Pro Tips

That's right, now that we've been living in an RV for a few months we have extensive experience enough to offer tips from 'professionals'!  Not really, but here are a few things we've learned along the way:

#1

The little incandescent light bulbs that come with your RV will burn out in about a week. (only a slight exaggeration).  So plan ahead and buy about 20 LED replacement lights (we ordered ours online) and you'll be good to go!

#2

If you feel your door latch getting sticky, OIL IT! Or just replace it before it breaks. This is apparently a common issue with latches, which need to be replaced every 5 years or so, so get ahead of the problem (especially if you have a large dog that will need to be hoisted through the front vehicle doors and/or a motorhome 
with no alternative entrance).

#3
Use dry spray lubricant on the slide outs - sides and bottom. 
No need to buy the much more expensive spray made specifically 
for RVs. WD-40 brand makes the exact same thing.

#4

Before you leave, stock up on 1-2 tubes of these THREE types of caulk:
A- Self leveling lap sealant for the roof
B- Proflex RV sealant for the sides & edges 
C- A high quality clear caulk for just about everything else inside. At some point, everything will get wet and will need to be sealed/re-sealed. I've resealed counter tops, the shower, etc. I also recommend using a varnish sealant for things like cabinets where they meet the floor (that stuff peals like PAPER when wet) and front countertop edges.  

#5

Rotate your tires! This is a definite must-do every 5,000 miles or so. The front turn tires get much more wear on the inside than the outside, and you can double the life of your (very expensive) tires by rotating them. Include the spare tire into the rotation as well. We realized our spare was almost completely flat when we needed it! If you happen to have a tow dolly, rotate those guys as well. 

#6

Pack extra dolly clips if you are using a tow dolly. We've lost so many I can't keep track!

#7

Packages. If you live full time on the road, or even part time, chances are you'll be ordering things to be delivered to your park. Keep in mind, USPS and UPS will not ship to a lot of parks. Check with the manager before ordering and always put the name of the campground in your shipping address. Some places will even have a PO Box # they need you to use. We've had a lot of issues with packages being mis-delivered or not delivered at all.

#8

Get rid of your stuff. Now, this should really bit tip #1, and seems quite obvious, but stuff really has a way of sticking to you and not wanting to leave. Case in point; we put our second car in storage for more than a year and it was a pain to try to get rid of it after the fact. So please do all the 'getting rid of' BEFORE you go!!

Do you have any RV pro tips? Comment below!