RV Maintenance Is a Nightmare When You Live in One (Here’s Why)
Here’s a headache you can’t ignore as a full-timer.
We have never experienced the misery of termite treatment in any of our houses, but it’s the only thing I can compare to having maintenance work done on your RV when it is your home. We were overdue for a complete checkup on Big Red, which we call our motorhome. The list was lengthy, including an oil change and fuel filter replacement. With a time-consuming job like that, an overnight stay was required.
What’s not a big deal for the average three—or four-times-a-year RVer is an absolute headache when you live in your rig. It’s a bit more complicated when you have a pet. Once in Florida, we had to get out of our motorhome for repairs, and we were lucky to find a pet-friendly hotel within four miles of the service center.
The closest mechanic with a great reference was 24 miles away this time. That meant we had to be sure we got everything we might need from the RV. Thankfully, our good friends Bill and Sandy are on an RVICS project and offered us their single-wide home to stay in. Their place is only three sites away from ours, but I managed to get in 15,000 steps making the move.
If you’ve had an RV for any time, you know that stuff happens. I was sure to pack extra supplies in case something was discovered during the maintenance that needed attention or, God forbid, a part that needed to be ordered.
When you’re a senior, just the basics require a lot of effort. I had no idea I took 15 supplements every day. As if packing up for me and Tommy wasn’t enough work, Paddy, our cat, had to be considered.
We remembered that he did okay in the hotel in Florida, but he is older and set in his ways. He hates change of any kind. To be on the safe side, I put his outdoor catio assembly together in the middle of our friend’s living room to keep him in a contained area. I hadn’t put it together for months and was out of practice.
I wasn’t sure which groceries I would need from the fridge, so I pulled out both of my full crisper drawers to put them in the empty refrigerator at Sandy’s house. I could have made fewer trips if I’d loaded up the car with the bags of groceries and the crisper drawers, but I wanted to get in my daily 10,000 steps, so I dragged my wagon full of goods back and forth. I’m sure the neighbors thought I was nuts.
I am glad I suggested we move the day before we took the motorhome to the repair shop. By the time I was done transporting all our stuff and our cat and getting us settled in our pal’s house, it was 2:30 p.m. I started the move around 9:30 a.m. after taking my neighbor’s dog for a short walk and having breakfast.
I should mention that I’m also battling my third round of the nasty flu that has afflicted many of us here at the Village. Thank goodness Tommy is finally on the upswing. He’s been on medication for almost a week. The bug kept him down for three weeks before he made an online doctor appointment.
Paddy was a trooper. I didn’t open his catio so he could come out until I got all our stuff into the house. He wandered around, acting like he was curious but comfortable. However, he never ate any food, including his treats, and that’s unheard of. He never used his litter box, either. He slept with us all night, which he never does at home.
The fabulous news is that we are back in our home. While playing cards, I mentioned not having heard anything from the mechanic. I finished my statement with, “I guess no news is good news,” and Tommy’s phone rang. The fabulous man on the other end of the phone said that everything was taken care of and that we could pick the RV up that evening or wait until the following day so they could recalibrate it.
I don’t understand the whole recalibration thing, but it involves running the engine at full revving capacity for some time. We were delighted to leave it overnight and let the mechanics handle the job. I was too tired to see straight. Tommy picked up dinner for us from our favorite Mexican restaurant. I debated heading to bed at 8:00 but managed to stay up until 9:00. I may have dozed off in the recliner. 🙄
It was raining when we picked up Big Red at 8:30 yesterday, but thankfully, it stopped when we got home. The first thing we did after setting up was get our boy and bring him home. He was SO happy to be in his house. We felt the same way. It was good to be home. We are so blessed to have this wonderful place to call home when we’re not traveling.
I was smart this time and loaded everything into the car, making a couple of trips to bring our stuff back to the RV. After setting up our place, I tidied up the house and washed the sheets so our friend’s house was ready for the next visitor. Bill and Sandy usually spend six months of the year in Australia visiting their kids, and they are always gracious about sharing their home with anyone who needs it.
I managed to get in my 10,000 yesterday without taking the neighbor’s dog for her daily walk. I made an extra trip up the road to see Midnight, the cat I’m feeding for another friend, to get in some additional steps. She was happy to see me, and like Blackie, the dog, she’s more interested in getting love than her treats. God has blessed us so much here and uses us to bless others.
This post began by sharing one of the rough things about living in an RV full-time. But I will end it by telling you that my husband and I can’t imagine life any other way. Next week, we will drive our home on wheels to a Campers for Christ rally in Brazos Bend State Park in Needville, Texas, just south of Houston. We'd love to see you if you are an RVer and want to join us for some awesome fellowship, worship, and daily pot-blessing meals. Reservations are always free. Check out the details here. Genesis Chapter Winter Rally 2025.
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