Guest Post Authored by Rosemary Mancillas, Magna owner and one of the many Country Coach owners I call "friend". The following article was originally printed in the former Country Coach, LLC magazine in 2005. Thanks, Rosemary for writing such a wonderful resource.
A Full Timer's Maintenance Primer, Part 1 by Rosemary Mancillas
I hate housework. I don't like turning a screwdriver or using a drill. I am not into building things or breaking them down, unless it is the written word. I hat oil, grease and battery acid. These are all good reasons to have a spouse-right? (Smile...we all have to have a purpose in life.) Some of my friends are nodding their heads right now because they have been trying to encourage me to "find someone." I am a widow for 12 years now and I have one "man" in my life (my poodle Sasha) and he would not appreciate sharing my attention with another male. But after three years of full timing in my 2000 Magna there are a lot of things I have learned from experience, reading and numerous seminars at Country Coach rallies that I will share with you here.
Just like a stationary home, prevention can save you beaucoup bucks. "Time is money"--the more time you spend on maintenance and attention to the big and little things, the less money you will have to spend in the long run. (That is the theory anyway.) I must admit that my initial expectations for maintenance costs were much lower than the reality. I have learned over the years that "you get what you pay for." I prefer not to skimp on preventative maintenance and I am not a "do-it-yourselfer."
Maintenance can be broken down in several categories-dialy, pre-flight (before a trip), and regular chassis and engine requirements.
I live fulltime in and drive a 2000 Magna. The newer coaches will have some differences; however overall maintenance is fundamentally the same. (I make no claims to the completeness or accuracy of these brief recommendations, since there are variations from model to model and year to year. If in doubt, read your manuals for your particular details or contact the vendor.) If all else fails, take the coach to a professional. I find my way back "home" to Junction City once a year to let Country Coach technicians and CAT technicians do important repairs and chassis maintenance. I do not trust just anyone to touch my coach. They are always my first choice for repairs if I am not across the country somewhere. Otherwise I rely on other owners for service center recommendations....There are also the Cummins Coach Care service centers in various locations around the country. Individual vendors will have factory service reps they can refer you to and are usually very good at troubleshooting problems, saving time and money.
Daily (parked) or "Pre-flight" Checks:
Since I have not one to divide my labor with, I have to spend much more time on pre-flight maintenance and it takes me longer to get on the road. But I just picture some catastrophic failure when I am tempted to skip something and I twist my own arm to leave late if I have to or stop sooner. There is a lot to cover, so some of these items will be very brief. Some might be "old news" to experienced drivers, but some may just need a refresher. If you have a SilverLeaf that monitors many of these things, it still might be safe to check the "old way" on occasion.
It pays to keep a watchful eye on your gauges--the inverter/charger, leveling system and electrical panels as well as the tanks, watching for anything that is out of the normal or safe readings.
1) When parked or at a rest stop, look to see if there are any leaking fluids under the wheels, engine or chassis and examine the tires (tow car connections and tires, too).
2) When your day of traveling is over, check your transmission fluid level with engine running and coach level. There is a simple procedure using the transmission shifter panel, simply press both arrow keys together twice to get a readout on the display showing that the oil level is "ok," or hi/lo followed by a number in quarts.
3) Also at the end of the day's drive, it is recommended to purge air for about 10 seconds so moisture will be removed from the air system. This will reduce the risk of damage to braking/suspension valves and airbags from freezing moisture in the system. A large piece of clean paper laid on dry ground beneath your purge valves will show up any moisture that is expelled. The purge valves are located behind the front bumper on the passenger or driver side.
4) Check your brake and turning lights on the coach and on the towed vehicle. Tow connection contacts may need cleaning. If the brake and turning lights have removable lenses, take them off and clean them every now and again. You will discover burned out bulbs and dirt that makes the lights dim.
5) Check the hub oil level on your front and tag axle before driving.
6) Check the engine oil on a regular basis just like a car. (I have never needed to add oil, but I do carry it.) Make sure the coach is level. Check the oil level with the engine "off."
Hot engine: Wait at least 10 minutes after shutdown. Cold engine: Check it before you start the engine.
7) Do a visual check of the engine serpentine belt. Check to see the "belt tensioner" is in the "green' and make sure the belt is tight, not frayed or damaged.
8) Do a visual check of hoses and clamps for leaks. (Hint: Change all your standard worm style hose clamps to spring tensioned hose clamps.) **I will pause here for a public service announcement. Impress your friends and co-RVers in those maintenance seminars and most of all impress your technicians--
Read Your Manual for specific detailed information, schedules for chassis or engine maintenance and correct fluids to be using. Believe me, after you have read it about 10 times, I guarantee you still won't remember it all, but you will know where to look for important infomation in a hurry. I use neon "Post-It" notes to mark important pages and I write the topic on the note sticking out to find it more easily. On more than one occasion a knowledgeable technician udes the schematics to make the repairs. I saved time and money by being able to lay hands on the schematics that were needed.
