Grants Pass RV and Auto Repair

Are you ready to prep your RV for the season? When you begin moving into your RV and remember the clutter that got to you, it is time to think about what you can do differently this year. If you don't want to make the same organizational mistakes as last year, it is essential to start by sitting down to make an inventory list of items you have. Once you see what is in your RV, you can take a hard look at quantities. Pairing down is one of the best ways to create extra space. Do you really need 12 drinking cups on board? Take a good look at your layout and decide on a home for everything. Creating a home spot for all things small and large will help you maintain organization, even things like your fly swatter, and your keys need a designated home spot. Developing a routine is imperative to keeping things clean, organized, and in its place. Setting up a weekly deep cleaning and a light daily cleaning routine will keep your space feeling fresh, and everything will make its way back ... read more

In a regular car or truck with only four tires, it is pretty easy to know that you have a flat. With tires on your RV, a visual inspection can be deceiving. You can take a look at all of your tires during your motorhome walk around and not know there is a problem with your tire's air pressure. It is even easier to take off on your trip, not knowing that your tire has a slow leak and end up with a dangerous flat while underway. Did you know that under-inflated tires are the number one way to ruin a tire? Your RV weighs a lot, and with low pressure in your tire, the side-walls on your tire become over-stressed, and they are not designed to withstand such flexing. This over-flexing can cause the tire to overheat and eventually cause a blow-out. Do you tow a car behind your motorhome? This is the most common reason a low tire is not noticed until complete failure occurs. Installing a TPMS or Tire Pressure Monitoring System is an excellent choice if you plan to travel in an RV or moto ... read more

We, at Henderson's Line-up, came up with a list of safety tips to help you feel confident and secure when traveling in your motorhome. When we practice and prepare ahead of time by keeping these tips in mind, there is no fearful hanging onto the steering wheel with white knuckles when driving in your big rig. Feeling safe when driving in your RV is vital to driving safely and will help you avoid a crash. Know Your Tail Swing You are sure to have heard the term Rear Overhang and Tail Swing when talking up RV'ers. The Family Motor Coach Association defines tail swing as "the distance that the body of the coach behind the pivot point moves in the opposite direction of the front when you turn." Keeping your rear overhang and the tail swing your RV makes in mind when pulling into a parking lot, or making a turn can make the difference between safe travels and an insurance claim. Know How Tall Your RV Is Most RV's are between 11- and 13-feet overall height. It is vita ... read more

  How to Keep the Dark Away After the Sun Sets    Nighttime driving can be tricky in an RV, especially with poor lighting. RV’s often weigh well over 7,500 lbs; The last thing any driver of a large RV needs at night is poor lighting showing the way. In addition to asking the Lord to guide our way, it is best to take the time to head into your local RV repair shop before leaving on a trip, as they are an excellent resource for common lighting issues, spare lamps, and more.   Burned out light bulbs can happen to anyone at any time. With your daily driver, you can usually head down to any auto parts store to pick up an in-stock lamp. They are relatively easy to install in a short amount of time. With a motorhome, this experience can be quite different. Replacement lamps may not be readily available or as easy to install. It is best to order and keep on hand a couple of back up lamps just-in-case. If it is challenging tracking down the right type of lamp for ... read more

RV rallies are a great place to learn all sorts of skills that make the RVing experience all the better.  Rallies offer many opportunities to learn the ins and outs of RVing as well as provide access to vendors and the newest products and advancements available on the market.  Seminars:   Most large RV rallies will present on RV related topics such as driving, safety, cleaning, cooking, maintenance, resorts, and much more.  These are especially helpful if new to the RV community or even for the casual RVer. When attending a seminar you’ll want to check and be sure that it isn’t a product demo (infomercial). Do your research and spend your time wisely! Maintenance:  RV maintenance is often offered by RV manufacturers and related companies at most rallies.  RV companies bring technicians and basic replacement parts to rallies as a complementary service to bring in more event-goers.  Depending on the rally, RV Technicians will perform ba ... read more

