D&N RV Service

05/22/2026

Keeping Mice Out of Your RV

Nothing ruins a camping trip faster than opening up your rig and finding you've had uninvited guests. Mice can chew through wiring, insulation, and upholstery in a hurry, and the damage adds up fast.

A few things that actually work:

Seal up entry points. Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime. Check around plumbing, wiring pass-throughs, and the underbelly. Steel wool packed into gaps works better than foam, since they'll chew right through foam.

Keep it clean. Pull out all food, including crumbs in drawers and pantry corners. Don't forget pet food and anything in the outside storage compartments.

Cut off the highways. Mice climb power cords, water hoses, and stabilizer jacks to get inside. When your RV is parked for a stretch, keep the area around it trimmed back and consider placing traps or repellents along those paths.

Peppermint oil, dryer sheets, and Irish Spring soap get talked about a lot. Some folks swear by them, others say mice walked right past. They don't hurt, but don't rely on them as your only line of defense.

Check often. A quick walk-through every couple weeks during storage season catches problems before they turn into expensive repairs.

If you think you've already had visitors and want a set of trained eyes to check the wiring and insulation, give us a call. We'd rather catch it early than have you find it on the side of the road.

3619 AL-69,
, AL
(256) 571-9399

Expert RV, camper & motorhome repair shop serving Guntersville & North Central Alabama. RVTI certified. Call (256) 571-9399

05/19/2026

When Neil Armstrong came back from the Moon, his first "home" on Earth was a camping trailer.

In 1969, NASA had a problem nobody had faced before. The Apollo 11 crew was about to return from the lunar surface, and scientists couldn't rule out the possibility that they'd bring back alien pathogens. They needed a completely sealed, self-contained quarantine unit - and they needed it fast.

So who did NASA call? Airstream.

The same company that started in the 1930s making camping trailers was asked to build a Mobile Quarantine Facility for the most important space mission in human history. They modified one of their trailers into a pressurized, airtight environment and bolted it to the deck of the USS Hornet.

When Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins splashed down in the Pacific, they were escorted straight into the Airstream. President Nixon flew out to the ship and greeted them through the trailer's window.

Think about that for a second. The first humans to walk on the Moon spent their first days back on Earth... inside a camper.

And here's the kicker - Airstream only exists because founder Wally Byam's wife refused to sleep on the ground in a tent back in the 1920s. He built her a trailer, the neighbors wanted one, and the rest is history.

From "my wife won't go camping" to "NASA needs us for the Moon landing" in about 35 years. Not a bad run.

D&N RV Service
3619 AL-69
, AL 35976
(256) 571-9799

05/19/2026

The boss is in the office and ready to get to work.

If something didn't feel right on your last trip, or you've been putting off that pre-season check, today's a good day to give us a call. Memorial Day will be here before you know it, and the calendar fills up quick.

We'll keep you camping.

3619 AL-69,
, AL
(256) 571-9399
alabamarvservice.com

05/11/2026

Folks, Ms. Darcy has spoken.

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kickoff to camping season, and our calendar fills up faster than a campground at Lake Guntersville on a Friday afternoon.

If your rig needs a once-over before that first big trip, now is the time to get on the books.

A quick pre-season check beats a ruined vacation every single time. Roof seals, AC, brakes, bearings, slides - we'll handle it so you can hitch up and go.

Call us, message us, or stop by. We'll keep you camping.

3619 AL-69, , AL
(256) 571-9399
www.alabamarvservice.com

05/06/2026

New merch alert! Stop in and grab one of our brand new D&N RV Service tees - front says who we are, back delivers the dad jokes you didn't ask for but absolutely needed. Available in red, teal, and grey while supplies last. Family Friendly since 1993!

One for $20 or two for $30!

04/27/2026

Before gas engines, there was a steam-powered RV.

In 1896, Prince Oldenburg of France commissioned the "Grande Diligence", a steam-driven caravan that is now recognized as the earliest known powered recreational vehicle. Imagine pulling into a camp with a cloud of steam trailing behind you.

The RV industry didn't start with Ford or Winnebago; it started with royalty and a boiler.

04/24/2026

YOUR RV RUNS ON PROPANE MORE THAN YOU PROBABLY REALIZE.

