The trip south to warmer climate is filled with anticipation year after year for many snowbirds. To be able to get away from the cold that blankets most of the country for several months of the year and travel to Florida, Texas, Arizona or other popular snowbird destinations is a wonderful experience for many couples and, increasingly, people of all ages. What isn't so wonderful is preparing for the trip. There are address changes, checks on health care, primary residence winterization and more. Also, there is the home on wheels that should be checked out before heading thousands of miles down the road.
The Buzz talks with Camper Trailer Parts & Repair in Fowlerville, Michigan to get some tips on what to get checked out on travel trailers and motorhomes before making an extended trip. Camper Trailer Parts & Repair is a well-reviewed family-owned business that has been around since 1999. In an online review, Doug Walters, Camper Trailer Parts & Repair owner, was touted as “very knowledgeable and easygoing.” It continues, “The service department has never let me down. Everything they have done for me has been done right and on time."
"We are in the midst of going through trailers right now for winterizing and for the trip south," says owner Doug Walters, "And what you need done with us comes down to how much you want to do yourself."
An RV roof must be sealed properly and checked often to avoid leaks that could do major damage [Photo/Camper Trailer Parts and Repair]
Tires
Anyone who travels a lot knows that one of the most important things to check is the condition of the tires. This means looking for tread life and tire rot, but also checking how old the tire is. For RVs, Walter explains, it is important to change tires every 5 years.
"We'll check the age of tires and then recommend them to be changed if over 5 years. We'll even show pictures of what could happen if you wait too long to change your tires as we want folks to stay safe," Walter says. Tires may look okay with plenty of tread left, however they could become rotted out from the inside. This could cause a blowout, which could destroy much more than a tire - it could cause damage to the body of the trailer, as well as damage to electrical and plumbing systems if they are nearby.
There are date codes on RV tires that will show you the age of your tires. Repair shops like Camper Trailer Parts & Repair can check those for you, or you could check them yourself. A quick online search shows how to check the date of tires. On every tire, there is a DOT code. The last four digits of the code show when the tire was made, the first two numbers correspond to the week, while the second two correspond to the year. For example if the last four digits are "2318," that would mean the tire was made in the 23rd week of 2018.
Brakes/Suspension/Axles
"If you have drum brakes, then that is steel on steel so that needs to be checked regularly," says Walters. But it isn't just drum brakes, all brakes should be inspected regularly, especially on the massive RVs that are generally used to live in for a few months down south.
Walters explains that suspension systems should be regularly inspected, especially because of the danger of rust in the northern climates. The rust could cause parts to seize which can cause suspension failure. A lot of the parts of the suspension can be visually inspected, however parts like bushings need to have components removed in order to inspect their condition.
There are many websites, images, and tutorials to help trailer owners inspect brakes and suspension systems, however the use of a professional is highly recommended as the systems are intricate and require a certain amount of knowledge of the system to see if it is functioning properly and will continue to do so.
Bearings
One of the most common maintenance needs is regreasing the wheel bearings and, if you have ever seen pictures or videos of trailers caught fire on the side of the road, you know why. Wheel bearings should be regreased every few years, however if a trailer is used for more than 6,000 miles a year, as most snowbirds do, they should be done every year.
"Some places just take out the old grease and put new stuff in, but we take everything out and replace grease seals, clean bearings and regrease," Walters says. It is important to ask your repair shop how extensive their method for regreasing the wheel bearings is as it can cause problems if it is not done properly. Regreasing wheel bearings can be done by RV owners, though it is a messy job and sometimes time consuming.
Camper Trailers Parts & Repairs notes on their website, "Simply pumping grease into your hubs doesn't work and we do not recommend this. Over greasing this way can cause grease to leak out and ruin your brakes. When we do your maintenance we remove all the hubs, remove all the bearings and throw away the old grease seals. Every bearing is individually cleaned and inspected, replaced if necessary, regreased and reinstalled. Grease seals are always replaced."
Miscellaneous
Checking the seals on the roof, moldings, windows, and vents is an important yearly maintenance check. There is no better time to do it then when getting ready to head south. Walters notes this is one of the easier things to check and a lot of his customers opt to do it themselves, while getting supplies and advice from his repair shop.
Did we miss anything you do to prepare to head south? Let us know in the comments below!