How to take care of the mechanics of a motorhome during the winter

The vast majority of motorhomes are used only for a few spring and summer months of the year. They spend the remaining time in garages, under shelters or in guarded parking lots - waiting for the next holiday season. Unfortunately - their owners very rarely decide on pre-winter service procedures aimed at keeping mechanical components in good technical condition. The vast majority of campers spend the winter unattended.

Perfect time for service

It would seem that a few winter months of a motorhome's downtime are the best times to make all the necessary repairs and a number of other service activities. With a lot of free time at our disposal, we can confidently commission specialists to prepare our own camper for further use. Of course, we can carry out a large part of the maintenance work ourselves by devoting a Saturday afternoon.

Tasks for a specialist

Many motorhome owners forget about periodically checking the condition of the braking system and the suspension - focusing only on the engine. Drivers forget about the large curb weight of mobile homes, which affects the accelerated wear of the braking elements. Regardless of the annual mileage - it is worth carefully checking the degree of wear of brake pads and brake discs , of course, the cables should also be verified. Only after putting the vehicle on the lift (or entering the service channel), the mechanic will accurately assess the current condition of the brakes - making any possible replacements (replacing the set of brake discs and pads will cost a minimum of PLN 500 ).

A service technician viewing the motorhome from the bottom will also check the condition of the suspension components - shock absorbers, springs and springs . All damage, cracks in the casings or leaks will qualify them for replacement, which will obviously affect the improvement of driving safety . Defective suspension (including worn metal and rubber elements) in a short time will contribute to the degradation of other parts exposed to increased vibrations.

Verification of the technical condition and any repairs in the case of modern diesel engines are best left to a specialist with experience and appropriate diagnostic equipment . Replacing engine oil, air filters and fuel will cost about PLN 300 . Another PLN 100 is worth spending on replacing the coolant.

We will do it ourselves

A lot of savings will come from personal care of the motorhome mechanics. The simplest thing to do before a winter break is to wash the chassis thoroughly. In this way, we will get rid of dirt that can damage the brake discs and pads and hide the beginnings of corrosion .

Drivers with more knowledge and skills can also remove the simplest mechanical defects in the motorhome on their own. Pulling or replacing the handbrake cable will take several dozen minutes, the installation of a new radiator fan will be similarly complicated.

By investing our time and money before each winter, we can sufficiently take care of the technical condition of the motorhome. A few-hour visit to a specialist and our own work will significantly increase the service life of the mechanics that are expensive in repairs.