Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 02-19-2022, 08:21 AM   #1
RVCalypso
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Gilbert, AZ
Posts: 211
Blog Entries: 1
Preparing Minnie Winnie For 5 Month Trip

With all of our upgrades completed during fall and winter, now it is time for maintenance. One advantage to not having slides, electric steps, or hydraulic jacks is we don't have to maintain them. In preparation for a good wax job, I started out with a thorough was at Blue Beacon Truck Wash. I will be using rubbing compound first on the front fiberglass cap then wax the whole rig. That front cap always takes a beating and oxidizes badly. On my way home from Blue Beacon, I stopped at Discount Tire to have my tires inspected. The tires are dated 2016. The service tech scanned the treads with an app on his phone and examined the side walls. He said they are in pristine condition, rating 4 of them a 9 and 2 of them an 8. He commented that a brand new tire would be an 11 and replacement should be considered at 4 or below. I suspected the battery was bad, it would get difficult to start after a month of sitting. I actually had to use the booster once. I called AAA Battery Service and had them come out to the house. They tested the battery and it was bad so we replaced it. I personally like to use national chains for batteries and tires in case there is ever an issue while traveling. Next on the list was to replace all the batteries on the TPS sensors. Next week will be an oil change and examination of hoses and belts. The generator was serviced in August and I run it under load monthly. Any other suggestions would be welcomed.
__________________
2016 Minnie Winnie 25B (No Toad - Rad eBikes)
2006 Gulfstream Ultra Super C
2004 Fleetwood Prowler AX6 38' 5ver
gurroz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-2022, 04:48 PM   #2
Winnebago Master
 
powercat_ras's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Manhattan, Kansas USA
Posts: 1,315
- Chassis lube of all the zerk fittings

- Bleed brakes if not been done since new

- Check all running lights, turn signal lights, brake light bulbs

- Headight low beam bulbs, if original, they are much dimmer than when new, replace with Silverstar or Silverstar Ultra

- Confirm parking brake is working well

Depending on the miles driven ...

Brake inspection and service if needed
Air filter
Spark plugs
__________________
Randy - Manhattan, Kansas
2015 Vista 27N
2020 Ford Escape Hybrid
powercat_ras is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-19-2022, 06:36 PM   #3
RVCalypso
 
Join Date: Dec 2019
Location: Gilbert, AZ
Posts: 211
Blog Entries: 1
Powercat_res, thanks for the insight. I forgot an important one I did today, changed the batteries in the smoke alarms.
__________________
2016 Minnie Winnie 25B (No Toad - Rad eBikes)
2006 Gulfstream Ultra Super C
2004 Fleetwood Prowler AX6 38' 5ver
gurroz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-02-2022, 08:11 PM   #4
Winnebago Owner
 
71_340's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: ST. Robert, MO
Posts: 187
I would change all the fluids, including transmission, brakes and differential.

As far as your tires are concerned, they are six years old. No matter what the tech determined with his phone app (sounds rather questionable to me) they are still six years old......you are taking a big chance here. One blowout will be a lot more costly than a new set of quality tires now. Not to mention the possibility of having a major accident.
__________________
2019 Forest River 2400R MBS

Retired "Quiet Professional". Lifetime HSUS and ASPCA member and supporter.
71_340 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2022, 06:51 AM   #5
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Posts: 3,574
I'm not saying you should replace your tires but, since you're considering it, make sure you're looking at the economics in a sound way. They're six years old and, according to one tire shop, in good condition.

Let's assume the replacement cost is $2,400 ($400/tire). It's easy to think that you'd be "wasting" $2,400 by unnecessarily replacing them now, but you're not. Realistically you'll probably be replacing them in one to two years anyway. Assuming everything is linear, at one year early, you're foregoing one year of useful service at a cost of $2,400/7 = $343. At two years early, you're giving up two years of useful service at a cost of 2 x $2,400/8 = $600. Since the older the tire, the greater the risk of failure, it's likely things aren't totally linear which would decrease these numbers.

The question is whether or not a $343 to $600 expense is worth the piece of mind that replacing now would bring.

Plus, there's no harm in getting a second opinion on their condition. In doing so, I'd let the inspector know that you're primarily interested in potential failure as opposed to tread wear, which probably isn't a big issue. I don't know, but suspect that the condition rating is based on a sum of points for each factor. You may find that you have a relatively high amount of remaining tread which is skewing the condition ratings higher that what's relevant to your situation. You could also ask Discount Tire to adjust their ratings as well.
__________________
Bob C
2002 Itasca Suncruiser 35U
Workhorse Chassis
BobC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-03-2022, 08:38 AM   #6
Winnebago Master
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Elk Grove, CA
Posts: 3,574
I should have mentioned that, in my analysis, I've assumed that the expense of replacing tires now won't break your budget. Nor have I tried to factor in the effect of inflation on the cost of tires in one or two years.
__________________
Bob C
2002 Itasca Suncruiser 35U
Workhorse Chassis
BobC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-10-2022, 10:58 PM   #7
Winnebago Owner
 
Join Date: Jan 2022
Posts: 222
"Nor have I tried to factor in the effect of inflation on the cost of tires in one or two years."



I'd say that is a good point. Tires are going to increase faster than inflation considering what the ingredients are.

I'd guess you'll save money replacing them today rather than waiting a year or two, even if they don't cause an issue in service.
BarryLS is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Preparing for Winnie 26T Longhorn Welcome Mat 2 10-08-2021 09:24 AM
Toilet leak in middle of 8-month trip Red Sky Plumbing | Systems and Fixtures 1 08-23-2021 07:51 AM
One month later - 2021 Micro Minnie MaggieD Winnebago General Discussions 1 10-24-2020 11:23 AM
Unlimited Voice, Data, Messages on Verizon LTE for $ 40 per month powercat_ras Tech | Toys and Gear 0 06-27-2019 09:35 PM
Freightliner 24 month air filter??? jerichorick General Maintenance and Repair 101 09-26-2013 05:39 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Winnebago Industries or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:10 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.