There are so many small maintenance items that can be achieved way before any repair work is needed. Making sure your caravan does not leak after rain is one of the most important items to check.
Things you can maintain yourself …
Caravan repairs can be expensive and there are many things you can maintain yourself to prevent costly repairs later. Do you see surface rust around the towing draw bar, the gas cylinders, or on the suspension? You can maintain this easily! Keeping a close eye on rust prevents major damage years later. Especially if you live on or near the coast where salt air is common.
Caravans sit unused for months and exposed metal parts become dried and rusted from the exposure. If you are able to store your caravan indoors, then this is less of a problem. Rusty metal is untidy but it can also be destructive or just plain annoying. Especially if the jockey wheel is allowed to rust and corrode, making it almost impossible to use. It is so easy to maintain.
Jockey wheel maintenance: Hitch your caravan to your car or ute, secure the safety chains and remove the jockey wheel. Most jockey wheels can be unwound by the handle until the wheel comes all the way out, exposing a long coarsely threaded shaft. If there is old grease and dirt, thoroughly wash this area with a degreaser.
If you stay on sealed roads, apply grease or at least WD40 to the threaded shaft. If you are likely to go offroad and on dusty roads, apply a heavy duty silicone spray or a dry lubricant. The silicone or dry lubricant will not attract dust and the jockey wheel crank will always be easy to move. Do this once a year or at least every two years depending on how often you hit the road.
Check the clamp where the jockey wheel fits to the drawbar of the caravan. Apply a light spray of WD40 or silicone spray. Grease is okay, but it will attract dirt and can stain clothes when you accidentally bump against it.
Anywhere around the hitch and gas cylinders: Brush off any surface rust with a stainless steel or brass wire brush and apply a rust retardant. If you are indoors, WD40 will be ok, but it will rinse off in rain. The ideal rust retardant will penetrate rust and permanently seal out any oxygen. The oxygen promotes the rusting process. Sealing the oxygen stops rust immediately. WD40 and any surface oil will seal out oxygen, but it will eventually dissolve, so a type of retardant that seals and dries to a waterproof finish will be best. Products like Penetrol Anti-rust treatment seals rust with a flexible and dry finish. Boiled linseed oil is a favourite of mine, but it will rinse off in rain after a time and needs to be reapplied once a year or more often after rain.
Surface rust anywhere else can be treated the same way. The level of effort depends on where the rust appears. If you have a set of folding steps that are starting to show heavier signs of rust, you may want to use a rust converter and then finish off with a coat of new satin paint. That way your entry will remain new and fresh in appearance.
With any light duty maintenance, if the job is looking beyond your skill level, contact us at Gold Coast Mobile Weigh and caravan maintenance. We are happy to advise over the phone or take on the tougher jobs to keep your caravan or camper looking just like new!
Tyres: There are many things you can do yourself to maintain your caravan’s tyres. Keep the tyres out of the sunlight. Rubber degrades over time and quicker in the sunlight. You can cover the tyres with special covers, lean a board against the wheels, or park close to a protective wall where the shade keeps the sun away.
Check tyre pressures at least every three months. If you are using your caravan regularly, then check the pressures before you leave. Keep your own tyre pressure gauge. They are available at car parts stores. I like to keep my own compressor too. This saves me having to go to the service station where the gauge and air compressor may be faulty. You can visit your tyre outlet, but they might prefer you to make prior arrangements because space may be limited and they want to plan how to receive your caravan or camper if it is a busy day.
Tyres have a date stamp, and this is a four digit code. It is not always easy to find and you may need to check one of the other tyres where the code might be in a better position to see it. The first two numbers are the week of production from 01 to 52. The last two numbers are the year. So a tyre marked 2621 will mean that the tyre was manufactured on the 26th week of 2021.
Why is the tyre manufacture date so important?
Tyres older than five years become degraded and require closer inspection. Take your caravan to your local tyre dealer and ask them to check each tyre. If you are not planning a round Australia adventure, then your dealer might suggest to keep your tyres and inspect them each year after. Tyres that are 7 years or more old should be replaced as soon as possible.
You should observe the tyre tread to make sure it is not bald. A thorough inspection involves rotating the tyre to check there are no areas where tread may be flattened on just one part of the tyre. Tread may be worn in the middle of the tyre or on either or both edges. This indicates a fault in either the suspension, the tyre pressure, or a wheel bearing and needs to be checked by professionals. Deep cuts on the sides of tyres need to be professionally checked too.
