How to Avoid Common Travel Trailer Problems
Your travel trailer provides you with all the comforts of home every time you take it on the road. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or you live in your travel trailer year round, you rely on your camper to work well and give you everything you need to enjoy your trip. However, if you don’t take proper care of your travel trailer, you could end up with a complicated problem requiring costly repairs down the road. It takes a bit of experience to know what’s acting up, and sometimes it’s too late to fix an issue when it becomes apparent.
At Bill Howich RV & Marine, we want our customers to know what to look for when faced with some common travel trailer problems. That way you can better know how and when to perform maintenance, as well as when it’s time to take your camper into the shop. Read on for some tips for diagnosing and fixing a few common issues. If you find any problems that you can’t fix yourself, the experts at our service department are ready to help you. Our dealership is based in Campbell River, BC, and we proudly serve all those in Courtenay.
Tire Blowout
Travel trailers are heavy, and it is the tires that support all that weight. Over time, this can have a severe impact on the health of your tires, especially when you’re driving over bumpy or worn-down roads. If you don’t take care of them, this can easily lead to a blowout, which could send your unit reeling off the road.
You can avoid this issue by simply checking that the tires are inflated to the recommended pressure. This can be done with a tire pressure gauge or by installing a tire pressure monitoring system. You should also have a spare tire at all times, and remember to check the pressure on the spare before you use it.
Burst Water Supply Lines
One of the most common problems that travel trailer owners face is a broken water-pump or burst water-lines, especially in areas that experience below-freezing temperatures during winter. When the water in the pipes freezes, the liquid expands and you risk a burst pipe that will start leaking as soon as everything warms up again.
At the very least, you need to empty the tank, but the best way to combat burst pipes is to add antifreeze to your water system before you put your camper in storage. To prevent the seals from cracking, make sure to apply a lubricant or conditioner. If you notice a hole, you’ll want to get a bit of silicone sealant to patch this up.
Washroom Problems
If you notice that the water doesn’t stay in the toilet bowl or water keeps running from it, it’s likely that the rubber seal around the valve is not in good shape and needs to be replaced. If the water valve is not closing completely, then you will have to change that. The valve seals start to deteriorate with time, so to extend their life you need to keep the channel around the inside edges clear of dirt, calcium buildup, or any type of blockage.
Roof Leaks
The roof is one of the most important features of a travel trailer, considering that it protects us from the elements. Exposure to sunlight, extreme weather conditions, or low-hanging tree branches may potentially damage the roof. A damaged roof can lead to major problems with mold and mildew, and it can even let in pests and insects.
Use a roof cover to minimize the exposure to elements. To fix small cracks, you can apply a rubber coating, a roof patch, or special sealing tapes. Remember to inspect the roof every month and if you spot a problem, it’s best to get it repaired as soon as possible.
Battery Issues
Travel trailer batteries are expensive to replace, so you should do everything you can to extend its life. When your camper isn’t in use, it’s not a bad idea to disconnect the battery cables to conserve energy. Otherwise, the electrical devices will draw energy out of the battery, even when they’re not in use. Along with that, you should connect your battery to a tender if you plan on keeping it in storage during winter. This will prevent it from losing its charge, so it will be fresh and ready to use as soon as the weather gets warmer.
Moisture and Condensation
Some travel trailers are difficult to ventilate, which means moisture gets trapped more easily and it can cause wood rot, mildew, and mold. These issues will ruin the structural integrity of your walls and floorboards, and they’re extremely expensive to repair, so it’s important that you know how to combat condensation.
Keep fans going, open the window when doing the dishes, and during showers, and don’t leave wet clothes hanging around. You can also filter out a majority of the excess moisture in the air by using a dehumidifier.
We hope that this guide will help you prevent or fix some of the most common travel trailer problems. If you’d like to know more or you want to explore our incredible selection of travel trailers for sale, don’t hesitate to call us or head into our dealership in Campbell River, British Columbia. Bill Howich RV & Marine welcomes all those coming from Nanaimo.