The Must-Dos of Travel Trailer Maintenance
It's easy to forget about your travel trailer if it spends a few months at a time out of use. But some minor regular maintenance will make it so your travel trailer will be ready to hit the road when you are. The Outpost RV in Middlebury, Indiana is one of Northern, Indiana's most reputable sources for parts, servicing, and of course, travel trailers. Keep us in mind the next time you need work done on your travel trailer or if you're ever in the market for something new. We proudly serve the cities of Goshen, Elkhart, South Bend, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Take Care of Your Slide-Outs
Slide outs are incredibly important in travel trailers because they add more space to the floor plan and are also important to the trailer's structural integrity. The metal rails that allow slide outs to actually slide out can become rusted and frozen in place. If you try to simply push through this, you could do more harm than good. Instead, make sure to take a can of lubricant spray to your rollers once every six months or so, or more often if you live in a wet climate where things are prone to rust. If you are out camping more often, you should lubricate more often as road salt and grime can hasten the rust process.
Maintain Your Generator
If you are the type to not be satisfied at campsites with electricity, a generator will allow you to get farther off the grid. But if you don't properly maintain your generator, it can corrode and break. The best way to care for your generator is to make sure it doesn't sit too long without running. Old fuel, especially ethanol, can get sludgy and sit in the engine causing corrosion. Throughout the off season, make sure to run your generator for an hour or so once a month to keep the fuel moving and the parts lubricated. Set the generator to about 50% of its load capacity, plug in a TV, and kick back until a few shows are done, and then you'll be done.
Avoid Leaks with Sealant
Leaks are the mortal enemies of travel trailers. Because travel trailers are often constructed with wood, fabric, and other things that tend to provide good surfaces for mold to grow on, any water in your trailer will cause a major headache. You can prevent leaks by being vigilant with a tube of sealant. Inspect the roof, paying special attention to the screw holes, seams, and joints. Take a look at the seals on the windows, too. If you start smelling mildew in your trailer, try to find the source of the leak. If you can't, it may be best to take it into a service center.
Open Vents
When sitting for long periods of time, the air in your travel trailer can easily become stagnant and musty. If you don't live in an extremely moist environment, you can leave the vents open to allow fresh, clean air to circulate. This will make it so your trailer doesn't turn into a humidor for mold and mildew, and it will also help to keep your trailer free of any noxious smells. Of course, if you live in a region that gets constant winter rainfall, you may be opening the trailer up to even more moisture, so keep your personal climate in mind. And if your travel trailer doesn't have high-quality screens to protect it from water or pests, you could be letting in insects or mice, so only open up as much as will be safe.
Maintaining a travel trailer doesn't have to be a massive chore if you just take a little bit of time to regularly check things out and provide basic maintenance. Watch your seals, run your generator on occasion, and make sure your slide outs are in good condition. These simple tasks will reward you in the long-term health of your trailer and even in the short-term enjoyability of your trailer. If your trailer needs any major repairs or new parts, the skilled team at The Outpost RV can get you what you need. Our team proudly serves Goshen, Elkhart, South Bend, and Fort Wayne, Indiana from our Middlebury dealership. Stop by and talk to one of our staff members about how we can help you today!