RV & Travel-Trailer Parts to Watch

The single biggest source of costly RV and travel-trailer repairs is water getting in through a tired roof or a failed seam. Sealant shrinks, cracks and lets moisture reach the walls, floor and framing long before you see a stain inside. Inspecting the roof every spring and fall and re-sealing as needed is the cheapest insurance you can buy.

• Self-leveling lap sealant for horizontal seams around vents, skylights and the roof edge; use non-sag sealant on vertical surfaces.
• Match the product to your roof type — EPDM or TPO rubber membranes versus fiberglass or aluminum roofs each call for different sealants.
• Check every penetration: vents, antennas, AC gasket, fridge vent and the front and rear seams.

See the full range in our online store or come in and we'll match the right sealant to your roof.

RVs and travel trailers often sit for months and rack up few kilometres, so owners assume the running gear is fine. It usually isn't — grease breaks down, seals dry out and tires age from the inside whether you drive on them or not. This is the same running gear we service on light trailers and on medium-duty gooseneck and fifth-wheel units with axles up to 18,000 lb.

• Repack wheel bearings and replace seals on a schedule based on time, not just distance travelled.
• Read the DOT date code on your ST (Special Trailer) tires — they age out and should generally be replaced by 5 to 7 years regardless of tread depth.
• Adjust and test electric brakes, and check magnets and shoes before every camping season.

Browse axle and bearing parts, trailer brakes and ST trailer tires, or book service in our shop.

Stabilizer jacks steady the trailer at the campsite, while the tongue (or A-frame) jack carries the load when you hitch and unhitch. Both take a beating from road grime, salt and Quebec winters, and a seized or bent jack can leave you stranded in a parking lot.

• Keep scissor and drop-leg stabilizer jacks clean, lubricated and free of bends; replace worn crank sockets and footpads.
• Service or replace the tongue jack — manual or electric — before it fails under load; watch for a slipping drive gear or a jack that won't hold weight.
• Carry the correct crank handle and a set of jack pads or blocks for soft or uneven ground.

We stock stabilizer and tongue jacks in our store and can swap an electric tongue jack on site.

How your travel trailer tows comes down to the connection between it and your vehicle. A properly set-up hitch keeps the load level and the steering predictable, and the breakaway system is a legal and life-safety item that too many owners forget to test.

• Use a weight-distribution hitch sized to your tongue weight so the load is shared across both axles and the tow vehicle sits level.
• Add sway control — friction or a dual-cam system — to steady the trailer in wind and against passing trucks.
• Test the breakaway battery regularly: pull the pin and confirm the trailer brakes lock, and keep the battery charged so it can actually stop the trailer if it separates.

We fit hitches, sway control and breakaway kits for everything from light utility trailers to fifth wheels — see the store for options.

Quebec winters are hard on anything left outside, and a travel trailer's plumbing is especially vulnerable. Water left in the lines will freeze, split fittings and crack the water heater and pump — a big bill for a job that costs almost nothing to do right in the fall.

• Winterize the plumbing with RV antifreeze, drain the tanks and water heater, and blow out or bypass the lines.
• Reseal the roof and reseal any suspect seams before the freeze-thaw cycle works moisture deeper into the structure.
• Cover or store smart, keep the battery charged or removed, and check tires and bearings again before the first trip in spring.

Book a fall check-up through our maintenance and inspection service so nothing gets missed.

Whether you tow a light utility, enclosed or open trailer, a medium-duty gooseneck or fifth wheel, or a full RV or travel trailer, Location Remorque Laval carries the parts and does the work. We keep roof sealant, bearings and seals, brakes, ST tires, jacks, hitches and breakaway kits on the shelf, and our shop handles the installs and seasonal service.

• Full parts store for RVs and trailers of every size.
• Repair, install and inspection service in our shop.

Not sure which part you need? Come by our shop at 1870 rue Cunard in Laval — we check fitment and install. Parts shipped across Quebec, free over $300, or pick up on site. 450-232-7828.