Your RV sits more than it rolls, and that’s exactly why it needs love. Most folks dream about the open road, the campfires, and the freedom of RV life, but nobody tells you about the preventative maintenance that keeps those dreams from turning into service center nightmares.
Josh the RV Nerd just dropped a 43-minute masterclass on keeping your home-on-wheels in tip-top shape, and we’re breaking down his wisdom into bite-sized chunks you can actually use. Whether you’re a full-timer or a weekend warrior, these tips will save you thousands in repairs and countless hours of waiting. Plus, you’ll actually get to enjoy your investment instead of watching it collect dust in “RV jail.”
1. Check Your Tire PSI Like Your Life Depends On It (Because It Kinda Does)
Before every single trip, you need to check your tire pressure. Driving over the tire’s rated speed limit and improper inflation are literally the two most common causes of flat tires in towable RVs. But here’s the kicker—most RVers don’t even know where to find the correct PSI rating. There’s a DOT-required sticker right on your RV (usually on the front driver side) that tells you exactly what your factory tire PSI should be.
Don’t make the rookie mistake of just reading the max PSI on the tire sidewall. That’s the maximum the tire can handle, not necessarily what your RV was engineered to ride on. Some RVs are designed to run slightly lower for better ride and handling.
According to the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA), tire failure accounts for approximately 15% of all roadside RV emergencies. Proper tire maintenance can prevent most of these incidents.
Here’s the thing—you’re driving around with a literal house on wheels, and those little rubber donuts are the only thing between you and disaster. Spend five minutes checking your PSI, or spend five hours waiting for roadside assistance. Your choice.
2. Your Battery Is Probably Why Nothing Works (And You Don’t Even Know It)
Over 80% of perceived electrical issues are just a result of a low battery, according to Bish’s RV Fix service. That awning that won’t extend? The jacks that won’t deploy? The slides that stopped sliding? Before you panic and start Googling “RV repair near me,” check your battery voltage.
Here’s what most people don’t realize: many RV battery disconnects don’t actually completely disconnect all draw off that battery. Your RV has a “freaking crap ton” (scientific term) of parasitic load on it, even when everything appears to be off. A small solar package—even for “pavement princess” campers—can keep your battery topped off during storage and extend its lifespan dramatically.
Fun fact: A common flooded lead-acid battery can only use 50% of its capacity to begin with. Every time it gets completely depleted, you lose capacity off the top end. That’s why people think they need new batteries every couple years when proper maintenance could make them last much longer.
You wouldn’t let your phone die completely every single day and expect it to last, right? Same principle applies here, except your RV battery costs a lot more than a phone charge.
3. The Pre-Trip Checklist That Separates Pros From Amateurs
| Component | What to Check | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | PSI, dry rot, wear patterns | #1 cause of roadside breakdowns |
| Lug Nuts | Torque (90-120 ft-lbs typically) | Prevents wheels from literally rolling past you |
| Battery | Voltage, terminals, connections | Powers emergency brakes via breakaway switch |
| Pigtail | Bent pins, corrosion, scorch marks | Communication between truck and trailer |
| Safety Alarms | Smoke detector, CO detector | Literally life-saving |
| Propane | Turn on, test all appliances | Find problems at home, not 300 miles away |
Josh spends 15 minutes of his video on pre-trip checks alone, and there’s a reason for that. Finding a problem in your driveway is annoying. Finding it after a 16-hour drive to your dream campground is a vacation-ruiner. Do the work upfront, and you’ll thank yourself later when you’re roasting marshmallows instead of calling repair shops.
4. That Breakaway Switch Battery? Yeah, It’s Legally Required
Towing without a battery on your RV is technically illegal. Why? Because if your vehicle and trailer disconnect (and yes, it happens), it’s the battery that powers the emergency brakes through the breakaway switch. No battery = no emergency brakes = a runaway trailer situation nobody wants to experience.
Transport drivers sometimes skip this on local runs, but that doesn’t make it a good idea. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, proper trailer brake systems reduce accident severity in separation incidents by over 70%.
Imagine your trailer detaching at highway speed with no way to stop. Still think skipping the battery check is worth the two minutes it saves? Didn’t think so.
5. The Stove Burner Trick That Bleeds Your Propane Lines
Here’s a pro tip most dealerships won’t tell you: If your RV’s been sitting a while or you just changed propane bottles, turn on your stove’s front burner and crank it up to full blast. That front burner typically has twice the output of the rear ones (9,000 BTUs vs. 4,500 BTUs), making it the best way to bleed air out of your propane lines.
If the flames are spitting and sputtering, that’s actually good—you’re getting the air out. Keep it running until the flame burns clean and steady. Then your water heater, furnace, and other propane appliances will light up without issues.
You know what’s more fun than troubleshooting a water heater that won’t ignite in 40-degree weather? Literally anything else. Do this simple trick, and you’ll avoid that particular brand of c