If you look in your RV Owner’s Manual, you will probably find places where it recommends conducting annual maintenance on various components in your recreational vehicle. For example, climbing up on the roof to inspect all the penetration points includes checking: vent fan covers, AC units, plumbing vents, antenna mounts, ridge rails, front cap, end cap, etc. The list goes on and on…and that is just for the roof. Plus, do you even want to get up on the roof of your camper? Climb that ladder that feels like it was made from aluminum foil? Of course, you don’t. That is just ONE of the annual maintenance recommendations. RV Shepherd provides Annual RV Maintenance services in Vero Beach, Melbourne, Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie, and the surrounding areas.

Let’s talk about yearly cleaning recommendations. Many people don’t even think about their Air Conditioning unit until it starts making a funny sound or stops working completely. Did you know that an annual cleaning can make a big difference in your AC performance? Dirt, grime, moss, etc. gets stuck in the cooling coils affecting the AC unit’s ability to transfer heat. Leaving that unattended in the hot Florida summers can lead to bigger problems. Annual cleaning for campers in Melbourne, Port Saint Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, and the surrounding areas does more than just make it look good. Removing the air conditioning shroud (that plastic cover on the roof) to conduct a cleaning provides an opportunity to quickly inspect two major components on the unit to see if they are working well. Cleaning clears off the debris that can be blocking air flow across the coils to keep your inside air nice and cool. Not only cleaning, but RV Shepherd can also straighten many coil fins to restore much of the heat transfer process. Every square inch of coil fins that are restored adds ¼ degree of efficiency back to the air conditioning efficiency. Basically, your AC works better, cools better, and can help it to last longer.

BUT WAIT!!! There’s more!

Who likes to take hot showers? Did you know your RV water heater should be flushed out once a year? Many RV parks have terrible water. I don’t know why. Maybe it is well water that has little to no filtration. Hard Water is common in Florida and may be present in the water lines servicing your RV in Port Saint Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, and Melbourne areas. Those water sources over time leave sediment in your water heater. That sediment causes all kinds of problems over time and could eventually cause a malfunction in your water heater preventing it from operating properly or even breaking. Flushing the water heater tank clears out that debris and gives it a new lease on life. Just like annual maintenance on the air conditioning, this annual maintenance provides an opportunity to check a few things. An RV technician can get a look at the inside of the water heater tank and check the condition of the tank plug. Some water heaters (some not all) use an anode rod. That rod also needs to be inspected to see if it is ready to be replaced. The only way to check it is to empty the water heater. Again, this type of annual maintenance helps your water heater work better, heat water better, and can help it to last longer, giving you plenty of warm showers and hot water.

BUT WAIT!!! There’s more!

If you’re looking at yearly maintenance in the spring, you probably are not thinking about the furnace in your camper. It is spring. Time for sunny days, hiking, walking, laying in the sun, getting that summer tan ready to go. It is not a time people typically think of their heater. Especially in Vero Beach Florida. But now is the perfect time to consider your RV furnace. For one, you’re not counting on it. But when winter comes and you need that heater in the cool evening, that is not the time to figure out it isn’t working. Annual maintenance verifies it is working and takes measures to help it work better. An RV technician from RV Shepherd will inspect your heater and do a little cleaning. Vacuuming out the intake and exhaust ports for the burn chamber will help keep that furnace working at tip top efficiency for those harsh winters in Melborne, Port Saint Luci, and Fort Pierce.

BUT WAIT!!! There’s more!

We love a cold beverage on a hot day. We also love steak, seafood, chicken, and other food items that require refrigeration to keep from spooling. One of the most overlooks and neglected items in an RV is the refrigerator/freezer. Like many items in an RV, we don’t think too much about it until it stops working. One day it is keeping everything cool, the next we find our favorite ice cream thawed to the consistency of a glass of milk. The good thing about yearly maintenance is the intentional plan to check the parts of a refrigerator that we never look at, the back side.  Part of RV Shepherd’s annual RV maintenance is inspecting and cleaning the cooling coils, electrical, and mechanical parts of your recreational vehicle’s refrigerator. Sorry, we don’t clean the interior of your refrigerator where your old moldy food is growing like a science project. But what we do on the outside will help to keep your refrigerator operating a peak performance. We’ll also measure the temperature inside the refrigerator and track that from year to year so you will know if your refrigerator is starting to show signs of aging. We want to keep your RV refrigerator in Vero Beach, Melbourne, Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie, and the surrounding areas in tip top shape.

BUT WAIT!!! There’s more!

Annual maintenance is not just about the roof and the appliances in your camper, it also includes slideout seals. During our yearly checks, we will condition all your slideout blade seals to keep them flexible and operational. The slide out blade seals are the “flapper” style seals that flip out to hug the side of your slideout when it is extended. Those seals keep the rainwater out and the conditioned air in. This is another one of those jobs that require a ladder and some patience. You have a recreational vehicle so you can relax. The last thing you want to do is climb up on a ladder all the time. RV Shepherd does this for you so you can stick with relaxing and enjoying your time. Plus, you want to keep all the cold air in your RV for those hot summers in Vero Beach, Melbourne, Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie, and the surrounding areas.

BUT WAIT!!! There’s more!

Part of our Annual RV Maintenance package is inspecting and testing all your life safety detectors. Smoke detectors, Carbon Monoxide detectors, and LP Gas detectors. These small devices are essential to safe living in a recreational vehicle, whether that is vacationing or full time living. These detectors can literally save your life. Why not have them inspected and tested every year by a professional?

BUT WAIT!!! There’s more!

Every RV inspection, including annual RV maintenance, includes the performance of a LP leak check. This inspection element verifies the integrity of the LP gas system. We want to keep the LP gas in the tanks and in the lines until it is used at a burner. A leak at any point could spell disaster for the occupants and/or the RV itself. Better to be check and have peace-of-mind than to risk catastrophic failure due to neglect.

BUT WAIT!!! There’s more!

During the performance of our annual RV maintenance, we also inspect the condition of each tire. We check the pressure, the tread, the sidewalls, and look for any wear patterns. We check the fluid levels in the batteries. We inspect the engine oil fluid level, the coolant level, the transmission fluid level. If your recreational vehicle is equipped with a generator, we will check the oil and coolant in that as well.

As you can see, the Annual RV Maintenance performed by RV Shepherd is through, it is necessary, and it is useful. Call today to schedule your yearly maintenance checks today. Call now (772)773-MyRV [6978]. We serve Vero Beach, Melbourne, Fort Pierce, Port Saint Lucie, and the surrounding areas.

Annual RV Maintenance Overview:

CLEAN AND CONDITION:

Clean AC (Coils and filters)

Clean Furnace (burn chamber and intake and exhaust ports)

Clean Refrigerator (cooling coils, mechanical and electrical components)

Flush Water Heater (extra charge for anode replacement)

Condition Slideout Blade Seals

SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL CHECKS:

Check Smoke/CO/LP Detectors

Perform LP Leak Check

Check Tire Pressure and Evaluate Tire Condition

Check Battery Fluid Levels

Check Motor Fluid Levels (oil, coolant, transmission)

Check Generator Fluid Levels (oil, coolant)