ou can always tell who the hard-core RVers are when the holidays roll around. They’re the ones who continue to drink out of a Yeti tumbler with a safety lid on even though their RV has been winterized and is safely tucked away for the winter, decorate their trees with travel trailer party lights and find themselves still reaching for the unbreakable Melamine dinnerware when setting the table. They’re also the ones whose “wish lists,” once peppered with requests for the latest cell phones or touchscreen tablets, now include camping griddles, socks stitched with “I’d Rather be RVing” across the soles, “campy” T-shirts and maybe a gift subscription to RV Enthusiast magazine.

If you number among these fine folks, I have a question for you: What ‘present’ are you buying your RV this year?

No, I’m not being facetious or poking fun at the spirit of the season. It’s a serious question, because this really is the best time of the year — and, sometimes, we overlook a few things when caught up in the festivities. Chief among them? Scheduling maintenance and repairs now.

We’ve all probably heard horror stories — if you want to call them that — of RVers who opened up their rig in preparation for a long-awaited trip only to realize certain components weren’t up to snuff. They then did what any of us would: They called their local dealership to schedule service — and found out it would be six or eight weeks before they could be fit in. Goodbye vacation. I’d like to say things are getting better and, well, they eventually will. Before that, though, they’ll probably get worse.

According to Statistical Surveys Inc., a market share data research firm, the RV industry set a record of 515,819 retailed (sold) units in 2020 — the first time the half-million mark had been eclipsed since retail data has been tracked. Most expect even that number to fall when the final figures come in for 2021. And, while manufacturers shipped more than 430,000 RVs to dealers last year, that number has already been surpassed in 2021 — with two months still to be reported. Industry watchers expect wholesale shipments (which are an indicator of sales and dealer confidence) to exceed 600,000 rigs this year when all is said and done.

What’s that mean for you? More owners are traveling in their RVs and needing more service work, whether it’s for a warranty claim or a failed part. Don’t blame the dealers; they are more than willing to take your money. But even if they had enough service technicians — a shortage the industry has grappled with for years — they may not have the space or the time. There are a lot of different systems, from plumbing to electronics, in a modern RV, and only so many hours in the day to tackle repair problems.

This Holiday Time Light-up LED Camper with Christmas Tree (found at Walmart) is exemplary of RV-themed holiday decorations.

And, as we’ve all heard from news reports, the bottlenecks at West Coast ports — not the most efficient in the world in the best of times — have only exacerbated the problem, as have COVID shutdowns and more folks letting their fingers do the buying on the Internet. Dealers and manufacturers are no different from the rest of us: They place orders for parts and must wait for them to come in. And it’s not just the RV industry that’s suffered. Someone we know was pulling his fifth-wheel with a 2020 Ford F-250 on Interstate 10 in Southern California last spring and was sideswiped. That was nine months ago, and he’s still waiting for a bracket so the body shop can finalize repairs to the truck. The RV? It’s still waiting on parts to make repairs.

Granted, these are extreme cases — but months-long waits are not uncommon.

You can help alleviate the situation. With service shops booking fast, determine how much of what needs to be done to your RV can be performed by yourself at home. For example, while RV Enthusiast has “only” been publishing since March, our database (at rventhusiast.com) already has about 100 technical articles detailing the step-by-step processes for repairing or replacing everything from plumbing systems to windows. Read them — and don’t be afraid to tackle what might appear to be a formidable undertaking. Most repairs, when broken down into segments, are actually fairly easy to achieve.

That’s especially true when it comes to the need for regular maintenance. While it’s impossible to control all breakdowns, staying on top of scheduled maintenance and inspections will mitigate many potential problems. The travails of two acquaintances of RVE staffers really hammer this home. One lost all radiator fluid on the highway due to a bad coolant tube. The end result? A $2,500 bill to tow the 43-foot diesel pusher to the repair shop, and an additional $1,000 charge to repair the damage. The other was more fortunate, but still spent the night on the side of the road near Boise, Idaho, because of a tire blowout. Bad weather and the lack of immediate availability of a new wheel and tire forced them into a precarious position — and the blowout caused a lot of collateral damage. It could have been prevented, because checking the tires afterward revealed that they had “timed out” and needed replacing.

You don’t even have to turn a screwdriver to be fastidious about inspecting your rig completely on at least an annual basis, from tires and engine/ancillary components to just closely scrutinizing the floor — especially near walls — for any slight change in support that might indicate a leak from a window seal or a loose pipe fitting. Check all the appliances, the hitch and tow bar integrity, the LP-gas and smoke detectors — all of it. If you’d prefer to not get up on your roof — a prime point of origin for many problems that can and will become huge complications if not caught in time — ask a friend or pay a shop. But do it.

It all starts with your eyes. Spend the time now and don’t overlook anything, or you’ll spend major dollars later — if you can schedule a service appointment before your vacation dates.