Optimum RV Festus & Optimum RV Corpus Christi FAQ: Tow Hitch License Plate, Panel Prep for Ceramic Coating, and Battery Recycling

I handle special-order purchasing at Optimum for the RV and truck accessory side of the business. Since 2018, I’ve split time between Optimum RV Festus and Optimum RV Corpus Christi, mainly on commercial and wholesale accounts. I’ve personally made and documented 26 significant mistakes that cost roughly $9,200 in wasted product and redone labor. That list became the checklist I still use before ordering anything, and this FAQ is built from it.

The questions below are the ones I hear most from dealers, service shops, and fleet buyers. They’re in no particular order, except for the first one, because it’s about the two store locations that keep showing up in search results.

1. What’s the difference between Optimum RV Festus and Optimum RV Corpus Christi?

They’re both Optimum RV locations, but they’re separate storefronts. Optimum RV Festus is the Festus, Missouri location; Optimum RV Corpus Christi is the Corpus Christi, Texas location. They share the same ordering system, so a commercial account can be looked up at both. Stock, service bay schedules, and local installation depth are not the same. A part that physically sits at one location may need to be transferred to the other.

The product mix tilts differently too. At Optimum RV Festus, I take more calls about truck receivers and work trailers. At Optimum RV Corpus Christi, the calls tend to involve RVs, salt-air corrosion, and tow vehicles for boats. Neither location is solely that type, but local demand changes what is on the shelf. Buyers sometimes assume a specific bracket is in stock at both. It’s safer to ask about local stock or have it shipped than to drive to the wrong counter.

2. When do I actually need a tow hitch license plate bracket?

Only when the hitch or a hitch-mounted accessory hides the factory license plate or the required light. If the plate is still visible and the plate light still works, adding a tow hitch license plate bracket is extra hardware and another place for rust. Don’t add one just because the product is easy to find.

If you install a cargo carrier, spare tire carrier, or rear step that blocks the plate, then a relocation bracket makes sense. My mistake happened in September 2022. I ordered 20 universal tow hitch license plate brackets for a wholesale customer’s work vans. The receiver openings were all the same, but the bumper trim and backup sensor harnesses weren’t universal. Thirteen of the 20 didn’t fit. That order cost about $630 in shipping and wasted labor, plus a one-week delay.

Now I treat the word universal as the start of the conversation, not the end. Before ordering any tow hitch license plate bracket, I ask for the receiver size, vehicle year/make/model/trim, whether it has a factory tow package, and where the factory plate is mounted. If the plate is moved to the hitch, the bracket also has to keep the plate visible and the plate light positioned properly. State lighting rules vary, so check requirements at your local DMV. No single bracket works on every hitch and every plate position.

3. Is panel prep for ceramic coating truly necessary?

Yes, for most coated vehicles. Polish leaves behind oils, fillers, and fine particles. Ceramic coating can look good for the first day or two, but if it is applied over that residue, it may not bond evenly. Later you can see patchy beading, high spots, or coating that lifts around edges.

The question I hear is, “Can I skip the panel prep for ceramic coating?” My answer is based on a costly mistake. In April 2023, I approved a ceramic coating job at Optimum RV Corpus Christi without using a prep product after polishing. The fifth wheel was due for pickup, and I made the call to save an afternoon. Two weeks later, the owner found a section where the coating hadn’t cured correctly. We stripped and recoated that section. The finished work was fine, but the extra labor cost about $2,200.

Panel prep for ceramic coating is not a paint repair product. It removes polishing residue and oils before the coating goes on. It won’t fix failing clearcoat, deep scratches, or heavy oxidation. If the paint isn’t ready for a coating, the honest recommendation is to correct the paint first or hold off. Coating over a damaged foundation makes the next correction harder.

4. How do I recycle power tool batteries?

The short answer to “how to recycle power tool batteries” is: tape the terminals, put each battery in its own clear plastic bag, and take it to a drop-off that accepts rechargeable batteries.

I learned this by almost learning the hard way. In March 2024, a technician handed me an 18V lithium-ion drill battery that wouldn’t hold a charge. I left it loose in a tote with scrap metal, planning to deal with it later. When I picked up the tote, the battery was warm. A terminal had contacted a piece of metal. It didn’t catch fire, but it could have. That was the day I started treating every “dead” battery as if it still had enough energy to short.

The process I use at the shop:

1. Remove the battery from the tool.
2. Place electrical tape over the metal terminals.
3. Put the battery in a clear plastic bag so it can’t touch another battery.
4. Find an accepted drop-off. According to Call2Recycle (call2recycle.org), batteries should be taped and bagged before they go into a collection container. Not every location accepts swollen or damaged packs, so call ahead.

If a battery is swollen, damaged, or leaking, don’t put it in a normal collection bin. Ask your local waste authority or battery recycler how to handle it. This is based on North American recycling programs; local rules may differ elsewhere.

5. What mistake still costs the most time at Optimum RV Festus and Optimum RV Corpus Christi?

The same pattern shows up at Optimum RV Festus and Optimum RV Corpus Christi: a part or prep step gets skipped because it worked the last time. It happens with tow hitch license plate brackets, panel prep for ceramic coating, and power tool batteries sitting on the shop shelf.

The shortcut feels like time saved until the day it costs double. Ask the fitment questions. Use the prep product. Tape the batteries. It’s not glamorous, but it keeps customers from learning by paying twice.