Three important tasks – Get ready for camping season

Are your tires ready to go camping?

Look your tires over carefully. Be sure to check the tread depth and look for signs of dry rotting. Every bit as important though is to check the age of the tires. Often tires simply deteriorate with age on the inside and show no problems during a visual inspection. The life expectancy of a trailer tire varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, but most are between 3 to 8 years.

It's always a tough decision to part with your money to replace tires that visually look good. For me, however, I'm a believer that it's better to be safe than sorry. I got four years out of our last set and it's now four years since I replaced them. I'm starting to think about tires a little too much, so I may be back in the market for new ones soon.

How to read the data on a tire sidewall

The most important item here is the date the tire was made. When you purchase new tires you should always check this date. Make sure you are not purchasing tires that have been sitting around in a warehouse for a long time.

Do your wheel bearings need to be serviced?

A wheel bearing that fails can leave you stranded on the side of the road. I've heard all kinds of recommendations to minimize this risk. My approach is to replace our wheel bearings every year if we've taken a long trip. Otherwise, at least every two years. It's pretty inexpensive and helps avoid one of the worst scenarios I want to run into on the road.

Years ago when we had a pop-up camper, our trips were rarely far from home. I would just inspect and repack the bearings myself. At this point, I pay to have it done by someone whose entire business is trailers. I've also found that it's no more expensive to have them replace the bearings than to repack them.

Don't forget the brakes

If your trailer has brakes, this is also the time to service them if needed. It's an easy check since the wheel hubs must be removed in order to do the wheel bearings.

Is your hitch too loose or too tight?

This may not be a common problem, but it always scares me a bit whenever we hit a big bump. I just imagine our trailer becoming disconnected from my truck. Yes, the safety chains are supposed to catch it if that ever happens, but...I guess I just like to have a little something to worry about!

Adjusting the coupler on your hitch is very quick and easy. There's really no excuse for not doing it each year. It will only take you a few minutes. Click on the photo below to see a short video on YouTube that shows you how to do it.

Camping Accessories

Be sure to also look over all the tools and accessories you take with when you go camping.  You don't want to get to your first campsite and find that something you've been using for years has outlived it's life.  If you're just getting started with camping, or looking for new ideas, be sure to check out the list of products we use and like.

Be sure to check out my complete list!