According to the Car Care Council, an advocacy group based in Bethesda, MD, accidents caused by improper vehicle maintenance cause $2 billion worth of damage every year. In addition, the cost of potential breakdowns, expensive repairs and reduced resale values make taking care of your RV well worth the time.

Most owners’ manuals provide a suggested maintenance plan for your vehicle, allowing you to create a simple calendar to ensure proper maintenance. To help you understand why these inspections and services are important, we’ve chosen the six most common recommendations and created the “What to do, why you need to do it, and how much it could cost if you don’t” guide.

Oil and filter change: Oil circulates within the engine to keep pistons and other parts well lubricated. When the oil becomes full of external contaminants (mostly dirt), it loses its ability to keep your engine operating efficiently. Since engine parts move at high speed, there is a lot of friction, and a lack of lubrication can cause the metal to wear down and eventually break into pieces. If this happens, you may need to replace your engine, which comes with a hefty $10,000 price tag. Changing your oil and filter often is the most important aspect of RV maintenance and will go a long way in preventing costly repairs and maintaining the value of your vehicle. The normal range for an oil and filter change is 3,000-4,500 miles, but check your owners’ manual for your manufacturer’s recommendation.

Service generator: It’s critical that you service your generator at the intervals advised by your manufacturer. In general, change your generator filter and oil every 100 hours of use, the fuel filter every 300 hours and the air filter every 500 hours. Ignoring these intervals means the generator works much harder, potentially reducing compartment fluids and costing you between $5,000 and $9,000 in repairs. When your coach is in storage, run the generator a minimum of four hours per month. If you don’t, a gum and varnish build-up will occur on the carburetor, which could result in a $400 bill.    

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Replace air, fuel, coolant and hydraulic filters: A clean air filter helps keep impurities out of the engine so it can operate efficiently. However, it’s equally important to change your fuel, coolant, and hydraulic filters at their suggested intervals as well. Not doing so could cause damage costing upwards of $2,500 from increased fuel usage, overheating issues with the cooling system and oxidization in the hydraulic system.

Inspect roof seals and seams every 6 months: If you’re not experiencing a leak, it’s easy to overlook the need to check your seals. Water damage on the inner walls can cost more than $2000 to repair, so even if everything is dry right now, take the time to inspect your roof seals and seams.   

Brake inspection: Brakes that fail are a danger to you, your family and others on the road. What many people don’t realize is that bad brakes can also lead to reduced gas mileage and damage to the brake pads, rotors, wheel sensors and calipers. This damage could lead to a $2,000 repair bill for a motor home and $500 or more for a trailer.

Annual refrigerator maintenance: Ignoring the maintenance recommendations on your refrigerator can be a triple threat. A broken fridge is often discovered when you realize  that icy beverage you wanted is lukewarm, an experience both disappointing and frustrating. Then, you have to deal with the expense of repairing the fridge, which can cost upwards of $1,400. Finally, you’ll spend money to replace all of the food as well. Check your owners’ manual and follow the maintenance recommendations for cleaning drip pans and coils and regular defrosting. It will be time well spent.

With summer kicking into high gear, it’s time to really enjoy your RV. Whether you’re traveling to visit family and friends, see new places or just want to spend time on the open road, relaxing will be much easier if you know you’ve performed all the recommended maintenance.