We have had our camper for just over a year now and with this being our first one, I thought I would ask about preparation for a long trip.We typically camp close to home with a couple of hours away being the furthest we have gone to date. In November we will be traveling from Dallas to Big Bend for Thanksgiving. This works out to around 1300 miles round trip on the trailer. What should I do inspection wise on my trailer in preparation for this long trip? From what I have read here, the tires that come from the factory can be suspect. If these tires fail do they do so without any type of warning or is there something I could inspect prior to my departure. I really don't want to buy new tires but I also don't want to deal with the consequence of a blow out. BTW, I do have a TPMS system installed to monitor tire pressure and temp. Is there anything else I should be inspecting/preparing for before my trip?

Just make sure the tires are at the right pressure "cold", If you haven't done this it may be wise to jack up each individual wheel and try to shift it side ways, to check the bearings for tightness. And adjust the brake on each wheel while it is up in the air. I have found personel inspection every 250 miles is better than the TPMS , but to each his own. A small 12v Air compressor is agood thing too:DWe travel from OR to Falcon Lake each year. So short trips are not in our book. Good spares for each rig and fill only about 1/2 fresh water to cut down the weight a bit. A real good floor jack is what I carry, saves a lot of discouragement when the need arises. A well supplied tool box, both meteric and standard, you just don't know what is going to get thrown at you. I carry a great wheel wrench...just in case. Thus far never needed one except in AK two years ago. Bent an axle and the tire wore down not too pretty bad. Good luck and Oh just in case a small tarp to "if needed" lay on the ground.Happy Turky days to you and safe trip

A long trip is just a series of short trips unless you plan to drive it in one day. We carry a smart phone for several reasons and a campground directory just in case we have to stop in an area we hadn't planned on. Of course, we also have a gps and carry two spare tires. Overkill? Not if you have a flat tire during the first part of the trip.

Good advice here, all. My personal experience and that of my friends with whom I travel is that when the cheap tires fail, they do so catastrophically,as in belts separating, coming off, etc. If you are going on a cross-country run, not just down the road a bit, it might be time to upgrade your rubber. Not cheap but it will save you money if you have a catastrophic tire failure and the tire peels your rig open as it disintegrates.Other than that...I check the RV from stem to stern, as best I can. Torque the lug nuts, check the lights. As stated, if you are really making a long run jack the wheels up and check the wheel bearings for slop, grease and adjust as necessary.Check and if necessary clean the battery terminals and all grounds I can see/find. Battery water if applicable. Check and change (if necessary) the oil in the generator.(My new Onan requires it's first oil change at 10 hours)check the seals and trim, fix and tighten as needed.I am one of those guys that tends to carry spares...fuses, an extra fresh water pump, bulbs, tools, etc. I have box that rides in the pass-through compartment with all that stuff. I make sure everything is good in it. I go into overkill, admittedly. I've been RVing a long time and have had the Fickle Finger of Fate point at me a couple of times, so I do everything I can to prevent it and be ready for it if it does. We spend a lot of time traversing or camping in areas where people and towns are few and far between, so being ready is my motto. These RV's are subject to all the beating and banging that our cars and trucks are, but they are not built like cars and trucks. Eventually stuff comes loose and if you don't maintain it stuff falls apart.I carried a big floor jack for years, now I have a 20 ton bottle jack. It takes up less space in the 5'er. I am a hot rod guy, and I have a Craftsman 19.2 volt 1/2 inch impact gun, it is great for lug nuts...years ago I bought a second Mac torque wrench for the RV, and it is in the 5'er now.

All good tips. I appreciate the info as there are many things I didn't think of. I typically have all the tools I need as I have a decent sized tool box in my garage but I know I don't have a bottle jack. I'll be purchasing one this week.

On any trip long or short you may want to do the same thing the commercial driver do. Have a pre-trip visual inspection. Tires, all exterior lighting, hitches and safety chains etc. Then at every rest stop or fuel station you use do the same walk around your RV. If you have a MH with duals carry a thumper with you. If you practice these procedures you won't eliminate all problems but you will limit many problems that go un-noticed. When I am at rest stops or in fuel stations I see very few Rvers making walk around inspections. I just always wonder why. However, I was trained as a commercial driver so that is just what I do.

First Long Trip - How to Prepare? | Good Sam Community

12 Replies

Dick_B
Explorer
Oct 23, 2013
A long trip is just a series of short trips unless you plan to drive it in one day. We carry a smart phone for several reasons and a campground directory just in case we have to stop in an area we hadn't planned on. Of course, we also have a gps and carry two spare tires. Overkill? Not if you have a flat tire during the first part of the trip.
janechucknicode
Explorer
Oct 23, 2013
Just make sure the tires are at the right pressure "cold", If you haven't done this it may be wise to jack up each individual wheel and try to shift it side ways, to check the bearings for tightness. And adjust the brake on each wheel while it is up in the air. I have found personel inspection every 250 miles is better than the TPMS , but to each his own. A small 12v Air compressor is agood thing too:D
We travel from OR to Falcon Lake each year. So short trips are not in our book. Good spares for each rig and fill only about 1/2 fresh water to cut down the weight a bit. A real good floor jack is what I carry, saves a lot of discouragement when the need arises. A well supplied tool box, both meteric and standard, you just don't know what is going to get thrown at you. I carry a great wheel wrench...just in case. Thus far never needed one except in AK two years ago. Bent an axle and the tire wore down not too pretty bad.
Good luck and Oh just in case a small tarp to "if needed" lay on the ground.
Happy Turky days to you and safe trip

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First Long Trip - How to Prepare?

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