Prepping your RV, BBQ, Boat for Summer

The BBQ

No one likes grilled mouse… at least no one we know. Nevertheless, spiders, insects and mice love nesting in covered areas, and they can cause plenty of problems with your grill, like uneven/inadequate heat, a yellow flame accompanied by the smell of gas, and popping noises from the burners. If you notice any of these, turn the grill off immediately and check for spiders and other pests.

Clogged tubes can cause a fire beneath the grill. After a period of non-use, make sure to inspect all burner tubes and valves before grilling again. It’s a good idea to clean these tubes once a month when spiders are more active in your area.

Here’s how: Unscrew all the hoses, and swipe the openings with a pipe cleaner. Clean away any web or nesting material. Compressed air is great for this.

You probably need no reminder, but make sure to clean up any rodent droppings before your next cookout. If you do happen to find these in your grill, be sure to spray and wipe it thoroughly with disinfectant before even thinking about cooking food in it.

Keeping pests out is always easier than cleaning them away. Get grill covers for your Grill to reduce its critter accessibility.

Other fun stuff to do:

1. Check Your Hose for Gas Leaks Using Soapy Water

2. Give Your Gas Grill a Proper Cleaning

3. Check for Spiders, Rodents & Insects

4. Measure the Fuel Level in Your Liquid Propane Tank (always have a full-back-up available, use your instinctive Kanban)

5. Try a Test Run for Safety

6. Prep your grates by warming up the Grill and wipe the grates with oil, turn on high and let simmer for around 15 minutes

You also may need some Grilling Toys:

• Metal tongs

• Metal spatula

• Meat thermometer ( I personally love my Thermapen)

• Grill brush

• Cooking spray

• Heat-resistant cooking glove

• Aluminum foil for making steam/smoker packets

• Fire extinguisher

Are you ready for the camping season?

The warmer weather is just around the corner, and we could not be more excited! Besides packing your RV with S’mores kits and bug spray, you need to make sure it’s safe and ready for this year’s adventures. We’ve put together some tips to help you enjoy a safe and worry-free camping season. Tips for prepping your RV: Prepare your water systems If you used anti-freeze for the winter, you will want to clean out the water system. Check for leaks first, and then run fresh water through the system until there are no traces of antifreeze to ensure you have safe, potable water.

Check your tires Checking your tire pressure is an essential part of getting your camper ready. Tires lose some of their pressure during the winter months. Also, inspect the tires for tread wear and cracks in the sidewalls.

Test appliances Turn on the stove and oven to ensure they are working. Be aware that both appliances may be difficult to light at first, so be patient. Next, turn the fridge on, place a water bottle inside, and wait for a day or two to ensure the fridge is cooling. Test both the A/C unit and the furnace as well.

Inspect the propane system Propane leaks can be very dangerous. Open the valves to smell for leaks. Make a soapy mixture and put it in a spray bottle to test for leaks around the valves and regulator. The soapy mixture will bubble if there is a leak. If you find one, call a professional or take it into an RV shop for service. Fill your propane tanks.

Check your detectors / batteries / extinguishers The beginning of the season is a good time to ensure your smoke alarm, carbon monoxide detector, and fire extinguisher are all in working order. Replace batteries in detectors every year.

Your RV is considered your second home, so it’s important to protect it like you do in your house. Whether you own a motor-home, fifth wheel, trailer or camper - review your insurance policy to ensure you have the right level of coverage against accident-related damages, theft, vandalism and liability.

The Boat

Depends on what kind of boat you have you will most likely know what you need to do before starting your adventures.

To avoid that Sinking feeling, check and double-check that your seacock is installed. From personal experience, I cannot emphasize just how important this simple task is and how it can be easily overlooked.

ENJOY YOUR SUMMER SEASON!!!

But if you are relegated to having to stay in your driveway because you could not secure a park site or boat slip you can still pretend. Contact us and we can supply you with translucent vinyl images you can apply to the windows to make it like you are almost there :-)