Maintaining Used Motorhomes

It is essential to keep your lights in perfect condition whatever the time of year.

Although your used motorhome probably has less use in the winter months, there is always that time when you may need to use it.  It is in these darker nights and shorter days that you need your lights in tip top condition.

Light failure or light defects can be very dangerous, especially if your lights fail at night or they begin to flicker and imitate an indicator.

So for a few minutes of your time, regular checks can be made before most journeys, especially long distance trips.

Inspecting your lights

First and foremost make sure the engine is ticking over while you are testing the lights, check for dim lights or faulty bulbs.  Dim lights signal that the battery is not powering them correctly and this could be down to faulty or dirty battery terminals. If by checking the terminals they are clean and tightened correctly, your next task is to get a car electric specialist to test the battery and the alternator.

Using a second person in the motorhome check every light, including indicators and break lights.  Whilst checking the break lights and indicators make sure they both have equal brightness.  If you find that some lights are brighter than others this could be down to a faulty earth which can be easily fixed by cleaning the connection points.

On occasion you will see an indicator flashing faster than the other, this is usually due to a faulty or blown bulb.

Used Motorhomes are prone to electrical problems as they are usually left for long periods of time unused.

If you find actual damage to the light casings they must be fixed as soon as possible to prevent moisture entering the fixing, which will short out the lights.

It is a legal requirement to have all of your number plate lights working.  If you have two lights and only one works this would fail the MOT.

One area that would need a specialist is checking the headlights positioning.  Although many can be adjusted up and down automatically it is essential that they are pointing at the correct height and position to prevent danger to other drivers.

Always try these simple maintenance jobs before paying for a specialist to look at the used motorhome.