Tires:
I think tires require the most vigilance of all maintenance items. On most of the new tag axle motorhomes, weight is not usually an issue. But on older single rear axle models, your fully loaded weight has much to do with tire safety.
Learn about weight issues!
1) Have your coach weighed on all four corners if possible and get the axle weight specs and obtain the tire specs from your tire manufacturer, use the formula to determine the correct air pressure for your tires under those loads. I will not go into detail here because there are worksheets available from the tire manufacturers for determining the correct air pressure. You just have to plug in the values and do the math. Although you previously heard recommendations to have your coach weighed on all four corners to get an axle weight, then to obtain the tire specs from your tire manufacturer, and using a set formula to determine correct air pressure for your tires under these loads, I recently consulted the team at Country Coach on the subject. I learned that this practice above which is called 'air to weight' is no longer recommended by the tire manufacturers or Country Coach. The current recommendation is 'air to placard' which means airing the tires to the pressures indicated on the federal tire tag inside the coach. However, weight still is a pertinent issue so you do not exceed the axle rating of the motorhome.
Another important rating stamped on your tires, that many owners are not aware of is the "maximum speed" rating. It more than likely says 65 mph. Excessive speed can contribute to tire failure and apparently reduces the "tire load carrying capacity." So the next time I see one of you passing me at 75 and 80 mph on Interstate 10, I will assume you did not read my article and warning. It is really worth risking a blow-out at 80 mph and being responsible for harming yourself and some innocent travelers on the road? Slow down and enjoy the ride. You have precious cargo. Faster drivers have the use of the left passing lane to go around you.
2) Check tire pressures every day you are driving. Tires should be "cold." (67 degrees ambient temperature is the benchmark for your "ideal" required air pressure.) For every ten degree drop in air temperature, tires lose a pound of pressure and vice versa. Keep the same air pressure across the axle and equal air pressure on duals. I have a "SmarTire" system that monitors the tires, but I still like to check them occasionally against a gauge to be sure it is reading correctly. I do recommend a tire monitoring system for peace of mind. Tire blowouts are not fun hurtling down the highway at 65 mph with the momentum of a 40,000+lb. motorhome. The newer systems can also monitor your towed vehicle.
3) Protect tires from deterioration, dry rot and sun damage while parked for any length of time. When driving, additives in the rubber are released that help protect them, but when parked it is necessary to cover them with vinyl tire covers as well as UV treatments like "Aerospace 303." Sitting in water for long periods of time can also cause deterioration. (Do not use any petroleum based surface treatment products.) I had to order custom sized tire covers, but I figure my safety was worth the expense. It is foolish to use cheaper covers that leave three inches of tire exposed to sunlight. Russian roulette anyone? Always keep your tires properly inflated when parked for longer periods of time.
HINT: "303" is also recommended for a roof protection treatment and all the external (exposed to sunlight) rubber gaskets on the motorhome slides, etc. Some people also recommend talcum powder on the slide gasket. I guess that will work when in storage, but not so well on the road.
I spoke with one wonder who purchased a used coach that the previous owner swore was stored inside a hangar (in the sunny southwest) and they had three blowouts on their initial trip, while their granddaughter was in the motorhome. 'Nuf said?
4) Check into having your tires "siped" by a reputable (truck) tire dealer that has a siping machine. Truckers do it for additional traction on slippery, wet surfaces. It involves adding additional "cuts" in a tire to give more area for water to be displaced. Les Schwab Tires/Bob Dickman Tire Center in Junction CIty installs SmarTire and does siping.
It is not recommended that you use valve extenders on your dual tire valves. They can vibrate loose or a failed O ring can leak air causing under-inflation, overheating, and tire failure. One tire rep thought they might have caused most of the blowouts he saw on inside duals with extenders. An alternative is a screw-on "ball-spring or flow-through valve cap" (truckers use them too) and a Haltec straight line air gauge and air chuck. Talk to Les Schwab, they have theirs or can direct you to the manufacturer.
5) Tires should be replaced when they approach five years of age regardless of tread depth. Period.
6) Tires can be rotated from side to side and also inside out. 20,000 miles was one recommendation.
7) Tire alignment needs to be checked by a recommended specialty shop if you have made changes in your load, had suspension work done, or notice uneven tire wear.....
TO BE CONTINUED IN ANOTHER POST.
