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Chapter I – Undercarriage
Your Open Range recreational vehicle is designed to be as
maintenance free as possible. However, all moveable vehicles require
some care to reduce the possibility of unwanted breakdowns during
travel. Maintenance of your RV may not seem necessary at the time of
purchase, yet it is very important to keep your coach in it’s best condition
for your enjoyment. Normal maintenance is required to maintain warranty
coverage, reduce wear, and prolong the life of your coach.
1. FRAME
The steel frame on your Open Range recreational vehicle is cleaned
with a high pressure phosphate spray wash that removes oils, dirt, and
residue. After cleaning the frame is placed in an oven at 200°F, high
quality, water borne paint is then applied. A final curing process is then
applied to produce a quality paint application.
No matter what quality or type of paint process is used, we must
remember that during travel the frame is exposed to stones, sand, road
debris, and any other objects found on the road. These items will cause
scratching and chipping of the paint inviting rust to begin from moisture.
Your frame needs to be inspected and examined every year to touch up
or repaint as normal maintenance. We suggest this be performed each
fall before storage to guard against winter moisture.
The paint to use is a gloss black, ozone safe exterior paint with no
fluorocarbon, in a spray can.
You may wish to purchase a commercial rust proof undercoating
treatment, such as, Ziebart®, etc. However, even such higher priced
treatments are subject to road debris and damage.
2. COUPLER (Travel Trailers)
For the ball on your hitch use a light amount of chassis grease.
Lubricate the coupler’s pivot points with silicone spray. Avoid grease
or oil as they will draw dirt, potentially
damaging the coupler.
3. STABILIZER JACKS
On item #4 (illustration), drive screw,
spray silicone is recommended to be
applied two or more times per year. DO
NOT use oil or grease as it will attract dirt
and grit causing gradual deterioration.
Should jacks become rusty you may
wish to paint them; to stay more attractive
