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It’s worth the crawl under your RV to inspect these vital components.
Words by Jessica Rider
As most RVers around this time start thinking about the new season, there are two essential systems to check following winter storage. These include the axles and brakes.
When we began our mobile RV repair business, we thought we would be repairing A/C units, refrigerators and other common systems and appliances. We quickly realized that the number one complaint we received was issues with the axles and brakes on travel trailers and fifth wheels, which are often overlooked.
Most travel trailers and fifth wheels have leaf springs, which help manage the overall load. If these are rusted or showing signs of wear, one big bump during a trip could damage the leaf springs altogether, causing your axle to shift, and the tires to rub together, leaving you immobile.
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Sometimes repairs to axles are required sooner than later to avoid breakdowns.
It’s best to inspect the axles and brakes for any signs of damage before your first trip of the season. Better yet, know the size and weight rating of the leaf springs. In the event of an incident, you can quickly provide these details to a technician.
Another component on travel trailers and fifth wheels that we commonly replace are brakes and bearings. It’s essential to keep your bearings greased and we recommend repacking them every one to two years, depending on how much you travel.
We have seen several issues with brakes this year to the point where we had to replace the complete kits. Keep in mind that brakes need to be changed on both sides of the same axle followed by a start/stop test for several kilometres. Most brakes are 12/2, but it is important you know what style yours are for quick reference.
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Leaf springs for travel trailers and fifth wheels can cost from $150 to $250 and a typical brake kit can run from $180 to $240, depending on size and type. The repair can take anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours. A good technician will also inspect the other leaf springs or brakes at this time to ensure you won’t have any additional issues.
We can’t express how important it is to regularly inspect (at least twice a year) the axles, leaf springs and brakes of your RV to ensure safe and pleasant RV trips.