Travel Trailer Maintenance
Your travel trailer is one of your prized possessions and a large investment with many moving parts. This means you’ll want to preserve it and keep it in good working order as much as you can, so it can serve you well on the road. While travel trailer maintenance might sound like a daunting prospect, it doesn’t have to be! There are several simple tasks you can easily complete in your driveway or garage to maintain your travel trailer without hardship. Your local travel trailer dealership, Howdy Ranch RV of Mathis, Texas, has this list of our suggested home upkeep tasks. Our service department is here to help you out with regular professional maintenance as necessary, too!
Lubricate Seals
The seals on your travel trailer keep out moisture and weather, so you should lubricate them all on a regular basis to prevent the growth and build-up of mold, mildew and general rot. Silicone sealant can even patch up small holes. Apply it around your windows and doors and use seal conditioner to keep these seals in good shape.
Check Appliances
Just like the appliances in your residential home or apartment, your travel trailer’s appliances need to be inspected every so often to ensure they’re working correctly. Modern travel trailers use a mix of propane and electricity to power their appliances, and breakdowns in either of these systems can mean malfunctioning appliances, which you definitely don’t want while you’re out camping! The refrigerator should quickly cool down when supplied with power and the water heater should be able to supply hot water expediently.
Some appliances have indicators as to their level of function. For example, if your stove has exposed flames, check the color. If it’s clear, blue and solid, you’re good to go, but if it’s flickering yellow or orange, then the propane system may have an issue. When you turn on your furnace, listen for a soft boom that can indicate interruptions in the flow of propane. If you spy any of these issues, take your travel trailer to the professionals.
Grease Moving Parts
Slide-outs on travel trailers can stick and jam up if they aren’t lubricated regularly with dry slide-out lubricant. Even your door hinges and locks can get squeaky without a little lubrication. Wheel bearings also need to be lubricated, but this can be a difficult task best left up to the pros.
Keep Humidity Down
You should do what you can to keep down humidity in your trailer. As mentioned above, any accrued moisture in your travel trailer will create a breeding ground for odorous and destructive mold and mildew. The solution can be as simple as opening your travel trailer’s windows to allow air to circulate. Using fans and dehumidifiers can also reduce the amount of moisture lingering in your travel trailer.
Get A Professional Inspection
Finally, the best way to make sure your travel trailer is in great shape is to get it professionally inspected on a regular basis. Doing all of the above tasks on your own will help to keep maintenance costs down, but you’ll still need to get an experienced pro to perform a thorough inspection and address any issues that are too cumbersome or labor-intensive for you to do on your own. Professionals have the right training and expertise to keep your travel trailer in peak running condition, and by doing all the tasks outlined above, you’ll make their jobs much easier!
When it’s time for you to get some travel trailer service, call up our maintenance department so we can schedule you an appointment with our professional mechanics. Howdy Ranch RV is located in Mathis, where we also have a great selection of travel trailers available for sale. Our dealership serves the cities of Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Laredo, McAllen and Rockport, Texas.