil and oil filter changed at manufacturers service intervals.  b.      Transmission Fluid: Transmissions in motorhomes and tow vehicles get worked extremely hard. Transmission fluid cools and lubricates the transmission. Checking and maintaining the fluid will extend the life of the transmission. Follow... Read more

Improving Today’s RV Features

RV manufacturers are always coming up with new features and components each year on their products. But, it seems they never make any innovative changes to improve their existing hardware.  So let’s look at several items that could use some innovative design improvements. Read more  Read More →

Trailer Sway; Part 2

In last week’s article I talked about what trailer sway is, and I ended the article by listing some of the most important items associated with trailer sways. This week we want to discuss some of the ways to help control trailer sway based on these causes for trailer sway. Read more  Read More →

Trailer Sway; What It Is & How To Control It

A  few weeks ago I was contacted by Jose Adauto de Souza, who lives and works in Brazil. Adauto is a Petroleum Geologist/Geophysicist close to being retired. Since 1978 he has been a camping enthusiast, starting with tents, then a pop-up, travel trailers and now has a Class A motorhome.  (I have been through the same RV progression, and around the same time frame as Adauto). Read more  Read More →

Tow Guides – Available online and/or for download

Whether you are in need of a truck tow guide or a dinghy towing guide, we have got you covered! Simply register (it’s free) for the following: Annual 2009 Towing Guide presented by Trailer Life Magazine and Ford 2009 Annual MotorHome Magazine “Dinghy” Towing Guide (.pdf download)  Read More →

Are U Haul Rental Trailers/Companies Safe?

It seems like every time I turn around I read about an accident involving a rented U Haul trailer. The trailer started swaying and the driver didn’t know what to do, the vehicle was under-rated for the loaded trailer weight, the tire came off while traveling down the highway, or the safety chains weren’t connected. It makes one wonder if U Haul trailers and the companies that rent them are safe. Well, recently I had the opportunity to experience the trailer rental process first hand. Read more  Read More →

The Pit Falls of Trying To Get RV Technical Advice

So just where do you get reliable technical information? Correct information, like what kind of oil to use, operational procedures, acceptable variances and like practical tips.  Is it level first then slides out, or is it the opposite?   Should I store my RV with the jacks down or should I not? The questions seem straight forward enough, and you would think it should be relatively easy to get good correct answers.  Well, guess again.  Welcome to the “my opinion club”.   In many cases, regardless of who you ask, you get their take on it, not necessarily the right or best answer. This applies, in many cases, to even those that you may think trustworthy.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard “And that came from Monaco themselves” (Fill in any manufacturer as it applies to all others equally).  My question, so who exactly is Monaco themselves?”  Well, it’s a service writer, a technician, a salesperson, or other employee of a factory service or sales center.  Perhaps in some cases it is an employee or owner of an authorized dealer.  None of these people are necessarily automatically qualified or equipped to answer all, or perhaps many, of these queries. So where can you get the most actuate information? Probably first, what is found  within your manufacturer’s manuals.  Additionally, and perhaps the “Trump card,” is any attached labels found within the RV.  While manuals can be relied on... Read more

Product Highlight – McKesh Towing Mirrors, Still #1

Towing mirrors aren’t just a good idea, they’re the law. In fact, if you check the laws in 50 different states, you’ll find that they all have little variations. Be sure to check your own state laws before buying your trailer or next set of mirrors. There are websites with the regs for all 50 states listed, but it’s best to check directly with your own department of motor vehicles. Often, the “one stop” information on the web is outdated. A good rule of thumb is: If you can see a car that’s 125′ (about 7 car lengths) directly behind your trailer, you’re in good shape. But also make sure your mirrors are stable, meaning they don’t vibrate at highway speeds. McKesh Portable Towing Mirrors are designed to accommodate all state and Canadian province regulations. Extending out to 20″, with large 6″ x 9″ mirrors, McKesh mirrors offer more visibility than any towing mirror on the market. Add the optional convex mirrors and increase your range of vision even more, especially in those toll booth lines where the guy in the Accord is trying to squeeze by on your passenger side. McKesh mirrors are made of rugged steel and virtually vibration free. They strap onto your vehicle’s door in just a few seconds. Thick padding prevents marring the vehicle finish. The mirrors are removed with one push of the small catch next to the strap knob. On and off in a few seconds. McKesh mirrors are available direct from the... Read more

GM truck handling upgrades

For those of you that follow my posts, you may have noticed that I have been gone from RV.Net for a while. For reasons both personal and professional, I haven’t had the time to sit down and write anything, and for that, I apologize. The good news is that business has been picking up at Henderson’s Line-Up and SuperSteer, and we have a lot of exciting news to share. First and foremost, we are in the process of developing a new website that is much easier to navigate and will feature our own blog page, where you can come in, sign on and post questions or comments (I’ll still be posting here, too).  The new site will also feature an e-store, where you can purchase our products directly. The site is literally days away at this point, and as soon as it is up and running, I’ll be sure and let you know. We also have our new catalogs in, and a supplement that covers our product line designed specifically for trucks. These will be available for free download when the site is completed, but in the mean time you are welcome to call and ask for one, and we’ll mail one out. The new supplement has many new products in it, such as our SS 28559 tie rod for ‘01-current GM 2500 and 3500 series trucks (shown here). The stock tie rod in these applications has a tendency to bend or even break under extreme conditions, such has heavy loading, off-road driving, or both. Our new tie rod offers numerous improvements to the stock part. First and foremost, it is a full... Read more

FLASH: PREDICTION OF AN ICE FREE NORWAY

By Bob Difley A highly placed government minister in Norway predicted that the country would be ice free by 2015. This was enough, even to those that believe global warming is taking place at an unprecedented rate, to make them cringe. And you could hear the skeptics falling off their chairs in shock. It wasn’t until Finance Minister, Kristin Halvorsen, explained at a recent alternative fuels and vehicles exhibition in Oslo, that her proposal was to ban the sale of ICE-only (Internal Combustion Engines) by 2015 that brought order back to the assembly. Halvorsen’s plan allows hybrids with IC engines, but stops the sale of conventional IC engine vehicles. She also called for the development of hydrogen and plug-in electric vehicles. Though Halavorsen explained that this was a realistic goal and the climate crisis problem would have to be solved after the financial crisis has been turned around, there was little chance that her goal would be achieved since she belongs to the minority party of Norway’s three-party coalition and the simple fact that Norway’s economy depends on the export of petroleum. However, a smaller country leaning in that direction may have influence on how much effort and development funds vehicle manufacturers will be willing to invest in continuing development of ICE-only vehicles. And with every automobile and light truck manufacturer scheduling hybrid and electric vehicles to hit the market in the next couple years, it... Read more

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