Skip to main content
OCRV Center

Guides

The Long Form Ones

Short answer

Each of these goes as deep as we would go explaining it to a new technician. Detection methodology, materials behavior and real decision criteria.

OCRV Center publishes 8 technical guides covering water damage detection, roof membrane selection, slide-out mechanisms, insurance documentation, camper van electrical planning, construction methods, pre-purchase inspection and coastal corrosion.

Updated 2026-07-29 by OCRV Center Editorial Team

These are not overviews. Each one covers a single subject at the depth we would use training somebody to actually do the work, including the methodology for finding a problem rather than just a description of it.

If you only read one, read the water damage detection guide. Moisture is behind more expensive RV repairs than impact is, and the difference between catching it early and catching it late is usually an order of magnitude.

All Guides

  • Finding RV Water Damage

    A technician-level guide to finding RV water damage early: where leaks start, how to read stains and soft spots, and what a moisture survey shows.

    13 minute read

  • RV Roof Materials

    How EPDM, TPO, fiberglass and aluminum RV roofs differ in life span, repair method, reseal interval and replacement cost.

    12 minute read

  • Slide Out Systems

    Schwintek, hydraulic, cable and rack and pinion RV slide systems: how each one works, how each one fails, and what repair actually costs.

    13 minute read

  • Documenting an RV Claim

    What an adjuster needs to see on an RV claim: photo sequence, receipts, modification values, teardown evidence and how supplements get approved.

    14 minute read

  • Camper Van Electrical

    How to size a camper van electrical system: loads, battery capacity, alternator charging, solar, inverter sizing and the code details inspectors check.

    14 minute read

  • Fiberglass vs Aluminum

    Laminated fiberglass and stick-and-tin aluminum RVs fail differently and repair differently. How to tell which you own and what each costs to fix.

    13 minute read

  • Pre Purchase Inspection

    A used RV inspection checklist that covers structure, roof, moisture, slides, chassis and systems, plus the deal breakers worth walking away from.

    14 minute read

  • Coastal Storage

    Salt air reaches inland along the I-5 corridor. What it does to RV frames, fasteners, roof seals and paint, and how to store a coach against it.

    13 minute read