Great video! Ed - great point about damage to Runaways. As an owner of two Runaways, plus doing my Runaway Camper videos (with over 1.5 million views) - I get comments from people who complain about water damage with their Runaway and they blame Runaway. But, as Ed shows, damage can occur on the highway, and if not caught with the owner's needed due diligence with THEIR maintenance responsibilities, missed damage WILL lead to water infiltration. Ed's floor would have been waterlogged this summer as they travel here and yon up north. That is a guarantee and he would have no one to blame but himself (and the hazards on the road that caused the damage). The same is true with checking the caulking along the edges - ignore that responsibility as an owner, and eventually you will have a leak. But over and over, on Facebook and RU-vid, people whine about an issue with their Runaway and they blame Runaway, instead of looking in the mirror. I always say - you do repairs on your house and car as normal maintenance, but somehow with your Runaway, you expect it to remain perfect and NEVER need inspection or repairs! People - just about everything wears down (how are your knees today?) and needs maintenance. Sorry for the rant, but it is just unreal what some people think and do concerning their Runaway. And if you are buying a used Runaway - REALLY inspect every inch of that camper for poor maintenance or unknown damage like Ed just found from aa highway hazard incident. The new fiberglass Runaways take away the worry of wood damage since there its no wood, but you still need to inspect your Runaway. I feel better now Ed! : )
Great tip on car code reader. Had a warning light on engine come on when I was picking up my brother from the airport. We went to a local Pep Boys bought a code reader and got a code. We looked it up and it was about the gas cap. We replaced with new gas cap and knew it was ok to drive home. Have a great trip!
20:05 holy cow... so glad you talked about the bouncing on the highway!! Going thru Wisconsin on the interstate, I’d say it was actually bucking!! 😩😑😳😬😖I will definitely be taking that tip and letting a bit of air out of the tires THANK YOU, super informative!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks, Ed. I passed on your video to my husband. We don't own a Runaway but we do have a van. Neither of us is mechanically inclined so that little gauge would be a big help to us. Thanks so much for the tip. We look forward to seeing you on the road someday!
While you have the wheel off the ground hold the wheel at the 12 and 6 position and the 9 and 3 position and see if you have worn bearings if you get movement. Never use a cheap air gauge. Never run too low of air pressure … it creates heat. Always check pressure when tires are cool. I carry a Rigid brand hand held portable cordless air compressor, it sets the pressure at a predetermined perfect pressure. Buy Goodyear trailer specific tires with a high load rating, even on light trailers an E rated tire is better … stronger sidewalls and stronger belts equals less flats, or blowouts. NEVER EVER NEVER EVER BUY CHINA BOMB cheap tires! That was an EXCELLENT TIP about checking and cleaning that ground point. Most electrical problems are caused by loose, corroded , or dirty grounding points, or connections. Thanks 👍 video. P.S. Never leaving home without Jesus is GREAT advice.
Thanks Ed! Preparing to hit the road this summer so we're going over the camper this weekend, appreciate the tips! Common sense maintenance goes a long way. Glad you were able to patch the damage, no major repairs!
Thanks Ed!!! Very helpful information. I paid a tire shop to grease my axle the last time and it needs it again but I have not had a chance to deal with it. They charged me less than $40...which is reasonable as the a couple of RV shops I called wanted $200...which is insane. Everyone keeps telling me how easy it is to do but I just needed to see it. Now that I have seen it done I plan to do it myself in the next few weeks and also replace my tires soon as well.
Good share. Flex Seal tape is tenacious. Regarding the ground strap, the trailer and tow vehicle share ground through the hitch, too. Technically, you don't need the ground strap.
Thank you for making this video. I have been on the road for couple months w my Range Runner... approx 3700 miles of touring, including bad roads/ National parks. I’ve gotten underneath to inspect things and all looks good, but I was wondering if I needed to lube the axle yet? ( it’s brand new, this is the first real road trip for her) Sounds like I can wait... but watching this did prompt a question: Because you took the wheel off to grease the axles, does that mean you have to check the... I think it’s called torque? - which I believe means the tightness of the lug nuts😬? ( sorry, retired nurse here, not a mechanic lol) every 50, 100, and 500 like they make you do at the tire shop? Thanks in advance for your help! PS I was thinking after this trip I’d like to treat the underbody with that truckbed liner paint stuff... glad to see it done on another Runaway.... would it matter if it got on those bolts that attach the axle to the frame?
We lube the axel once a year so you should be good and yes you need to check the torque. A good thing to do is do a walk around every time you get gas. Safe travels!
Thank you for your video. My future plans is to buy a Runaway and trying to learn everyone's experiences and tips. Glad to find so many people's videos on RU-vid with their Runaways. Do have a question for you. I know the materials have changed for the newer Runaways but the under carage area that you showed. Is that still plywood base or is that changed as well. Still keeping your maintaince tips in mind but wondering on the new building materials. Appreciate your time and feedback. 🙏 Jessica
