Repair and Refits For an RV

RVs, or recreational vehicles, are popular across the United Stats to do exactly that: be a fun and mobile way to visit campgrounds. An RV offers a lot more features than even a large tent, and they have solid walls and many utilities that one may expect to find in a house. On top of that, RVs are totally mobile, and some are hitched to powerful tow vehicles while others are motor homes (they drive themselves). RVs vary in shape and style, and many of them have slide-out compartments that add extra room on the inside. This may be done to expand the size of the living room or the bedroom, for example. But as with any other piece of hardware, RV repair may need to be done, both on the outside and inside of the unit. This may range from collision repairs to finding new parts to buying used parts on the aftermarket. What should an RV owner keep in mind about RV repair?

On RVs

It is typically middle-class households and married men who own RVs, and this has been the trend for some time. However, it should be noted that RVs may become more popular with younger buyers now and in the coming years, and a similar trend is playing out for cars, boats, houses, and other large purchases. Those young adults of the Millennial generation, born 1982-1995, are now old enough to afford major life purchases, and that includes RVs of all sorts. Marketers and retailers are taking note of the Millennials’ spending habits and preferences, and this may reshape markets such as real estate, automobiles, and RVs in the coming years.

RVs can be either towed or drive themselves, as mentioned earlier, meaning that they have a lot of hardware for travel. Even though some older adults choose to live in their RV full-time and keep it parked in the same location for a long time, all RVs are built to move. They will have tough wheels and axles under them, sometimes as many as six or eight wheels total based on the vehicle’s weight. In fact, some RVs have a back garage where dirt bikes or ATVs can be stored and deployed from a ramp. Those RVs tend to have a lot of wheels to support all that weight. In any case, RVs are used on regular American roads to reach campgrounds, so they must be built just right. Their wheels can handle long treks on paved roads, and these RVs will of course have fully functional brake systems. A motor home will drive itself, so the driver can treat it like a bus (since they are a similar size and weight). Towed RVs, meanwhile, need to have consistent braking with the vehicle that is towing them, so they tend to have electronic brake systems plugged in to the towing vehicle’s own brakes. The RV will apply its brakes at the same time as the towing vehicle, and with the same timing and pressure. Any of these systems may call for RV repair.

Getting RV Repair Done

RV repair might be needed for the inside or outside features on an RV. On the exterior, the brake or wheel systems may be impaired, and this can make the RV unsafe on the road. If an RV wobbles, rattles, or brakes strangely, the owner is urged to hire experts to look it over and diagnose the problem. And in the case of motor homes, the steering system’s springs may be faulty. In a motor home, the steering wheel shifts the front wheels to the left or right, and springs help provide resistance and return those wheels to the neutral position. If this self-control system is compromised, this can make the motor home difficult to control, and that could lead to road accidents.

The interior may need repair, too. Like in a home, the water utilities may suffer if water freezes and expands in the pipes, causing cracks and leaks, and a gas stove may leak too. Or, the electrical components may short circuit or come loose, and squirrels may break in and chew wires. These must be fixed, or else features such as the refrigerator, microwave, electric stove, lights, and entertainment system will not work.