regular maintenance checks for your car

Nothing can bring a joyful family vacation to a screeching halt like vehicle trouble. When your vehicle is an RV, you can become stuck wherever you happened to break down, and your home away from home may be in the shop for days or longer. This predicament can be all the more frustrating if the nearby accommodations are less than luxurious.

While well-maintained RVs are often reliable, mechanical trouble can sometimes strike without warning. If you experience any of the following RV problems, you should take your vehicle into a trained repair shop as soon as possible to avoid a costly and frustrating breakdown far from home.

1. Transmission Trouble

Since RVs are such massive vehicles, they require heavy-duty engines and transmissions to withstand long hours of cross-country travel. In many ways, a motorhome is like a truck and a trailer. Since hauling trailers is one of the most stressful activities for any vehicle, it's easy to see why monitoring your RV's transmission is critical to its long-term reliability.

If you typically tow a car or storage trailer behind your RV, then it's even more critical to ensure that your transmission remains in good condition. Pay special attention to any unusual sounds when your transmission shifts gears. If you notice a problem, avoid any stressful activities (including long hill climbs) until you can have the vehicle evaluated by a professional.

2. Overheating

The same stresses that can wear out your transmission place a similar amount of strain on your engine. If your coolant level falls too low or there's another problem with the cooling system, you may experience overheating. Always treat any situation where your engine overheats as a severe issue since prolonged periods over nominal temperature can result in internal engine damage.

When your RV overheats, always check your coolant levels and refill immediately, but don't hesitate to contact a shop for an evaluation and repair. Your coolant levels shouldn't drop under normal conditions, so any loss indicates a problem. Stop driving your RV immediately and call for a tow if your engine continuously overheats even after adding coolant.

3. Brake Failures

Brake failures on a car can be dangerous, but they may be disastrous on a motorhome that can weigh 10,000 lbs. or more. A soft brake pedal, audible grinding noises, or the vehicle pulling to one side while braking can all indicate severe trouble. Never drive your RV if you suspect any braking problem, particularly if you haven't recently serviced your brakes.

Although these three repair issues can halt your vacation, recognizing them early can prevent an expensive breakdown. Always have a qualified shop repair any issue you discover to ensure enjoyable and safe family vacations.

Contact an RV repair service, like HQ RV Mobile Services, for more information.