The Winter Doldrums

Well, its late fall now and it’s already getting c= old and it is going to get colder in the next 3 months. The Winter Solstice is around Dece= mber 20 and that will be the shortest amount of daylight for the year. It also marks the beginning of Win= ter. Remember all last Summer when it w= as warm and you were enjoying life and you said to yourself I’ve got to = get the oil changed and lube the coach ect, ect. Well now it’s cold and all t= hose things you didn’t do as well as the cold weather things are upon us.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Just a few reminders that it’= ;s wise not to overlook. While you ar= e nice and warm inside, the majority of coaches are still outside. Even if you have power and interna= l heat there are a few things you can do to make next Spring a little happier. The fresh water system should be drained. Old water, even if i= t is heated, gets stagnant and a good source for bacteria growth. This is a good time to introduce a= bout ¼ cup of clorox with some fresh water into the fresh water system to flush out a years worth of whatever. The water filter systems do not filter out bacteria, but they do get dirty and you should change them too. Your refrigerator icemaker valve is sitting just inside the outside refrigerator panel. Even if y= ou have A.C. power, if it gets down into the 20’s you run the possibilit= y of the water line and valve freezing and breaking. The icemaker valve has a 120v ac h= eater element wrapped around it, but it still can freeze and bust the valve in extreme cold. If you don̵= 7;t have the refrigerator hooked to ac and turned on, it is an absolute must th= at you turn off the icemaker water valve and disconnect and drain the icemaker lines. Some icemaker water va= lves are located under the sink and some are down by the water pump.<= /span>

Another area that is susceptible to the cold is your Die= sel or gas fuel system. Keep your= tank as full as possible, that will leave less area for moisture to condense and contaminate the fuel. Also as Diesel ages, algae will start go grow.&nbs= p; If you get enough it will clog the fuel filters and leave you sitting someplace you didn’t want to be.&nbs= p; Consider going to your local auto parts store and getting some Diesel fuel conditioner and Algicide. They also have treatments for gasoline systems.= Old wine is good, old fuel is not.&= nbsp; Its been repeated may times that you should only buy Diesel from a source that sells a lot of Diesel. Fresh fuel is better than cheap fuel.

A few reminders, you should change your engine oil , oil filter, fuel filters and cool= ant filter at least yearly regardless of mileage. Coolant filters have a pH additive= that keeps your radiator from corroding out. It doesn’t last forever. This is not an area to save money.= When you lube or have the coach lu= bed, remember if you have disc brakes you must use clay based grease. Petroleum = base grease will overheat, smoke and make a concoction just short of concrete. Not a pretty sight. Have someone do this who knows wha= t they are doing and then ask them to make sure.&= nbsp; Now is also a good time to remember that you need to lube your U-joi= nts every 6 months. Each U-joint has two grease fittings. It only takes a few minutes and it = is good insurance. While youR= 17;re under there, the rear air brake actuators also have a couple of grease fittings.

Change air dryer elements every 2 to 3 years, anti-freeze every 3 years and check your air filter. When’s the last time you had your front wheel bearings repacked? Depending on your transmission fluid it may be fine or you may need to change fluid and filters. Check your owners manual. You do remember where= it is don’t you? Since itR= 17;s dark so much of the time, check your headlights, running lights, back-up li= ghts ect. ect. If you expect that = big beast to run reliably next year you need to plan its maintenance now. If you tires are over 6 years old c= heck for sidewall cracks. Motorhome tires don’t wear out, they rot out and when it happens you will regret it. After 8 years, you’= re on borrowed time. Goodyear has a= good Recreational Vehicle Tire and Care Guide on their website(http://www.goodyear.com= /truck/pdf/rv_p.pdf). Tire life calculations begin when = they are mounted, not when they are manufactured(per Goodyear). Do you know how old yours are ? There are other systems that you m= ay or may not have that require attention. Your generator needs its oil and oil filter changed, it also has a f= uel and air filter. If you have an Aqua-Hot or Hydro-Hot or any variation, Hurricane ect. They need their burner nozzles and= fuel filters changed and the burner cleaned up.=

Remember the batteries, those square white things that y= ou put water in a couple of years ago that are covered with that cute white fuzz. If you don’t take= care of them, they won’t take care of you.

I’m really sorry if I messed up your plans to lay = back and throw another log on the fire, but if I expect to see you at a rally ne= xt year you had better start to get busy or make some appointments.=