How Often Should I Service My Camper Trailer and Caravan?

There’s nothing like hitting the road in your very own all-purpose camper trailer or caravan. The sense of freedom, the unique experiences, and the sights make each journey memorable. However, like any vehicle or vessel, camper trailers and caravans need regular servicing to remain in tip-top shape.

Whether you own an older model or you’ve recently bought a brand-new trailer or caravan, there’s one question you might be wondering: just how often should I service my camper trailer or caravan? Today, we’ll be going through what a service entails, how it works, and how often you should consider having one done.

What is a Camper Trailer or Caravan Service?

Just like your day-to-day vehicle, a camper trailer or caravan will need to be serviced by professionals. This is, after all, a car and a house, so mechanics need to modify and service all parts of the trailer or caravan. A typical service will cover:

• Mechanical Components (wheels, breaks, filters)
• Tyres
• Couplings
• Electrical Systems
• Ventilation
• Plumbing, Gas & Lighting 
• Interior Upholstery
• Exterior Surfaces; and
• Any other existing faults

If you’ve got a camper trailer or caravan, it’s fair to assume you have a vehicle capable of towing it. Just as this vehicle requires an annual service, so too does your camper trailer or caravan. It’s really important that your trailer or caravan can survive long stretches of road and the extensive time spent travelling. This way, your holiday plans or nomadic lifestyle remain efficient, relaxing, and enjoyable.

Although servicing costs money, they are often well worth the investment, particularly as a means to avoid any large-scale repairs down the line. Over time, the cost of regularly servicing your trailer or caravan is far less than it would cost to afford the necessary repairs that will arise without it.

Trailer & Caravan Servicing and Legality

While it isn’t necessarily a legal requirement to have your trailer or caravan serviced, it does ensure that it meets the legal requirements for its use as stipulated by VicRoads. These conditions include:

• The couplings and safety chains are in good working order.
• Brakes and external lights are operations. 
• Wheels and related components are in good condition.
• Tyres are of a suitable uniform make and have a good tread depth.

If your trailer or caravan is suffering from any faults with these parts, it can represent a detrimental danger for you and anyone else on the road while you’re towing. This can result in a fine and possibly worse depending on the severity of your trailer or caravan’s faults, and the time since its last service.

What Happens During a Trailer and Caravan Service?

A trailer and caravan service is a comprehensive check of the basics of your trailer, making sure that everything is in good working order and roadworthy before you head off. More specifically, a camper trailer and caravan service generally involves several key examinations and checks:

Gear and Chassis Checks

Two extremely important parts of the camper trailer, the running gear and the chassis, are continuously subjected to conditions that exacerbate their wear and tear. During your service, all components of these parts will be checked to make sure they’re all in full working order. The gear and chassis are made up of several key parts, and if any aren’t maintained properly, this leaves the door open to significant distress.

Undercarriage Check

A functional undercarriage is the lifeblood of every camper trailer and caravan. This is why it is so important to get your vehicle booked in for servicing. While carrying out these checks, the service professionals will typically assess everything from the tyres to the suspension, wheels, brakes, shock absorbers, safety chains, wheel alignment, and more. These checks help to guarantee that the vehicle is safe and fit for use.

Gas Systems Check

A majority of caravans have gas systems, which are usually centred around heating, water, oven, and fridge installations. During the service, these systems are tested to ensure that they all turn on safely, that there are no leaks or obstructions, and that there aren’t any dangerous flame failures. Fully testing the capabilities and safety of a caravan’s gas systems requires several different methods, and can be an extensive part of the service.

Electrical Systems Check

As with gas systems, all caravans have a certain number of things that run on electricity. Electrical safety is always important, especially where an electrical systems’ potential for fiery failures are in such close proximity to gas systems. Therefore, all electrical systems in your camper trailer and caravan are checked for any faults or failures. Other key electrical components of note include the airbags and tail lights, both of which are vital for the on-road safety of your vehicle, as well as the general public.

Water and Fire System and Safety

Your camper van and trailer are essentially a portable home that is carrying full water and fire essentials on board. If an accident occurs with either of these, it can be a costly disaster and represents a potential hazard on the road as well.

Ventilation

Camper trailers are enclosed spaces. In the event that your gas breaks or leaks while you’re on the road, the only defence against an accident like this that might not be immediately fixable is to ensure that you have good ventilation. The mechanic responsible for your service will ensure that your vents are working well and unobstructed, as well as check your roof lights' opening and closing mechanisms.

Bodywork

During a service, the exterior integrity of your camper van’s body will be assessed, including all bodywork and the roof, windows, and doors. A damp test is also conducted in order to make sure there’s no issue with the waterproofing of your caravan. Depending on the results of the damp test, another test may be required to diagnose the issue and repair it.

Whether you own Lifestyle campers or any other RV model, we provide affordable and detailed camper trailer and caravan servicing in Melbourne. Reach out to us now for further info!

How Often Should I Service My Camper Trailer?

This often comes down to how often you use your trailer. For brand-new trailers, it is often recommended to get their first service done after the first 1000 km. After that, it’s recommended to service your caravan every 12 months, or every 10,000km - whichever comes first. 

You should also get your caravan serviced if you’re using it for the first time in an extended period of disuse, just to make sure none of its requisite.

Signs You Need to Schedule a Service

While booking an annual service is generally the way to go, there may be other times when it is more urgent. Of course, if any warnings appear on the dashboard, book a service immediately. Otherwise, if you notice any leaks, unusual smells, electrical failures, or a problem with the way the engine seems to be running, these are all signs that it's time for a service. 

As we noted earlier, staying proactive is the best way to guarantee that your trailer and caravan are safe and fit for long journeys on the road. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy all the great things that come with owning your very own all purpose camper trailer and caravan or caravan.

Always Check Your Warranty 

Many people often underestimate the significance of servicing, but this can save you a lot of money in the long run. These days, many products come with stipulations in the warranty package that require the owner to organise a regular service. If the owner fails to do so, the warranty can then be voided. 

It’s also important to note that most warranties require that you service your RV by a professional. This means that you cannot just perform maintenance on your own. By doing so, you risk invalidating your warranty and hence missing out on important coverages of repair costs.

Get Your Camper trailer and caravan Serviced with Camping Adventures

When you invest in a caravan and camper trailer, it's an investment in your leisure time and travel experiences. It's no secret that they come with a fairly high price tag, and it's therefore important to make sure you're looking after your investment properly. This is where caravan and camper trailer and caravan servicing comes in. 

Camping Adventures has been a premium supplier of camping supplies in Melbourne since 2015. As a family owned business, we are proud to be one of the top brick-and-mortar and RV Dealerships online camping stores in Australia. We offer a range of services including retail, camper trailer services, warranty, 4x4 accessory installation, RV accessory installation, and much more!

So, if you’re looking for the platinum standard in camping accessories, and camping trailer services, simply get in touch with Camping Adventures today and we’ll be more than happy to set you up however we can!