Most RV owners think of propane as just the stove. The reality is propane is quietly working behind the scenes on nearly every comfort system in your rig. And when any one of those systems develops a problem, the consequences can range from an inconvenient trip to a dangerous one.

Here's what's running on propane in your RV and what to watch for on each one:

- Your Stove and Oven
The most visible propane appliance in your RV. Watch for burners that won't light, uneven flames, or a lingering gas smell after the burner is off. Any of these warrant immediate attention before your next trip.

- Your Furnace
Your RV furnace runs on propane and fires a burner to heat air that circulates through your rig. Signs of trouble include delayed ignition, the furnace cycling on and off without heating properly, unusual smells when it fires up, or no heat at all. A furnace that struggles in cool weather will completely fail in cold weather — often at the worst possible time.

- Your Water Heater
Whether yours is a standard tank style or a tankless unit, it runs on propane. Watch for slow hot water recovery, a pilot light that won't stay lit, or water that smells like sulfur. An inefficient water heater is often the first sign of a propane system issue that affects other appliances too.

- Your Refrigerator
This one surprises a lot of people. Most RV refrigerators run on both electricity and propane depending on your power source. When running on LP the burner assembly and flue are critical components. Watch for the refrigerator failing to cool on LP mode, a yellow or orange flame instead of blue, or soot buildup around the burner area. These are not normal and should be inspected.

Now let's talk about your tank itself.

Propane Tank Recertification - Do You Know When Yours Expires?
This is one of the most overlooked maintenance items in RV ownership and one of the most important.

Standard portable propane cylinders - the kind on most travel trailers and fifth wheels - must be recertified every 10 years from the date of manufacture. That date is stamped directly on the collar of the tank. After the initial 10 years, tanks must be recertified every 5 years.

An expired tank is not just a technicality. Many propane exchange and refill stations will refuse to fill an expired cylinder. And more importantly, an uncertified tank has not been inspected for corrosion, valve integrity, or structural soundness. That matters a great deal when you are traveling with a pressurized flammable gas cylinder attached to your rig.

Fixed ASME tanks - the permanently mounted tanks on most Class A and Class C motorhomes - do not require recertification on the same schedule but should be inspected annually as part of your propane system service.

How to check your tank:
Look at the collar - the curved metal ring around the valve. You will see a month and year stamp. That is your manufacture date. Count forward 10 years. If that date has passed and you have not had it recertified, it is time.

Not sure about the condition of your propane appliances or when your tanks were last certified? That is exactly what our annual propane inspection covers. We check your regulator, your system function, your appliances, and your tanks so you know exactly where you stand before you head out this season.

Don't guess with propane. Come see us.

3619 AL-69
, AL 35976
(256) 571-9399
https://alabamarvservice.com/rv-lp/

LP propane safety, DOT vs ASME, regulator calibration, and annual leak testing by RVTI-certified techs in North Alabama.

04/23/2026

Some RVs just need someone to believe in them again.

This rig is 20 years old. It sat for years. Most people would have written it off. But its owner wasn't ready to give up on it, and neither were we.

We got up on that roof, did what we do, and brought it back to life. Because every RV has more miles in it than people think, and every family deserves to make more memories on the road.

This is why we love what we do.

If you've got an RV that's been sitting, needs some love, or just hasn't seen the road in a while, bring it to us. We'll tell you honestly what it needs and get it road ready. No runaround, no overselling, just straight answers and solid work.

That's been the D&N way since 1993.

3619 AL-69
, AL
(256) 571-9399
alabamarvservice.com

04/22/2026

You like to handle things yourself. We get it.

And when you need a part, you need it now. Stop by D&N RV Service and odds are we have exactly what you need sitting on a shelf waiting for you. No waiting. No shipping. Get the job done and get back on the road.

3619 AL-69
, AL 35976
(256) 571-9399
www.alabamarvservice.com

04/21/2026

We've heard it all - roof leaks, slide out headaches, finding reliable service, knowing what to do first. What's the hardest part of owning an RV for YOU? Drop it below and let's talk about it. We just might have some answers - straight from our world class techs.

And if you know another RV owner who can relate, tag them in the comments!

3619 AL-69
, AL
(256) 571-9399
www.alabamarvservice.com