Brian and I share maintenance responsibilities around the RV and before on our boat.  When we owned our sailboat, Brian managed the technical portion (engine, batteries, water heaters, etc.) while I managed the cleaning and provisioning.  This division of responsibility worked for us both.  And it perpetuated the traditional gender-based roles for household responsibilities we’ve known from childhood. 

In our full-time RV life, I wanted to change my way of thinking about maintenance and responsibility by gender.  Accordingly, in addition to cleaning and provisioning for our life, I take responsibility for some “guy stuff” on our coach – including bug splatter, battery maintenance, and tire pressure. 

I’m sorry if the notion of gender-based responsibility offends you.  If you want to hear me swear, ask me what I wanted to say to the man who commented, “Now there’s a REAL woman!” one morning as I cleaned the windshield of our rig.  Fact of the matter, I wish I was embarrassed to understand what his comment implied.  I’m not a gearhead.  I consider myself a doer.  Plus, I love any excuse to spend some extra time outdoors.  With the right tools for these jobs, I can very easily take care of these things for us. 

Bug splatter is a real problem.  You wouldn’t believe the number of bugs and bug splatter from a few hour’s drive on our rig.  Ok, maybe you can imagine, especially after a summer with lots of rain and juicy bugs.  I try to spend an hour or two on the front of the rig within a day or so of arrival in a new camp.  First up, is Bug Bust sprayed on the windshield and front end.  This spray loosens things up for removal.  Spray down with water.  Apply Wash/Wax and scrub with a good brush.  I use a microfiber towel from Turtle Wax to dry and remove any last bits.  Until recently, I’ve put the towel on the end of my Swiffer floor tool and have used it as an extension arm.  We recently purchased a Gorilla ladder, which eliminates the need for the Swiffer handle and gets me up close see my work.  Since I sit in the passenger seat for desk work, it’s nice to have a clean windshield.     

Next up is battery maintenance.  Many lead-acid batteries require monthly maintenance to keep water levels up and even.  Watering individual batteries can take quite a bit of time as each individual cell needs water.  The Flow-Rite Pro-Fill RV Battery Kit saves a least an hour each time.  With the system installed on our battery bank, maintenance is easy.  Just pull off a cap from one battery, insert the system stem to a tube also inserted in a jug of distilled water.  A few squeezes of the hand pump (until pressure is high making it difficult to pump any longer) and the filled batteries are good for another month.  Last time I did this, I think it took a total of 15 minutes, including pulling out the water and pump and sliding the battery tray back in place.

Last, but not least, is the maintenance of the tire pressure.  The tools we have for this include a Viair Air Compressor and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).  A day or two before we are scheduled to depart, I check our tire pressures with the TPMS.  If any tires need to have air added, I hook up the portable Viair Air Compressor to the house battery bank and start filling. Made for big tires like those on our Entegra Aspire, the system we purchased can handle pressures up to 150psi.  It takes time, but since road safety and tire pressure go hand in hand, it’s a necessary and important piece of our life.  It’s also a great piece of equipment to have with you for any RV road trip. (NOTE: both of these items are also available directly from TECHNO RV. Be sure to compare prices before you buy!)

I know that I have as much of a financial interest in our home as Brian.  I also have an interest in Brian’s time saved.  With Brian working a traditional Monday – Friday job, my efforts help maximize the time we have for adventuring on weekends.  I intend to continue to be an active participant and am thankful for the right tools to make the tasks at hand manageable for me.

In my past life as a sales representative for a wine importer, the most memorable presentation I gave was wearing all of my SCUBA gear.   What did this have to do with the wine business?  Not much about wine per se, but everything about having the right tools for the job.  And whether you’re SCUBA diving or driving a big RV around the country, you should have the right tools!

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