6 Lessons We Learned the Hard Way About RV Maintenance

“If you don’t keep up with maintenance, your RV will teach you the hard way — usually at the worst possible time.”

When we bought the Sierra 3800RK, I thought, “It’s brand new, what could go wrong?” Turns out, even new rigs need constant care. Here are six lessons we’ve learned — mostly from mistakes:

1. Check Your Roof Seals Regularly
   Water is your RV’s biggest enemy. After a big Texas storm, we found a drip coming from a skylight. Now, I climb up once a month to check and reseal if needed.

2. Don’t Ignore Tire Pressure
   We blew a tire outside of Waco because I hadn’t checked PSI in weeks. Lesson learned: a TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) is worth every penny.

3. Flush Your Water Heater
   Sediment builds up fast in Texas water. After the hot water started smelling like rotten eggs, I learned the importance of flushing the tank and replacing the anode rod.

4. Keep Spare Fuses and Bulbs
   One burnt-out fuse took down half our lights during a trip. Now I keep a box of spares in the truck.

5. Grease the Slides
   A squeaky slide-out is annoying, but a stuck one can ruin a trip. A little spray lube every few months keeps things moving.

6. Don’t Wait on Small Fixes
   The little problems always get bigger. That loose cabinet latch? Tighten it before it rips out entirely.

RV life isn’t just traveling — it’s maintaining a rolling house. Do the work upfront, and you’ll spend more time enjoying the adventure and less time at the repair shop.