This RV Maintenance Checklist Will Ensure Your Camper is Road Trip Ready

If you’re planning to take your camper across the country, you need to ensure your equipment is up to the task. After all, the quickest way to ruin what should be a fun and exciting vacation is to end up stranded on the side of the road far from home. Or worse, be out camping in a remote location with no access to clean water, a proper toilet, air conditioning, or any of the other comforts your camper provides.

This guide will walk you through a comprehensive checklist that guarantees your RV is up to the task you’ve got planned. We’re going to check every essential component of your camper and make sure that your road trip will be a massive success. Let’s Begin.

Make Sure Your Engine Maintenance is Up to Date

The most important maintenance item on our list is your RV’s engine or if you own a towable RV, your own vehicle’s engine. Failing to maintain the engine properly could lead to an absolute nightmare scenario – you and your family stranded on the side of the road for hours waiting for a tow truck.

Here are the most crucial parts of the engine you should check on before heading out on the open road:

Oil Levels – Top off or change the oil if necessary and make sure you don’t have oil leaking from any part of the engine.
Battery – Testing your battery is easy and will help ensure you don’t end up unable to start your engine. It’s also wise to make sure you’ve got a pair of jumper cables handy on your trip.
Belts and Hoses – You can visually inspect belts and hoses for signs of wear, cracking, or corrosion and replace any that need it.
Filters – It’s never a bad idea to replace your oil and air filters before a long trip.

Checking up on the engine should only take a few minutes and will prevent you from encountering a major headache on your trip.

Inspect Your Camper’s Exterior

While not as essential as the engine, you’ll want to inspect the following components of your camper and vehicle:

Tires – Test the air pressure of all four tires, ensuring they’re in the manufacturer’s recommended range. You should also inspect the wear to determine if any tires need replacing before the trip.
Lights – Do a quick check of the lights, especially the taillights, if you have a towable RV.
Windshield Wipers – Make sure the windshield wipers aren’t streaking and replace them if needed.
AC/Heating – Make sure your air conditioner and heater work properly before setting out. If your camper uses propane, check all the fittings and regulators for leaks.
Windows and Seals – Check all your windows and door seals for gaps or cracks, and replace damaged seals. Nobody wants water getting in their camper. You can also roll out your awning to check it for holes, cuts, or tears.

These are the most critical components of your camper’s exterior, and making sure each of them is in good shape will ensure you don’t encounter any problems along the way.

Check the Inside of the RV

Now that we’ve given our camper’s exterior a once-over, it’s time to head inside and look at the appliances. These appliances will help us stay comfortable on our trip, so we want to be sure they’re in good working order.

Refrigerator and Stove – Make sure both the fridge and stove are working correctly.
Electrical – Test each electrical outlet to make sure it has power. Test your electrical switches, including your slide and awning. Check your batteries and generator.
Furniture – Check that any slide-outs are stable and that they glide smoothly. Lubricate the sliding mechanism if it is giving you any trouble.
Black and Grey Water Tanks – Empty both tanks and check for any leaks.
Water Heater – Nobody likes a cold shower; make sure your water heater is producing hot water.
Fire Extinguisher – Check that you have your fire extinguisher onboard and make sure the pressure gauge is in the green.

Checking all your interior appliances and amenities ensures you’ll be comfortable throughout your trip.

Additional RV Maintenance Tips for Towable Campers

If you have a towable RV, you’ll want to add the following essential maintenance items to your checklist:

Check your trailer’s brakes.
Tighten the nuts and bolts around the coupling on your trailer hitch.
Make sure the handbrake and jockey wheel are easy to move. If not, lubricate them and remove any rust that has built up.

Following these tips guarantees your towable camper is ready to hit the road.

Take Your Camper for a ‘Test Weekend’

We’ve covered all the most essential maintenance items to check before heading out on your next trip, but some campers like to book themselves a weekend at a local RV park to be extra sure that everything works as intended. During this ‘test weekend,’ you can plug into the power, fill your water tanks, check the sewer, and make extra sure that your road trip will go off without a hitch (in a manner of speaking).

If anything does go wrong, you’re still in the local area rather than hundreds of miles away. So this weekend acts as a ‘dry run’ for your big trip and minimizes the risk that anything will go awry.