Motorhome Maintenance 101: Essential Tips for Longevity

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Motorhome Maintenance 101: Essential Tips for Longevity

Posted on June 24, 2024

If you own a motorhome, you know it's more than just a vehicle. It's your chance to hit the open road whenever the spirit moves you. It's your chance to explore the country you live in on a casual weekend. It's your home away from home, meaning you want it to stick with you for as long as possible.

At McCullough, we've been motorhome importers in NZ for a long time. Over the years, we've reconnected thousands of loving owners with their motorhomes, and we know how important it is that they can continue to travel together.

So, to help anyone new to motorhome maintenance, we've developed the ultimate motorhome maintenance checklist. Dive in to see what our experienced vehicle transport team recommends when caring for your motorhome in the long term.

 

 

Preventative Motorhome Maintenance

When we talk about preventative care, we mean any cleaning, repairs, and maintenance done to prevent small problems from occurring. Small problems can grow quickly, so keeping a close eye on the state of your motorhome is super important to keep it functional.

When it comes to preventative motorhome maintenance, the most important thing you can do is keep up with regular inspections and scheduled services. In New Zealand, motorhomes have different Warrant of Fitness requirements depending on the age of the vehicle and the type of motorhome you're driving. However, across the board, you must be driving with an updated WoF to be safe on the road. Regular inspections and services will ensure you don't come up against unpleasant surprises when it's time to go in for your WoF.

 

Exterior Motorhome Maintenance

Your motorhome's exterior protects you from the New Zealand weather system. We live in a subtropical climate with driving rain, plenty of snow, and blazing sunshine. In other words, your exterior needs to be in peak condition to last.

To care for your motorhome's exterior, we recommend regularly washing and waxing your paint to remove grime and protect it from UV damage. The sun's rays are particularly harsh here, which means the paint will age faster than normal if you don't apply wax to repel those rays.

After a trip, always thoroughly check your windows and windshield for cracks or chips. Thanks to the vibrations on the road, even the smallest crack can grow over time, and a full replacement is more expensive than a simple chip repair.

 

We also recommend that our customers do this before utilising our vehicle transport services. The vibrations of travel and transport can wreak havoc on a chipped windshield, which can be a nasty surprise to discover once your motorhome touches down.

 

Interior Motorhome Maintenance

When it comes to interior motorhome maintenance, you can almost treat it like you're cleaning your home. After all, in a way, you are!

Regularly vacuum and dust the space to keep your flooring and upholstery in good condition. As mentioned, a unique challenge for motorhomes is the constant vibration of being on the road. This vibration can create some trouble for appliances and plumbing systems, so regularly inspect these portions to prevent any major disasters while on the road. Don't forget to make sure you have a fire extinguisher on board! You never know when you might need one.

 

Motorhome Engine Care

Road trippers and van-lifers alike know the struggles of trying to repair a faulty engine on the side of a busy road. It's vital to care for your motorhome's engine. It's the beating heart of your vehicle, and as your motorhome ages, it will be more vulnerable to engine faults.

Because motorhomes typically travel long distances in between standing still for long periods, they might need brake replacements, oil changes, and coolant changes more often than other vehicles. Regularly book your motorhome for servicing, especially before long journeys, and learn the basics of checking your oil.

 

Storage and Winterisation Tips

Finally, motorhomes are not like other vehicles! They stay still for long periods, especially in winter when the idea of piling into a van and facing the cold doesn't inspire joy. For all vehicles, standing still for too long can cause issues with the engines, brakes, and even the chassis. Rust can start to build up, or old gunk can settle and create blockages that stop your engine from functioning properly.

To that end, we recommend emptying your freshwater, greywater, and blackwater tanks before putting your motorhome away for the winter. Disconnect your batteries to prevent corrosion, drain your water system, and thoroughly seal all gaps and cracks. Otherwise, a family of pests might decide to call your vehicle home!

It's good to leave about a quarter tank of petrol in to help everything stay lubricated, which we recommend when using our vehicle transport services to bring motorhomes over the water!

 

Ready to Bring Your Motorhome to New Zealand? Make It Simple with Our Vehicle Transport Services

At McCullough, we make shipping a caravan or motorhome to New Zealand a breeze. Our simple three-step car transport process ensures you'll be reunited with your home away from home in no time. Talk to us today about our vehicle transport services.

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