long haul prep

[mickeytopher]

We are going to be doing a 1600-mile round trip this summer down to Georgia. We have an early 90s? Skamper that had been sitting around for 15-20 years. We took it on a few short trips over the past couple of years. So I'm putting together a checklist to make her road worthy.
I know there isn't much to these any other suggestions would be appreciated.
_Wheel bearings (grease or replace)
_New tail lights (I'm missing a lens and the license plate holder is busted
_Tires and spare are all new but a few years old

 

[kitphantom]

"few year old" tires probably need to be replaced. With campers, many time tires age out before wearing out. After enduring both an entire wheel flying off (because we forgot to re-torque before a trip, after tire change when our routine got disrupted by my husband's bad bicycle accident) and a blow out, I'll doe everything I can to avoid tire/wheel issues on the road.
A good maintenance check all aground, such as the bearings as you've mentioned for the camper, and also for the tow vehicle.

 

[davido]

• Tires: How old is "a few years", and are they stored with RV tire covers over them?
  • Any visible cracking, at all?
  • Any bulges?
  • How is the tread?
• Brakes:
  • Do they engage when you press the lever on your brake controller?
  • How are the shoes? Time for replacement?
  • How are the springs, the caliper piston, and so on?
  • Is the wiring from the controller all the way back to the brakes in good shape, and reliable?
  • ....do they work?
• Wheel bearings:
  • Any signs of scratching or scarring?
  • Replacement bearings are cheap. Consider just replacing them.
  • Repack with bearing grease.
• Lug nuts / studs:
  • Are the lugs in good shape?
  • None are missing or broken?
• Suspension:
  • Any broken springs?
  • Sagging?
• Frame & Chassis:
  • Bends?
  • Damage?
  • Lose axle bolts?
• Towing:
  • Coupler is in good shape?
  • Coupler latch works, and stays latched?
  • Breakaway brake switch is in tact?
  • Battery works? (It's needed for the breakaway brakes to work.)
  • Chains are in tact?
  • Wiring harness is good?
  • All lights work?
• Tow vehicle:
  • Vehicle hitch is in good shape?
  • Ball is in good shape, and torqued appropriately?
  • Wiring connector is in good shape and makes a strong connection?
  • Chain plate is in tact?
  • Suspension is ok?
  • Brakes are in good shape?
  • Tires are in good shape?
  • Oil and coolant systems are ok?
  • Loaded trailer, sitting on the ball, with a loaded tow vehicle is within tongue weight limit?
  • Does the back end sag excessively?
  • Does the front end lift excessively?
• Safety & Handling
  • Is it possible to lock up the brakes on the trailer? (It should be possible, and then you adjust your controller downward from there.)
  • Is the trailer prone to sway? (Add a sway control bar or a sway control WD hitch)
  • Is a WD hitch needed?

Really, most of that checklist you can work through in a couple of hours. It seems long, but a lot of it is just a matter of hooking up and testing. Checking the brake shoe thickness requires jacking it up and pulling off the wheel / drum, but even that takes twenty minutes, and can be done while you're repacking the bearings.

If you pass the checklist, you should be fine for camping whether it's 2 miles or 2000 miles each way.

 

[BikeNFish]

Do you have a battery? Water system? Lift cable system? Refrigerator? Propane lines?

If you have any of the systems listed above, they all should be checked an have maintenance done on them.

Battery - Is it in working order and less than 6 years old?
Water System - Any leaks, has it been sanitized and (if applicable) does the water pump work?
Lift Cable System - has it been lubed lately?
Refrigerator - is it in working order using Shore Power, on propane, on 12 volt?
Propane lines - Have the lines and connections been checked for leaks?

In addition, water test the canvas to make sure there will be no surprise leaks. Check all of the roof seals (roof, A/C, vents) to make sure you don't have any worn or cracked seals. Lube the moving parts on the hitch coupler. If applicable, check the A/C.

Check the wiring harness to make sure there are no cracked or exposed wires and the plug is in good working order.

Make sure you have a good spare tire and the means (lug wrench and jack) to remove a tire if you get a flat.

 

[mickeytopher]

We have a pretty simple pop-up just electric, a water tank/hookup and propane stove. No trailer brakes or electric backup, A/C or refrigeration....you could say we're ruffing it in the camper world.

 

[mickeytopher]

The tow rig is an 08 Explorer Sport Trak definitely going to need new shocks giving the drivetrain the once over wouldn't hurt.

 

[Sjm9911]

Like stated, make sure the tires are good. On long trips I take a second spare. Make sure your jack fits and wrench fits the lug nuts. Make sure you have some leveling blocks or cribbing, just incase you need to jack on sandy ground. Good idea to have road flares and a tire patch kit. Have an extra key for the pop up in the glove box of the TV, and an extra key for the TV hidden in the pop up. Ya never know, loosing a key 2000 miles from home is never a good thing.

 

[Sjm9911]

Oh, tie down straps. Just in case a latch fails on the road.

 

[jmkay1]

Me personally before a big trip I bring the truck to a mechanic and ask them to give things a look over. I explain I'm going to be towing a camper on an extended trip. That way I know of any possible problem areas that need to be addressed. Honestly they saved my butt a couple times with their suggestions. Especially something that could be exasperated when towing. Many times I have them replace my breaks in advance if they are getting low because I know I will be facing mountains enroute and don't want to risk breaks giving out where I need it most.

 

[Rob Roy]

When you replace the tail lights, buy LEDs. They aren't that much more expensive and they are much more visible (brighter). You might also want to check for soft spots on the floor and roof to make sure that you don't get a failure on the road. I'm sure that your short trips over the last couple of years have given you some confidence that the propane, electrical and weather protection (no water leaks) are ok. And bring tools along, with some supplies like sheet metal screws, caulk, duct tape, etc. Something will require a bit of attention along the way. It has in my 2018 TT, and that had almost no miles on it when I bought it!

 

[eprovenzano]

Do yourself a favor... jack up the pup using the jack you'd be using in an emergency tire replacement, and remove the lug nuts with the tool you'd be using... I was in the unfortunate situation where the jack I had intended to use didn't work, and the lug nuts were a bear to get off... thank God a nice gentleman took pity on me and helped me out...

I've since tossed that jack in favor one that works, and carry a 4 way lug wrench in the pup. At the beginning of every season I also remove the tires to ensure in the event on an emergency, I can pull the wheels and change a tire.

 

[Rob Roy]

Do yourself a favor... jack up the pup using the jack you'd be using in an emergency tire replacement, and remove the lug nuts with the tool you'd be using... I was in the unfortunate situation where the jack I had intended to use didn't work, and the lug nuts were a bear to get off... thank God a nice gentleman took pity on me and helped me out...

I've since tossed that jack in favor one that works, and carry a 4 way lug wrench in the pup. At the beginning of every season I also remove the tires to ensure in the event on an emergency, I can pull the wheels and change a tire.

May I add that you should have a breaker bar with the correct sockets in your vehicle. Temp changes and energetic technicians with a pneumatic or battery impact driver will tighten the lugs tremendously. There are even retractable breaker bars that take up less space.

 

[mickeytopher]

Would I be able to tow it with a class I receive? This truck came from the factory with a class I setup. The camper weighs 1400 lbs.

 

[JimmyM]

Would I be able to tow it with a class I receive? This truck came from the factory with a class I setup. The camper weighs 1400 lbs.

That should be sufficient.
See this link at Curt.
https://www.curtmfg.com/types-trailer-hitches#HitchClasses