The pre-trip inspection that prevents most roadside failures

Tires first, every time

Tires are the single highest-consequence item on an RV and the most commonly neglected. Trailer tires in particular fail from age rather than tread wear, and they often look perfectly serviceable right up until they come apart at highway speed.

Check cold inflation pressure against the tire placard, not against the number molded into the sidewall, which is a maximum rather than a recommendation. Check it cold, before driving, because pressure rises significantly once the tire warms up.

Read the DOT date code on the sidewall. The last four digits give the week and year of manufacture, so 2223 means the 22nd week of 2023. Many manufacturers consider RV tires due for replacement at five to seven years regardless of tread depth.

• Cold inflation pressure on every tire including the spare
• DOT date code age on all tires
• Sidewall cracking, bulges and uneven wear patterns
• Lug nut torque to specification, rechecked after the first 50 miles following any wheel removal

Weight and loading

Overloading is common and largely invisible without a scale. Water is the usual culprit: fresh water weighs about 8.3 pounds per gallon, so a full 60 gallon tank adds roughly 500 pounds before you have loaded a single item of gear.

Know your numbers and keep them written down: the gross vehicle weight rating, the gross combined weight rating for a tow setup, the individual axle ratings, and the tongue or pin weight. Then weigh the rig loaded as you actually travel, ideally with individual wheel positions rather than a single total.

Distribution matters as much as total weight. Too little tongue weight on a travel trailer causes sway, which is dangerous and gets worse with speed. Load heavy items low and ahead of the trailer axles.

Propane and combustion appliances

Before a trip, confirm tank level, check that valves close fully, and inspect the regulator and hoses for cracking. A soapy water solution on connections shows leaks as growing bubbles, which is the standard field test.

Test the propane alarm and the carbon monoxide alarm. Both have expiry dates printed on them and both should be replaced at that date rather than when they eventually fail. This is not a formality: carbon monoxide from generator exhaust and from malfunctioning combustion appliances is one of the genuine killers in RV use.

If the RV has been in storage, expect spider and mud dauber nests in burner tubes. Clearing them before departure is far easier than diagnosing a no-heat furnace in the dark at a campsite.

Roof, seals and water intrusion

Water intrusion is the leading cause of catastrophic RV depreciation, and it almost always starts at a seal that was visibly failing months earlier. Inspect the roof seams, the sealant around every roof penetration, and the sealant around windows, doors, marker lights and the awning mounting rail.

Look for cracking, shrinking, lifting edges and any gap you can get a fingernail into. Reseal with a product compatible with your roof membrane, because the wrong sealant on EPDM or TPO will not bond and gives false confidence.

Inside, check the ceiling corners and the underside of overhead cabinets for staining, and press gently on soft spots. Water damage found early is a sealant job; found late it is a wall rebuild.

Systems check

With the practical safety items covered, run through the systems you will depend on at the site. The point is to find the failures at home, where parts and tools are available, rather than 200 miles away.

• House battery voltage at rest, and charging voltage with shore power connected
• Water pump primes and holds pressure with no taps open
• Water heater lights on gas and heats on electric
• Refrigerator cools on both power sources, started the day before departure
• Furnace completes a full ignition cycle
• Air conditioner produces a proper temperature drop
• All exterior and interior lights, including trailer running and brake lights
• Slide-outs, jacks and awning all cycle fully in and out

The departure walk-around

The last check is the one that prevents the most embarrassing and expensive failures, and it takes two minutes. Walk the entire perimeter of the RV before moving, every single time, without exception. Drivers who skip it are the ones who drive away with the power cord still connected or the awning out.

1. Awning fully retracted and locked
2. Steps retracted
3. All bay doors closed and latched
4. Shore power cord, water hose and sewer hose disconnected and stowed
5. Antenna and satellite dish lowered, roof vents closed
6. Jacks fully retracted, chocks removed
7. Slide-outs fully in
8. Hitch, safety chains, breakaway cable and electrical connector all secured and tested
9. Interior secured: fridge latched, loose items stowed, cabinet doors closed, propane off if that is your practice