Roof is the first thing because if it is toast, not worth spending money on anything else.
Second would be tires and axles to ensure those are good followed by hitch and lights. That will ensure you are able to tow it.
Past that, check awning, AC, fridge, etc…. While those may be costly to replace, they don’t prevent you from using the rig, just requires out of the box planning.
When you do the tires repack the bearings.
First go over the entire trailer inside and out looking for any sign of water damage. A common place will be that storage compartment at the front of the trailer. Skylights in bathrooms also tend to leak a lot. Find and seal the source of any water intrusion and then here is a list of things to do/check.
- The roof is due to get a dicor coating.
https://www.amazon.com/Dicor-Roofing-Coating-Cleaner-Activator/dp/B000BRFS8Q/ref=asc_df_B000BRFS8Q
I’m guessing you’ll need 1 bottle of cleaner and 3 cans of the coating from the picture of your trailer. Make sure you get the kind in the black can (extended life). The regular comes in an orange can and is fine, but the black can is worth the extra few dollars.
If you DIY you can get it done for around $500. It will take you a full Saturday to accomplish but most of that time is waiting for the first coat to dry. It rolls on with a paint roller and will make your roof like new.
Don’t fall for Hengs or any other brand. And if you find some dicor that is significantly cheaper than the rest be wary of that too. It could be past its expiration date or improperly stored so it will be no good.
- Hopefully it was winterized. If so, hook up city water (use this every time you’re hooked up to water), flush all of the water lines, turn off city water, un-bypass the water heater, install new anode rod, turn city water back on, open hot water valves until no more air is coming out of the lines. Shut off the hot water valves to allow water pressure to build inside the lines.
Now you need to inspect for leaks. Open every cabinet and access panel and check every connection in the PEX. Also check around the water heater. Sometimes they develop hairline cracks in the tank that you can’t see but you will start to notice water around the tank if you are paying attention to it.
Same for the drains. P traps are where you’re most likely to have a leak.
Let your grey and black tanks fill up to make sure your drain valves outside aren’t leaking.
- Fill and flush the black tank several times. Anything that might have been left in the tank over winter has probably dried out and hardened over winter. Our goal here is to re-hydrate it so it will in-stick from the inside of the tank and flush out. You can do this at home dumping into a sewer clean out if you have one that’s convenient. If not, plan your first camping trip to be more of a test/maintenance trip.
After it’s been flushed, fill it with water and your choice of tank cleaning agents and let it sit for 24 hours and then dump/flush again.
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Re-caulk around everything exterior. Use Dicor brand lap sealant. Self leveling for on the roof, non-self leveling for everything else (windows/doors/etc). Pay particular attention around your slide outs if you have any.
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volt meter. Is your RV 30 amp? Get one of these and keep it plugged in where you can see it when using high draw devices. Normal voltage will be 120. If you see it dip down below 108 or so, turn something off. 104 and below you can damage your appliances. I keep one by the microwave so I know if I need to turn the AC off for a few minutes while I heat up my food. (I can only use 2 of the 3 at one time between my AC, electric water heater, and microwave.)
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Your AC, clean the filter inside now and again half way through the summer. On the roof, take the cover off of the AC (would be convenient to do while prepping for the roof sealant) and clean out any gunk on the coil up there.
With its age, it is about at the end of its expected life. But sometimes they last for 30 years. If it’s working fine, then great! If it’s causing large power draws and/or tripping breakers you can try to limp it along for a while with a hard start capacitor Supco SPP6. You can find a video on Amazon on how to install it. All you need is a screwdriver.
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How are the tires? RV tires generally dry rot before the tread is significantly worn down. here’s how to check the age. If the tires are original you definitely want to get them replaced. It sucks having one blow out on the way to a camping trip. Check your spare as well. Trailer tires are usually pretty cheap at Walmart. Covers over the tires while in storage can help prevent the sun from destroying them. Repack the bearings as well.
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Open the access panel for the refrigerator and clean out inside there. It’s a common spot for wasps to build nests.
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Replace the propane detector. Propane is heavier than air so your detector should be somewhere around shin height. It’s simple 2 wires to connect behind it and should be around $50 on Amazon.
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Replace smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. At least one in sleeping area and one in living area.
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Operate the emergency escapes. I think that big window to the right of your door is one. You probably have another on the other side of the trailer somewhere. 2 reasons to do this are that in the case of needing to use it, you won’t be trying to figure it out, and also if they go unused for a long time they can stick shut.
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Upgrade to LEDs. The old incandescent bulbs generate a lot more heat than you would think. here’s a 5 pack for $45. It’s amazing the difference this will make for helping your AC keep it cool inside.
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Do NOT buy the cheapest sewer hose. Unless you want to have a “crappy” day. Rhino flex is good imo. I have two of the black totes with yellow lids that are common. One holds all of my “dirty” hoses (sewer, black water flush with backflow preventer, elbow). The other holds my fresh water hose, extra o-rings, Y connector and water filters.
When it comes to sewer hoses 3 10’ lengths is better than 1 30’ length. That way if you have a section get a hole in it, you can just use another section and still be able to dump. You also want that hose to be as short as possible when hooked up because the more twists and turns in it, the more likely you are to get a clog while dumping.
I could keep going but I’ll stop now and consider publishing a book on this stuff.
When checking tires. Don’t just check that they have good tread. They should also be replaced based on age. Certainly if they are 10 year old OEM tires. Probably if they are more than 5 years old.
The first comment is very accurate. Here are a couple of additional things to check.
Line pressure water system. Does it leak anywhere?
Once you have checked that,
Water heater. Much easier to repair or replace any parts now, than it is once you are using it.
Jack, tire change tools. Should be a part of your tire inspection, but often overlooked.
All the spots that have openings to the outside where you’re going to put Irish Spring soap keeps mice away
Congratulations! I hope you have a lot of amazing adventures!!!
