How Adding a Scooter to Our RV Adventure Made All the Difference

Less than a year ago, we bit the bullet and added a scooter to our arsenal of mobile vehicles. We came across a small shop in the middle of Indiana that had an incredible deal on scooters, and even told us they would throw in a hitch with our purchase. It was a deal too good to pass up. Vanessa and I were thinking about scooter-life for a while, especially because navigating new streets and cities with Maude was a huge nuisance. I'm talking HUGE. We lost hubcaps in city potholes, knocked off a backlight because of a lamppost, and are pretty sure someone tried to get into our front cab in St. Louis while we were out, and thankfully Spike scared them off.

So, needless to say, we were in dire need of another vehicle to get us more mobile and less stressed about lugging around Maude. The good news was, we found Scooter. (That's his name, by the way). 

Maude and Scooter. Scooter and Maude. A match made in RV life heaven. The only thing that stressed me (Marisa) out after acquiring Scooter, was the maintenance that came along with a scooter. I know that scooters, motorcycles, and any other small engine cycling machinery require work, and most-of-all, upkeep. I thought about how I would need to spend money on maintenance, parts, and just making sure Scooter was up to par. Surprisingly though, Scooter doesn't take much upkeep. When you have a good motorcycle parts store that you can trust, anything is possible. You can find any part you need, not to mention guidance along the way. Plus, YouTube rules. So there's that.

Thankfully, the only regular maintenance that Scooter needs involves air in the tires, oil every few hundred to a thousand miles, replacing or cleaning the air filter, a good wash behind the ears, and a new spark plug. That's regular stuff, the type of stuff that we learned to do every few months, just to keep Scooter sharp. 

​Then you have the bi-annual or annual scooter maintenance (depending on your use, of course) which involves battery tending or replacement, new tires, chain or belt replacement, and brake replacements. These are all things that you might want to have a professional take a look at if you aren't familiar. Also note it is important to get the absolute best motorcycle tires in the game if you're looking to improve mpg, keep wear-and-tear to a minimum, and have stability on the road. 

We change the oil on Scooter ourselves, which ends up costing less than $6 each time. We also replace the spark plug (maybe $4 at most), and clean the air filter, too. This regular maintenance is fairly simple and also much cheaper than going to a professional. We were quoted almost $100 to change the oil in Scooter, which is highway robbery in my eyes. It cost us $6 and a cut open grapefruit juice container. And maybe a good hand washing.

Scooter is a blessing to our mobility and lifestyle. We can hop him on and off the RV as much as we'd like, plus to fill up it's only about $2.50 for 100-150 miles. Maintenance is easy, as long as you find yourself a reliable motorcycle parts store, which will give you peace of mind in the long run.

​Until next time friends...