If you weren’t a truck person pre-RVing (I wasn’t) you may have become one to begin RV-life & now need to know how to keep your family on the road & avoid breakdowns. If you are full-time in your RV, these will be needed much more frequently than usual from logging more mileage after frequent long drives. Here are some basics & tips I’m learning from a lot of googling!
- Pre-flight Checklist: before leaving on your trip
- Check fluid levels: oil, coolant/radiator, transmission, brake, power steering
- Inspect your brakes: usually keep above 1/4″ (you can often hear them start to squeal if they are warn down to their wear-indicator)
- Verify tire pressures: tire-specific, but many are capped at 80PSI at full load (see your tire’s side-wall for details)
- Check your tires: need to keep above 3/32″ tread
- Fuel (diesel/gas) – search for ‘truck stop’ at 50% tank (searching at 50% ensures you’re not too far away, and truck stops make big rig fill-ups easier with their extra maneuvering space that normal gas stations lack)
- Engine Oil – change every 5k miles (track your mileage at each change – ex via sticker on inside windshield)
- Oil filter – change every 5-10k miles
- Air Filter – replace every 15k miles
- Exhaust fluid – refill as needed – usually every 3-4x full-tank diesel fill-ups (most gas stations have DEF – Diesel Exhaust Fluid – in boxes inside and truck stops sometimes have it at the pump)
- Truck tires – replace below 3/32″ tread (usually starts around 10/32″ or more new)
These are relatively common thresholds, but check your vehicle’s manual in case yours has different needs!