Travel Trailer Maintenance
Taking care of your travel trailer is the key to ensuring it’s going to last for many years to come. Even long after others may scrap theirs after an extended period of frustrating repairs, you’ll still be able to use your trailer no problem. Because this is such an important part of owning an RV, Cedar City RV has provided some tips on basic RV maintenance that you can perform even if you’re a novice RVer. But if you do need additional help and guidance, come talk to our experienced staff near Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Cookeville, Tennessee. We’ll help you with all your RV-related concerns.
Maintain your Seals
Your seals are your biggest defender against moisture that might try to seep into your RV, moisture that could lead to water damage and major repairs. Making sure your seals are working properly should be priority number one. You’ll want to apply sealant conditioner periodically so your seals don’t dry out and start cracking. Inspect them periodically by physically feeling them for holes and tears. If you feel a small crack or other issue, you can use silicone sealant to patch things up.
Check your Appliances
Your appliances are a major part of more comfortable RV living, so they should also be on your list of priorities. Make sure to test them before heading out on each trip and look for signs of underperformance or damage (meaning you’ll also want to carefully inspect each appliance as well). This should include the refrigerator, the water heater, and the stove. You’ll know your RV best, so if something seems out of the ordinary, consider getting it checked out before your next trip.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Some of the most heavily used moving parts on your trailer are your slide-outs. These give you more interior room to enjoy, but over time they’ll need to be greased. You’ll want to apply dry slide-out lubricant a few times a year to the tracks and bars of the mechanism. This will not only keep things running smoothly, but it’ll also clean away any dirt that may have gotten caught up in the slides.
Manage the Humidity
Moisture can damage your RV through other means. Humidity in the cab can create condensation inside the trailer and if this happens too much or too often, it can start to damage some of the parts. An easy, cheap way to combat this is to open the windows and keep a breeze and fresh air running through the rig. But we’re coming up on colder days and that may not be your favorite option. Still think about opening vents to let hot air escape and consider investing in other humidity fighting tools like dehumidifiers and desiccant crystals.
Professional Inspection
While everything we’ve listed above is important and you’ll want to do plenty of your own legwork to keep your travel trailer working properly. However, part of a good maintenance plan includes regular professional inspections. There are simply some things that you won’t be able to spot or won’t necessarily know are problems. A trained professional will look for these issues, know how to identify them, and help you figure out how to solve them. Not to mention, they have a better chance of getting it right the first time around to avoid future repair trips.
This should get you started, but you might find yourself running into other confusing maintenance issues, especially as many of our customers are getting ready to put their travel trailers in storage. If you need more help caring for your RV, then come talk to our friendly staff at Cedar City RV. We proudly serve Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Cookeville, TN, so stop by today.