Prepare Your Camper for Camping Season with BlueNova Lithium Battery

Prepare Your Camper for Camping Season

Believe it or not winter, is finally here which means that it's time to wander in winter wonderland in your RV and make memories of lifetime. But don't forget to get your camper ready a week or more before your camping trip so that you have enough time to pack and prepare your camper. And wouldn’t it be great that you are all ready and leave whenever you want?

Whether you are a pro or a first timer, preparing your RV needs a lot of planning and forethought. You may think that you have a lot of cabinets and cupboards but you may find that space is limited especially during winters. Therefore, to make the most out of your camping trip follow the following tips and tricks to prepare your RV.

Book the camping spot

Before doing any preparations, book a camping spot you have in mind. Keep an eye for reservations of different sites as we know that campgrounds are booked up really fast. Most of the sites have 24 hour online reservation service or you can also call at their toll free number to reserve the spot. For you to reserve a spot you have to carefully plan your trip.

Clean the camper

Now that you have booked the campground site it's time to clean the RV. No matter where you live if your RV was not in a protective garage and was out in the elements of weather you will have to take some extra steps to prepare your RV. First of all, remove its encasement and give it a good exterior wash. Don't forget to clean the awning and roof that can be cleaned with the help of a soft brush. You can use a wash formula to clean the exterior. After that thoroughly inspect the roof for any cracked or missing caulking around the vents and seals. Check the slide out seals to ensure that there is no wear and tear and they slide out properly. While you are cleaning don't forget to clean out the gutters.

After the exterior is nice and clean, now it’s time to thoroughly clean the interior of the RV. First of all check for any rodent invasion. Use a vacuum to clean the rv. Open all cabinets and cupboards and use wash formula to clean them. Keep the doors and windows open for few hours so that air can pass through.

Check the batteries

When you have cleaned the camper inside out, you will want to test your batteries if they are working or not and what's their condition. Before hooking them back up, you should first inspect them. Look for any signs of corrosion or leakage of any kind of liquid. Tighten the terminals and check the battery fluid and only use distilled water if the fluid level is low( for lead batteries).  Check all the sides for any cracks in the battery and if there are any cracks replace them. Before hooking them up make sure they have a full charge so that they can work properly.

If your RV has lithium ion battery, there is no need to worry as they require minimum maintenance. Lithium ion batteries are the rechargeable kinds of batteries with highest energy density which makes it's charging faster, easier and long lasting. These features make the lithium ion batteries very powerful option even better than lithium iron phosphate batteries. Compared to the lead and nickel batteries they require very little maintenance. You will notice that there's no need for priming equipment and battery life is not entailed to scheduled cycling.

Lithium ion batteries offer high performance which makes it a very good option for high power applications.  As compared to lead acid based batteries they provide more capacity as they have the capacity to provide 100%DOD, 3 times greater than lead acid batteries. Their shelf life is also long because their self-discharge rate per month is very low -- around 1.5 -2 %.

If you are starting your RV camping adventures and would like to install some sort of power source we recommend that lithium ion batteries are one of the finest out there in the market. You guys can check out the lithium ion batteries offered by lithiumnova.

As we know that lithium-ion batteries slowly discharge even if they are not being used. So you have to routinely check the charge status of battery when it is being used. Carefully observe estimated end of battery’s life and if you notice that the runtime drops below 80% of the initial run time this means that it's high time you replace it with a new one.

If you check the lithium ion battery after sometime of not using it and find no charge remaining this means that the battery is damaged and there is no need to recharge or use it just replace it.

Tire inspection and maintenance

After you have cleaned the tires make sure that there are no cracks in them. Check the air pressure of the tires and inflate them. It would be best to rotate tires and grease the bearings. To enhance the longevity of tires you can use tire shiners that will help in restoring the moisture of the tire.

Documents

While on the road there are many times when you need some important documents such as vehicle registration or a campground reservations or other assistance information. You will also require your ID, driver's license, RV maintenance history document and other related documents. It would be wise to make multiple copies of these important documents and keep them in a safe and dry place.

Electronics

To start you will need a lot of adaptors, chargers, tapes lightning equipment and a generator. Remember to pack electrical adaptors for your phones, tablets, cameras. You will also require some electrical tape and a voltmeter to check your battery, extra fuses, digital line to monitor voltage etc.

Out in the wilderness it can get pretty dark during the night so be sure to pack headlamps or flashlights.

If you are planning to use a generator or you have already one in your RV make sure before your departure it is thoroughly checked. You must pack all its replacement parts and necessary cords.

Water system

Before we talk about water storage first you have to flush out the water system properly. Flush water many times until you see that only clear water is running out from the system and there are no other impurities or color in it. After cleaning check faucets and taps for leaks.

Unless you plan to do some boondocking, it is not recommended to travel with full water tank because it will add extra weight on the RV. Therefore only pack safe drinking water for the trip. Make sure that you pack water filters, high quality fresh water hose and water pressure regulator.

Toolbox

While travelling in your RV you never know what supplies you might need to get out of a jam. You will require a roadside safety kit as well as proper RV tool box to fix the repairs while on the road. The toolbox consists of all the essentials to repair and maintain your RV and many of these items are almost similar to what you find in your car or home.

So don't forget to pack the following things in your RV tool box

• Wrenches
• Pliers(needle nose and regular)
• Vise grips
• Diagonal cutters
• Hammer
• Knife
• Cordless drill
• Battery filler
• Tire inflation gauge
• Spray lubricant
• Duct tape
• Sealants
• Wheel chokes

 Propane tanks

 One of the best thing about Rving is that you can enjoy the comforts of home such as refrigerator stove and furnace that all powered by the propane tanks. So you don't want to carry faulty propane tanks that can be very harmful. Start the inspection by checking the valves, hoses and regulators. If any of them shows a sign of damage replace them and then test your stove finance and other appliances that work on propane. Don't forget to pack a propane tank gauge.

 Check alarms

To ensure your safety check carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms. If they are still working check their batteries to know if they need replacement. You must have a fire extinguisher in your RV so if you don't have one buy one. If you already have a fire extinguisher make sure that it is in working condition.

Bathroom

Thoroughly check the washroom water connection and faucets if they are working. Remember to pack black water chemicals, sanitation gloves, sewer hose and attachments. Before leaving for the trip pour tank chemicals, with toilet deodorant and water. Each time the tank is emptied refill it with treatment chemicals.