Escapees March-April 2019 Vol 40 Issue 5

hood and under the rig for critter nests and cobwebs. Grab your owner’s manual and follow any manufacturer-recommended pro- cedures for removing the RV from storage. Once you’re sure that you’ve covered all those bases, fire up the engine. While the engine warms up, test your headlights, brake lights, turn signals and running lights. A drive around the block will help shake off that winter stiffness and give you a chance to listen for any new worrisome noises. Hopefully, everything will sound normal.  If your rig is towable, take a close look at all hitch components. Look for rust, wear or damage and replace any items that look questionable. Clean off the old grease and re-lubricate the hitch components, following the manufacturer’s recommendations. Go ahead and hitch up, plug in your trailer lighting umbilical cord and test all those lights. Remember to manually test the trailer brakes before moving the rig down the road. A simple, nontechnical test is to slowly pull the rig forward and manually apply the trailer brakes to bring the RV to a stop. Sometimes electric brakes will grab fiercely at first after a long period of storage. This is caused by corrosion on the drum’s inner surfaces. Grabby brakes should go away almost immediately. The first few times you apply the brakes should clear up the problem. If the problem persists, have the

  Extend those steps (maybe use a drop of oil if they are squeaky) and let’s go inside. Open some windows and let fresh air in. Do a visu- al inspection of the interior, and keep an eye open for telltale signs of leaks. Discolored ceilings or paneling near windows and vents may indicate a problem that developed during storage. Open cupboards and storage areas and, again, evict any unwelcome residents (bugs, mice, etc.). Give the inside of the refrigerator a thorough cleaning.    Go back outside, open the water heater and refrigerator compartment doors and clean out any spiders or critters. Now is a good time to grab a spray bottle of soapy water, but make sure that there are no open flames or ignition sources nearby. Turn on the main propane supply valve and carefully spray a bit of soapy water on every fitting. Watch for soap bubbles forming at connections that would indicate a leak. Wipe excess soapy water off with a paper towel or two as you go. Don’t forget to sniff! If you find a leak or smell gas, immediately turn off that main valve and call a propane service person to check your rig out. Don’t take any chances

    

with propane. 

If your rig is a motorhome, do a careful check of all fluid levels, and look under the

46

   