Warm weather awaits us,

[Lakota Wolf]

Ok, fellow Rv'er's and RV-ettes,,,,

Its getting close to that time of year,,, Yup. I'm talking about the season called NOT WINTER,,, (Thats the term for the folks who live in the Northern snow and cold states). An example would be,,Michigan,, which has 2 seasons,, Winter and Construction,, Other states follow that motto also. As Springs creeps up on us,, we are all feeling that *itch,,,

Ok,, to clarify,, The itch to hit the open roads and camp grounds,, not the itchy's between the toes,(If you have that,, you should wear shower shoes at the camp ground showers).

Some of us have been fortunate to get out and tinker a little (or a lot), on our Big Boys toys, But as winter slowly starts to calm down,(hopefully soon). That ansy feeling to get out there and get our hands dirty,, tear something apart,, bangs some nails, screw in some screws, align brackets, apply sealer,(No silicone). Wash Wax and Polish,, paying extra close attention to the chrome shiney's and bling blings.

Now, Being a full timer,, I dont really have to worry to much about getting ready for a road trip, other then the pre-pre-pre inspections,before hitting the road, (I mention the PRE several times because I will be going through my handy checklist, Which is a must have when you get old,That Oldtimers syndrom can get ya.) And while going through my checklist and decifering the scratched out and rewritten directions,BTW have been written in Crayon,, I was told I can't use the sharpener anymore on my ball point pens.And the clicker on my #2 pencil doesnt seem to work. (right about now your saying huh? ) Anywho.... for those who have had their Rigs stored and closed up for the winter,,, Don't be alarmed when you open it up and get a good wiff of,, *WOW its been awhile stink. Some would compare this stink to a pair of gym socks left in a locker for 2 years. To guys,, its really not that bad,,, we are tough,, we survived flauntulence from our buddies on hunting trips with the windows rolled up. But to some of the wimminz folk,, it can be a dry heave type moment. But a note to the guys,, you can score major brownie points by going in their first and sprinkle some baking soda on any carpet or runner,, and putting some on small plates, or butter container lids,(a guys version of tupperware). and let it sit for a day or 2. I do not recommend using cheap spray air fresheners,,, it may smell all purdy for a minute or two,, but it can also put a dent in your manhood around your buddies, when they smell fresh flowers stink purdy waffing through the air, Thats equivlent to having pink frilly tassles on your Harley.

Its also a major plus to open all the windows,,, as long as its not raining and you plan on washing the exterior. (side note,, It is NOT a good idea to wash the interior of your RV with the garden hose,wash bucket and a sponge, and Power washers are out of the question,, Don't even think about it,).Not that I have thought about it . Next,, open all your cabinets,, and if you live in the country and your rig was parked next to the barn and not opened for a bit,,, You need to dress full commando,, Yes,, that means, camoflage pants, shirts, steel toe 32 lace high boots,, hunter orange vest and cap.. Have your 10 guage shotgun ready at hand as you enter the RV for the first time. You have to be prepared for any and all rodents. I have heard horror stories about those pesky carpenter ants and ear wigs.  Now Im not saying,, use your shotgun to rid these pests,,, the shotgun is only for visual effects,,,Your wife will be pleased your being extra safe, With all your cabinets open, you can take a peek inside and look for rodent evidence or water leakage damage.

If your up in the mountains and find a family of Bears sleeping in your rig,,, don't panic,,,, just step back outside, close the door gently,, walk over to the wife and tell her you have a better idea,,,, Lets go RV shopping.... we need a newer/bigger one anyway. And to really butter em up,, tell them, hopefully find one with a washer/dryer,dishwasher,auto align sattelite and self levelers. Maybe throw in a 52 inch flat screen, you know,, to keep up with the weather channel and HGTV. BUT,, nothing brand new,,, nope, nadda,, ferget about it... the older the better.. Thats cuz they are built way better,,

or as the old man down the road a ways would say,,, Mo-Bedda.

After you do a full recon of the interior and its in useable condition,, do your outside checks,, vents,exhausts,storage, etc. Some wasps will go dormant in the winter just to wake up and be a little cranky.. They love the bumper storage box,where your waste hose goes,, they also like exhaust vents on water heaters and furnaces,,, and especially under the ball mount on the hitch. If you have a propane bottle cover,, they like that area to, along with barn sparrows. Hopefully you was smart enough to park the wheels up on pads or boards,, because having them sink in the mud, and freeze and thaw and freeze and thaw,, makes them kind of sink deep and do quite a number on the tread and sidewalls. Check your Show power connector,, even if it was stowed in a compartment,, for corrosion. and dont forget the fresh water hose connection,, corrosion likes those threads to.

This is also a good time to check your waste hose that you put away in the bumper storage. Pull it all the way out and see if it got crunchy-fied,, meaning it froze beyond recognition,, which is usually cracks and splits... Nothing is worse then getting to a campsite,, hooking it all up, and on your first drain,, you irrigate the surrounding landscape with un-approved fertilizer. In a precheck before heading out,, always add water to your 2 waste tanks,,(some only have one),, filled about half to 3/4 full with water and check for tank leaks,, plus your rinsing it out... do the same with your fresh water tank also, and sanitize it.

Two good fills with some bleach added does a good job... just be sure to flush it out a couple times, a little bleach residue isnt going to kill ya.

So,,,,,,,, as the warm weather gets here,,,get your list out of things to do,, and start checking them off,,,and in no time,, you will be humming down the road to your next adventure.

P.S.   It took me a bit to print this out,, I had a heck of a time scrapping all that dried correction fluid off my screen.

[Rich Thomas]

Good wright up Lakota, there's really a lot of good advice with some humor thrown in.