Not every RV maintenance item carries the same risk. A sticky cabinet latch is annoying. A slow drawer slide can wait. But neglected tires, failing roof sealant, and questionable brakes or bearings can turn a summer RV trip into a roadside call, a major repair, or a serious safety problem. They can also get expensive fast.
A useful pre-season inspection should not only ask, “What should I inspect?” It should also ask, “What could strand me, damage the RV, or put my safety at risk?” That’s why we recommend you start with what we call the Big Three: tires, roof sealant, and brakes.
The Big Three at a Glance
Start with the problems most likely to end a trip early or lead to expensive damage. Tires help keep the RV traveling safely, roof sealant protects the structure from hidden water intrusion, and brakes or wheel-end components help keep the RV stopping and rolling the way it should.
- Tires: Check every RV tire, tow vehicle tire, dinghy vehicle tire, and spare.
- Roof sealant: Inspect seams, vents, skylights, A/C units, ladders, and roof-mounted accessories.
- Brakes and bearings: Prioritize trailer brakes and wheel bearings on travel trailers and fifth-wheels. Motorhome owners should follow the chassis manufacturer’s brake and wheel-end service schedule.
1. Check the Tires
RV tires can look fine and still be near the end of their safe service life. That surprises many owners because RV tires often do not wear like daily-driver tires. They may have plenty of tread left, especially on rigs that sit for months at a time. But rubber ages, and sunlight, heat, storage conditions, underinflation, and long periods of inactivity can all contribute to tire deterioration.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) specifically warns that RVs and other low-mileage vehicles can be at risk for tire aging. NHTSA also notes that some tire and vehicle manufacturers recommend replacement at 6–10 years, regardless of treadwear.
However, RV tires often live a harder life than tread depth suggests. Heat, sunlight, long storage periods, underinflation, overloading, and inactivity can all shorten usable life. Many RV owners use 3–5 years as a conservative replacement window, especially for rigs stored outdoors or used in hot climates. Always follow the tire manufacturer’s guidance and replace tires sooner if you see cracking, bulges, repeated air loss, or other signs of deterioration.
Check the RV Tire DOT Date Code
Every tire has a DOT Tire Identification Number molded into the sidewall. The last four digits show the week and year the tire was made. For example, a code ending in 1822 means the tire was made in the 18th week of 2022.
Check every tire in your RV setup, including the spare. The full code may only be on one side of the tire, so you may need to look on the inside sidewall. Even if they’re still within the age range, do not rely on tread depth alone. Replace tires that show cracking, bulges, cuts, exposed cords, uneven wear, repeated air loss, or age-related deterioration. If you are unsure, have a tire professional inspect them before travel.
Check RV Tire Pressure Cold and Match It to the Load
Tire pressure should be checked cold, before the tire has heated up from driving. The correct pressure is the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended cold pressure, not simply the number molded into the tire’s sidewall. That sidewall number is usually the maximum cold pressure for that tire, not the default pressure for every RV.
For RVs, load is especially important. Goodyear’s RV tire guidance says the RV should be weighed fully loaded, including passengers, food, water, fuel, supplies, and anything being towed. From there, tire pressure should be selected using the heaviest end of each axle and the tire manufacturer’s load/inflation table.
Do not reduce pressure below what is required for the actual load, and never exceed the tire or wheel rating. If you change tire size, load range, or wheels, confirm the correct pressure with the tire manufacturer’s load/inflation table or a qualified tire shop. Tire capacity and tire pressure ratings only mean something if you know what each axle and tire position is actually carrying.
Consider a TPMS
A tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is not a replacement for proper tire inspection, inflation, and loading. But it can provide early warning when a tire is losing pressure or heating up on the road.
That can be especially helpful for travel trailers, fifth-wheels, dinghy vehicles, and motorhomes, where the driver may not immediately feel a tire problem developing behind the cockpit. If your RV or towed setup does not have TPMS coverage, it is worth adding before travel.
2. Inspect RV Roof Sealant
A small roof sealant crack doesn’t always look dramatic, and that’s the problem. Hairline cracks around a vent, skylight, A/C unit, antenna, ladder mount, front cap, rear seam, or refrigerator vent can eventually become a problem area for water intrusion. Water can then travel where you cannot see it, leading to staining, soft spots, delamination, mold, rot, or structural damage. By the time the ceiling stain appears, the leak may have been active for a while.
Clean and inspect your RV’s roof at least twice a year, checking the membrane for damage, and inspecting sealant around roof vents, termination areas, roof attachments, and front/rear seams. Always check the owner’s manual for the correct cleaning products and sealants for your particular RV. EPDM, TPO, fiberglass, aluminum, and other roof materials may require different products, so compatibility matters more than brand names.
Safely Inspect the Roof
If it is safe and your RV is designed for roof access, walk the roof carefully. Keep your weight where the manufacturer recommends, avoid wet or slick surfaces, and do not climb if wind, balance, footwear, or ladder access makes it risky.
Look closely around:
- A/C units
- Roof vents
- Skylights
- Plumbing vents
- Antennas
- Refrigerator vents
- Solar mounts
- Ladder mounts
- Front and rear seams
- Side wall-to-roof transitions
- Any previous repair area
You are looking for cracked, lifted, dried, missing, separated, or poorly patched sealant. Also watch for soft spots, bubbles, staining, or areas where the roof membrane looks loose or damaged. If you’re not comfortable getting on the roof, use a ladder from the side where it is safe, or better yet, enlist a technician to inspect it.
