Pre-trip Checklist Before taking your Country Coach out on the road, it is important to perform a visual inspection of some important coach items. Let’s take a look at a few items that should be on your Pre-trip Checklist. Beginning on the outside, make sure the headlight low and high beams are working and clean, along with the turn signals, brake lights, and all other exterior lights on the coach. Inspect the wheel lug nuts to make sure they are all securely fastened. Check the tire pressure, and visually inspect each tire, looking for bulges or cuts. Don’t forget the inside duals. Turn off the gas valve on the LP tank to disable all of the gas-powered appliances, except the refrigerator which can be operated electrically. Check the storage bays to be sure that all items are adequately stowed, and verify that all of the bay doors are closed and secured. In the engine compartment, check the engine oil, coolant, and transmission fluid levels, adding the appropriate fluids as necessary. While in this compartment, inspect the engine for obvious wear. Since belts and pulleys age with use, check them on a regular basis and before any trip. Look for cracking, fabric rupture, cover tears, worn sides, excessive stretching, or lumpiness. Take a quick look around for any evidence of fluid leaks from hoses, fittings, or gaskets. Inside the coach, close all roof vents. Secure all the pocket doors, cabinet doors and drawers, and clear loose items from the counters and tabletops, stowing them as needed. Always make sure that the refrigerator door is securely closed. Simply close the door until you hear a click. Turn off the power switch to the awnings. Verify that the leveling system is in the travel mode and that the coach is at proper ride height. Make sure that you travel with a basic safety and road emergency kit, containing flares, triangle, spare fuses, and spare lamps. Also, after you are packed and ready to go, it’s a good idea to review the driver’s switches, gauges, and controls. Lower any roof-mounted antennas. Check the hitch receiver tube to see that it is securely pinned. Disconnect and store any landline hook-ups. And after you have spent some time at your first destination and are preparing to break camp for your next adventure, here are some additional tasks to walk through: Clean the waste tanks and adjust the level of the fresh-water tank. Though the coach is well prepared for long stretches of unsupported, or dry, camping, Country Coach recommends you keep tank levels as low as you can for your level of use. Try to plan your week’s travel. A quarter tank of fresh water may be all you need until you reach the next destination. By draining the black and gray tanks and lowering the amount of water in the fresh tank, you decrease the overall weight of the coach. When both the black-water and gray-water tanks need draining, it is best to start with the black-water tank, because subsequent draining of the gray-water tank helps to rinse out any remaining solids in the preceding tank. *While you are parked at your destinations, keep the knife valves for the tank drains closed. Leaving the black drain valve open could cause the tank to acquire a build-up of solids. Remove the sewer hose from the cargo holding area and connect the fitting end to the terminal of the knife valve assembly. Insert the other end into the dump-station opening. Make sure this end is secure and that the length of hose is not stretched overly tight or bowed to create any low spots along its path. When you are ready, open the knife valve for the black-water tank and allow sufficient time for the tank to drain. Then leave the valve for the black-water tank open, and open the gray-tank valve. You can then rinse the black tank by attaching a hose to the black-water flush inlet. Rinse the tank after draining it. For rinsing, use a different hose from the one for filling the fresh water tank. After rinsing is complete, ensure that both knife valves are closed. Remove the hose from the fitting and use the sprayer in the bay to rinse the hose. Disconnect the hose from the dump station and return it to its storage area. After each draining, recharge the black-water tank with a chemical deodorant such as Aqua-Kem. Simply depress the toilet pedal and pour in the contents of one 8-ounce bottle of Aqua-Kem followed by a gallon of water. And when you return to homebase after your trip: It is very important that you remember to dump the black and gray tanks before your coach is placed in storage, even for a week. Consult your Country Coach Owner’s Guide for full details on your coach and the care and maintenance of its major systems and components. Enjoy safe travels as you prepare for your next motorcoaching adventure! * As published in the AUTUMN 2006 issue of Country Coach Destinations Legal Information | Statement of Privacy | Terms and Conditions