It’s December, and for many of us living the RV lifestyle, you’re probably getting ready to park it for the Winter season. This begs the question:  How do you winterize and maintain your RV?  If you are new to owning a motor home or fifth wheel, there are many steps you need to take to winterize and maintain your vehicle so it’ll be in good shape by the time we reach Spring. Here is a shortlist of the items you need to take care of for proper storage maintenance:   You need to blow the lines out to get rid of all the water.  Drain the water out of the water heater. Get an annual inspection because water leaks can cause a lot of damage. Put antifreeze in there so your lines don’t freeze. Prep the exterior and make sure your roof is well sealed to prevent water leaks. If possible, store your camper inside in a climate-controlled building. Or, you should cover it with a tarp if outside.  Wherever you store it, make sure the area is ... read more

“Pay me now or pay me later” -- Mr. Goodwrench   I asked people, “If you were going to buy a house on the side of a mountain, would you want to know what the foundation was?”   Purchasing an R.V. can be likely the most expensive purchase you make outside of your house. Quite often I ask folks if they paid more money for their R.V. than their first house? Hands shoot up everywhere. So, I ask about the second house, the third house; again, hands go up. The point is made that purchasing an R.V. is a substantial investment.     I ask people “How many of you test drove your motorhome, pulled your 5th wheel or hauled your camper?” Maybe a quarter of the hands go up and that is a generous estimate! If they did drive or pull it, it was on a nice preselected route by the salesman. It was most likely not with truck passing, road construction, windy conditions, truck ruts and various bumps, bridge transitions, etc. these are rea ... read more

The weight of a motorhome, or perhaps more importantly, how it is distributed, is something a lot of RVers don’t think about. We know that motorhomes are large and heavy, and drive much differently from the passenger cars and trucks we’re more accustomed to.  But there’s more to consider. Virtually no two motorhomes built on the same chassis have the same weight distribution, and may be loaded differently. We see a lot of side to side discrepancies due to slide outs, washer/driers, generator placement, and other factors. I can recall many times weight ratios have been off. When we first got started at Henderson’s Line-Up, I remember working on a GM P32 chassis that drove great and the customer was happy. The next day, we worked on the same chassis for a well and pump service company, and it didn’t turn out so well. We wondered, why? Two of the exact same chassis, yet each had different results. We hate unmet expectations! And that’s when we rea ... read more

At Henderson’s Line-Up, inspections are a big part of what we do every day. Unlike passenger cars, which are fairly easy to have inspected, (or even to inspect yourself if you’re so inclined) trucks, trailers and motorhomes are large and heavy, and have a number of different suspension/brake and steering systems depending on the make/model. In addition, RVs tend to cover a lot of miles—and owners aren’t often inclined to perform regular inspection/maintenance while they’re enjoying life on the road. Below are some pictures of owner’s trucks and trailers from a recent Heartland RV rally. You’ll likely be surprised as they were at how close some of these rigs came to serious damage, even disaster while on the road. If it’s been a while since your rig has had a once-over, now is the time to book an appointment at Henderson’s Line-Up as the busy travel season comes to a close. Inspection is FREE at RV events and rallies, and at our shop ... read more

  It’s a question that faces many RVers at one time or another: Truck and fifth wheel or motorhome and dinghy vehicle? Each has its advantages and liabilities, which we’ll explore in detail here. The first and most important question is, how do you travel? If you like to keep moving, spending only a night or two at each location, a motorhome/dinghy is probably the best solution.  Generally speaking, motorhomes have a larger, more comfortable cockpit than pick-up trucks, and usually ride more comfortably, too (Class A motorhomes in particular). This is an important consideration if you plan to do more touring than camping/park living. Motorhomes are also better for traveling families, as the kids are not confined to the back seat of the truck and can watch TV, snack and use the bathroom conveniently while on the road.  Once at your chosen destination, you can pull into your site, deploy the leveling jacks/slides (if equipped), hookup and you’re pretty ... read more