Know When RV Roof Sealant Is a DIY Job
Minor sealant maintenance can be a reasonable DIY job for an owner who is comfortable working safely and knows the correct sealant for the roof material. Self-leveling lap sealant is commonly used on RV roof surfaces, but compatibility is critical. The wrong product can fail, damage the roof material, or make the next repair harder.
Small cracks around existing lap sealant may be good candidates for cleaning and resealing according to the product and RV manufacturer’s instructions, as long as the roof material is sound and the old sealant is still properly adhered. But wide gaps, loose components, soft decking, active water intrusion, membrane damage, or repeated leaks should be handled by a professional. Do not smear sealant over a mystery leak and hope for the best. Water damage gets expensive because it hides.
3. Service Trailer Brakes and Wheel Bearings
For towable RVs, the third high-priority check is trailer brakes and wheel bearings. If you drive a motorhome, follow the chassis manufacturer’s brake and wheel-end service schedule.
Trailer brakes and wheel bearings are not as easy to visually diagnose as tires. They do not sit in plain view, and they usually do not exhibit problems until something is already wrong. But a bearing failure can leave you stuck on the shoulder, and degraded trailer brakes can become dangerous on steep grades, in traffic, or during an emergency stop.
Many trailer axle maintenance schedules call for wheel bearing lubrication or inspection every 12 months or 12,000 miles, but owners should confirm the interval in the axle or RV manufacturer’s manual. Inspect the brakes during bearing maintenance. Owners who are not comfortable doing this work should have trailer maintenance completed at a local service center.
Do Not Skip Trailer Wheel Bearing Service
A bearing repack is easy to postpone because nothing seems wrong. But bearings carry heavy loads, deal with heat, and sit through long storage periods. If grease is contaminated, seals fail, or bearings wear, the first obvious symptom may be noise, heat, or wheel-end failure.
Before the season starts, confirm when the bearings were last serviced. If you’re not sure, have them inspected. Trailers that sit for long periods, travel high annual mileage, are exposed to floodwater, or show signs of grease seal failure may need service sooner.
Inspect Brakes While the Wheels Are Apart
When bearings are serviced, it is also a logical time to inspect the brakes. Brake shoes, magnets, drums, wiring, seals, and adjustment can all affect how well the trailer stops.
A trailer with weak brakes may handle fine on flat roads and then become a serious problem on a downhill grade. That’s the wrong place to discover the brake controller is not set correctly, a magnet has failed, or the trailer is not contributing enough braking force.
Test the Brake Controller
Before a trip, hook up the trailer and test the brake controller in a safe, open area. Confirm the controller powers up, the trailer brakes respond, and the breakaway cable and battery are in good condition. Make sure the breakaway cable is not wrapped around the hitch ball or safety chains in a way that could prevent it from pulling the switch if the trailer separates. The breakaway system is a last-resort safety device if the trailer separates from the tow vehicle.
None of the above are a substitute for proper brake inspection. They’re simply final checks before the road test. If braking feels weak, grabby, uneven, delayed, or inconsistent, do not “see how it goes.” Get it checked before towing at highway speed.
When to Get Professional RV Maintenance Service
Many owners can inspect tires, spot cracked sealant, test a brake controller, and notice red flags before they become major problems. However, professional service makes sense when the job affects safety, requires extensive disassembly, or needs trained judgment.
Consider paying for service if you need:
- A trailer bearing repack
- Brake inspection or adjustment
- Brake magnet, shoe, drum, or wiring diagnosis
- Motorhome chassis brake inspection or brake fluid service
- A roof reseal or leak diagnosis
- A multi-point spring inspection
- Tire replacement or load/inflation guidance
- A propane leak test if you smell propane or have warning signs
- Inspecting a roof you cannot safely access
RV Maintenance Red Flags to Fix Before You Travel
If you spot any of these warning signs, it’s important to handle them before the next RV trip.
Tires
- Unknown tire age
- DOT date code older than expected
- Sidewall cracking
- Bulges, cuts, or exposed cords
- Uneven or rapid wear
- Repeated air loss
- Tires that were run significantly underinflated
- Tires with a load range or size that does not match the RV placard or manufacturer guidance
- Wheels with a pressure rating lower than the tire pressure being used
Roofs
- Cracked lap sealant
- Sealant lifting away from the roof or fixture
- Soft spots on the roof
- Ceiling stains
- Wall staining near corners or cabinets
- Musty odor
- Bubbles or delamination
- Repeated “patches” that never solved the leak
Brakes and Bearings on Towable RVs
- Unknown bearing service history
- Grinding, humming, or rumbling from a wheel
- A hub that runs noticeably hotter than the others
- Grease on the inside of the wheel
- Weak trailer braking
- Brake controller errors
- Trailer brakes that grab, pulse, or feel uneven
- Breakaway switch or battery problems
- For motorhomes: brake warning lights, pulling while braking, soft pedal feel, vibration, grinding, brake fluid leaks, or overdue chassis service
Any one of these is enough reason to put your trip plans on hold until the issues are addressed.
Put These 3 RV Maintenance Checks First on Your List
A safe summer RV trip starts before you head for the horizon. Tires keep the RV safely on the road. Roof sealant helps keep water out of the RV structure. For towable RVs, brakes and bearings help the trailer stop and roll safely. For motorhomes, chassis brakes and wheel-end components deserve the same pre-season attention. Check those first. The rest of your packing list can wait.