Things You Should Never Do with Your Motorhome

If you're like us, chances are you could never really afford to buy that motorhome anyway, so now you have a whopping 15-year loan on a depreciating vehicle. Since you are committed for a while yet, you want to make sure you keep your motorhome in tip-top shape.

Learn from my mistakes, and remember these are things you should never do if you want to take care of your motorhome!

1..Never leave the awning out on a windy day. Hopefully my husband will never read this article, because he is not aware that I left the awning out during a massive windstorm. When he does find out, I will have roughly $1500 worth of explaining to do.

2. Do not drive with the emergency brake on. Parking your motorhome on an uneven campsite is definitely a call to use your emergency brake. Just remember, when you leave the campsite to release your brake. If you do hear a squeak and realize the motorhome isn't driving the way it normally does, don't wait until it's time to stop for supper before you figure out why.

3. Never, ever, leave the TV antenna up. It is tall, bridges and trees are short. No more needs to be said.

4. Remember to always empty your black tank. It's not a pleasant job, but it's one that is absolutely necessary, even if there is not much in there. Flush it out also with fresh water to clean it. If you neglect to empty the tank and add necessary chemicals to dissolve said "stuff" in there, you will find that in time you wind up with brown cement. This is expensive, because no one in his or her right mind really wants to replace a septic tank.

5. Always start up your motorhome when not in use. Yes, it's true. You need to occasionally start your motorhome if it's going to be sitting for a while, even in the winter. Three deep cell batteries later, I have had three earfuls and tongue-lashings from my dear husband, who constantly needs to purchase more batteries.

6. Never move your motorhome through a wet lawn. This was not a fun adventure for me. We store our motorhome near the garage, but to get to the driveway you need to drive across a patch of grass. Take my advice; do NOT drive a huge vehicle that ways an awful lot across a wet lawn. It WILL get stuck and it WILL be very difficult to pull out unless you have someone with an extremely large tow truck that likes to charge a lot of money. Not only that, but you will have a ruined lawn for several years where the tires sank about a foot and a half into the lawn.

You can enjoy your motorhome for many years, and chances are you're going to have to because no one wants to buy a motorhome anymore with gas prices as high as they have become. Make sure you take care of your motorhome, and don't make the same mistakes I've made, unless you have an incredibly patient spouse!