Caravan Servicing Checklist – What’s Involved & What Does It Cost?

caravan service centre - customer service

It’s surprising how many people who own a caravan do not book in for a regular caravan check or service. While the same people will be scrupulous about getting their car serviced.

We’ve been doing caravan servicing and repairs for years in Melbourne and we’ve seen our fair share of expensive repair jobs as a result of people not getting a regular caravan check and doing basic maintenance. Caravan accidents can be deadly and result from a combination of driver error as well as a failure to maintain the safety of your rig.

A caravan check and service should be done every 10,000kms. Our mechanics adhere to a comprehensive caravan servicing checklist to make sure your caravan is safe and ready to be taken on the road. It could save your life, save you thousands of dollars and save ruining a great holiday.

A caravan service should be done every 10,000 kms

Find A Caravan Mechanic Your Can Trust

It’s important to find a caravan repair centre who you can trust to thoroughly work through a comprehensive caravan servicing checklist. An experienced repairer, who you build a relationship with over a number of years, will also notice and fix minor problems on your caravan, before they become major repairs. This includes tightening hinges and taking care of seals before they turn into major water leaks requiring major work to the interior frame of your van.

What Does A Caravan Check & Service Involve?

A caravan has a lot of different components that wear and need to be checked regularly and replaced when necessary.

A caravan servicing checklist of tasks includes checking and servicing all moving parts, ensuring parts are properly lubricated, checking brakes, wheel bearings, tyres, lights, suspension and thoroughly checking the chassis for wear and cracks.

Here’s a list of common components on your caravan that will be checked in a caravan service:

  • couplings
  • brakes
  • bearings
  • springs and bushes
  • tyres
  • lights
  • chassis
  • jockey wheel and jacks
  • outrigger

When these items are not checked regularly, a caravan can become a danger on the road.

See our big 5 blog for the top things we recommend getting checked before you head out on the road.

How Much Does A Caravan Service Cost?

Caravan servicing involves either a full service or an undercarriage service. The cost for a caravan service will differ slightly based on a single or tandem axle, but generally will be around $300.

An undercarriage service should be done every 10,000kms and includes servicing the brakes, the bearings and the lights. A full service involves a thorough check of everything, including gas fittings and electrics.

caravan service - flywheel

What Do I Need To Check On My Caravan?

Most veteran caravan owners have their caravans serviced regularly. They also learn to look for signs of rust and wear, keep parts well lubricated and do small maintenance jobs themselves. Unfortunately many new caravan owners don’t understand the need for a regular caravan check, and may not know what to look for on a caravan.

Talk to your caravan service centre about the most important parts of your caravan that you need to care for. Read any manuals carefully and learn from other people you meet on the road.

In between services we advise you do the following caravan check to for signs of wear:

  • Check the coupling is lubricated and moves freely.
  • Check the safety chain for rust.
  • Check the jockey wheel operates smoothly.
  • Check the handbrake operates smoothly.
  • Check wheel rims and tyres for signs of wear.
  • Make sure tyres are inflated correctly.
  • Check for wear to bearings.

Keeping Safe On The Road – What Else Do I Need To Know?

There is more to towing a caravan than hitching up and getting on the road. Apart from having your caravan serviced regularly, it is recommended that you learn some basic maintenance tasks, to enable you to tackle small repairs. A basic tool kit will deal with any unexpected small repairs, such as oiling a stiff jockey wheel, or taping up a split water hose, when you’re on the road.

It’s also important to learn how to properly set up your rig, paying attention to correct towing weights, as well as mastering some safe driving techniques for pulling a large, heavy caravan.

Emu Caravan Repairs offer an experienced caravan service for Melbourne’s eastern suburbs. We are competitively priced and unlike many other centres we do not charge extra for consumables. Contact us to find out about our comprehensive caravan servicing checklist.

One thought on “Caravan Servicing Checklist – What’s Involved & What Does It Cost?”

  1. Ashley Maddison
    November 23, 2020

    I agree that a caravan needs regular maintenance , however I do not understand how the industry comes up with a cost.
    When I take my 4×4 in for a service a basic service will cost me about $480 to $500 dollars which includes all oils and bits needed for the job, but when you take a caravan in they have a set price and you have to pay for anything they might need in the way of parts etc.
    I have just booked my duel wheel caravan for service and was quoted $480 plus parts , why dose it cost 480 just to look at it? I feel most caravaners would agree and get more regular checkups if the initial checkup was much lower in cost and then if things needed fixing the cost would be added just as in my vehicle service. By the way last year I was quoted $100 less, a very large jump in one year I think, maybe the industry needs to get there act together and stop extorting caravaner as if they are rich pickings.

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