Remember the spare tyre! In the realm of easy maintenance, it’s a great idea to actually remove the spare tyre from the mounting bracket and inspect it thoroughly. Sometimes the spare tyre is covered inside a compartment. Make sure the fasteners are functional and spray a lubricant on the mechanism so that it is easy to use. Too many people reach for the spare tyre on the side of a busy highway, frantic with a flat tyre, and find the spare tyre is stuck on the tyre mount on the back bumper or under the caravan. When you are home is the time to rehearse a tyre change! Check the tread is suitable, find the date marking, and check the spare tyre’s pressure.
Gas cylinder: The gas cylinder often sits fully exposed to the sun and rain and corrosion and sunlight can deteriorate items on and around the gas cylinder. Check the clamps that secure the cylinder. Check for functionality, is it easy to remove and replace the cylinder? Lubricate the locking mechanism and treat any surface rust. Check for any gas smells which will indicate a leak. Contact a gas fitter if you notice gas. Shut off the gas valve and do not use any gas appliances. Do not paint the gas cylinder and check the date code to make sure you are within 10 years since manufacture. Gas bottles are marked with a four digit code. Just like an expiry date on a debit card. 04/14 will mean that the bottle was manufactured on the fourth month of 2014. If the bottle or cylinder is 10 years old or more, then it will need to be replaced or re-certified.
Roof leaks: You can easily spot a leaky roof when it is raining and the water is dripping to the floor. Some roof leaks are less obvious and become evident by a damp wall, a bulging ceiling, or some spotting from mould. Check around the airconditioner and all the roof vents and skylights. Professionals will very closely inspect the roof and around each vent on the outside, but your observations of early signs is very important. Look in the back of cupboards and along the edges where the wall meets the floor. Stains can mean water leaks.
Window leaks: When it rains and the rain is beating against one side of the caravan, this is a great time to observe any possible window leaks. Drips may be appearing under a window. Record these leaks and have your caravan repairer check the window and seals. Photos are very helpful. Sometimes you just need to clear the drain holes on the outside of the window sill. This depends on your window design.
Lights: Plug your caravan into the tow vehicle’s lighting socket and check your brake, indicator, and running lights. Remember to check the number plate light too! If there are any lights off, you can check the plug and socket for any corrosion. Then you can try replacing the bulbs.
Battery: The caravan battery should be maintained at all times. Never leave the battery without either disconnecting it from the caravan circuit, or connecting to a charger. Most caravan’s have an onboard charger where all your need is to plug the caravan into mains power at the caravan’s power inlet. If you can, leave it plugged in and charging all the time. The onboard charger will keep the battery ‘trickle’ charged. If you disconnect your battery, best to remove the positive battery lead and recharge your battery at least every three to six months. You can recharge the battery by reconnecting the positive battery lead and plugging the caravan to 240 volt power. This will activate the onboard charger. It is best to leave this to charge for at least three days.
If your battery is sealed, it will not have any caps to check the electrolyte levels. If there are inspection caps, prevent any source of sparks, and whilst wearing safety glasses, carefully remove the inspection caps. With a battery operated torch, look directly down into the battery and observe the lead plates. The electrolyte should be covering the lead plates to a depth of approximately 5mm. Do not fill the battery to the top. If the battery electrolyte level is low, add some distilled water to bring the level to 5mm above the lead plates.
Check the battery electrolyte every six months.
If you notice the battery is totally dry, or the battery regularly needs new distilled water every month, then there may be a problem with the onboard charger and you will need to have this inspected.
A battery that is dry or low on electrolyte will usually show signs of white water stains on the top and corrosion at the terminal posts, at the lead clamps, and rust or white powdery crusts on metal items around the battery. This is a sign of hydrogen gases escaping the battery and is very concerning. The battery should be disconnected in a manner that causes no sparks. The gases could ignite in an enclose area and the battery could even explode causing local damage to the battery compartment. If you have any doubts at all about handling a battery, contact us or your service professional.
Batteries that are sealed and have no inspection caps do not require any maintenance. A professional caravan repairer will check the battery for voltage ‘state of charge’ to see if the battery is functioning properly. Any battery that is older than five years should be checked but the expectation is that it will become weak after a five year period. Some batteries do fail after one or two years depending on the level of maintenance and demand. A battery that is run down flat without charging regularly will have a very short life. A battery that is kept charged and rarely flattened to the point where lights go dull will usually last five or so years. Lithium batteries will last much longer if they are used within specific limits. Any battery that is run down flat regularly will have a shortened lifespan.
If you have any questions about maintenance, would like a second opinion, or just need someone to inspect and handle any concerns, contact Gold Coast Mobile Weigh. We have years of experience and the credentials to offer accurate advice. We can even visit you for mobile repairs and maintenance. Remember to keep us in mind for when you want to have your caravan and tow vehicle weighed. We can bring our mobile weigh bridge consisting of accurate caravan scales to survey your weight limitations. We can visit any Gold Coast suburb or make arrangements to meet you at a suitable location.
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