A pre summer checklist for high desert RV owners

Spring is the window. Wind season is winding down, the heat has not arrived yet, and anything you find now can be handled before the rig is sitting in triple digits. Here is what is worth going through.

Start with the roof

• Walk it carefully and feel for any soft spot underfoot
• Check sealant around every vent, skylight, antenna and air conditioner curb
• Look for chalky residue running down the sidewalls, which means the surface is breaking down
• Check the seams along both edges and both ends
• Look at the interior ceiling for any stain you have not seen before

Then the seals

Slide seals and window seals take the same sun the roof does and they fail quietly. Run a hand along them looking for cracking, hardening or gaps. A slide seal that has gone stiff will not close properly, and that is where dust gets in for the rest of the year.

Air conditioning before you need it

Check the filters, look at the shroud for cracks, and run the unit long enough to know it holds temperature. The worst time to find out an air conditioner is not keeping up is the first 105 degree afternoon, which is also when everyone else is calling about theirs.

Tires and exterior

Sun destroys tires that never move. Check the sidewalls for cracking and check the date codes. Covered tires last considerably longer than uncovered ones out here. While you are down there, look at the underbelly for sand packed against lines or any panel that has come loose in the wind.

Look underneath

If the rig is parked long term and has no skirting, the underbelly is going to take another full summer of heat coming off the ground and sand blowing through. That is worth thinking about now rather than in August.

What to do with what you find

Small things you can handle yourself. For the roof and the underbelly, it is worth having someone look before summer sets in. Call +1 833-698-7196 and we will come out to the rig.