# Pre-Trip Inspection: Cost, Hours and Process in Hacienda Heights A pre-trip inspection checks the things that end trips: tires and pressures, levelling and slide operation, LP integrity, battery and charging, lights and signals, water system function, tow connections and load distribution. It is a one to four hour appointment intended to move a failure from a highway shoulder into a shop bay. ## Specifications - Price band: $285 to $800 - Shop hours: 1 to 4 hours - Turnaround tier: Light cosmetic - Insurance billable: no - Parts lead time: Lamps, fuses and connectors in stock, tires and mechanical parts 3 to 10 business days - OEM brands: Lippert, Dometic, Kwikee, Carefree, Onan, Suburban ## Tires, because they cause more ruined trips than anything else RV tires almost never wear out. They age out. The rubber degrades from UV, ozone and heat cycling while the coach sits, and the failure mode is a sidewall letting go at highway speed rather than a slow leak. A tire with full tread and a date code from seven years ago is a tire with full tread that is about to fail. So the tire portion of the inspection is date codes first, then condition, then pressure set to the actual load rather than to the number on the sidewall. Most coaches we see are running pressures set from the sidewall maximum, which on a lightly loaded axle produces a harsh ride and uneven wear, and on a heavily loaded one is not enough. Getting that right requires knowing the axle weights, which is why we ask for a scale ticket. Wheel torque is checked at the same time, particularly on towables and on any coach that has had a tire off recently. Lug torque loss after a wheel service is a known failure pattern and it is checked in thirty seconds. - Date codes read on every tire including the spare - Condition inspection for sidewall crazing, flat spotting and irregular wear - Pressures set to actual axle load rather than to sidewall maximum - Wheel torque checked, especially after any recent tire service - Valve stems, extenders and monitoring sensors inspected for leakage ## The rest of the walk, in the order failures actually happen Slides come next because a slide that will not retract ends a trip on the spot. Each room is run fully both directions, the travel is watched for binding and uneven timing, seals are inspected, and the mechanism is checked. Awnings are run out and in and the fabric and arms inspected, because an awning that fails extended in wind takes sidewall with it. Then LP, which gets a leak test and a regulator and lock off check. Then power: shore cord and connector condition, transfer switch, converter output, battery load test, inverter function and a generator start and run under load. Lights and signals are checked all the way around including the connector on a towable, which is the single most common source of intermittent trailer lighting faults. Water system gets pressurized and run, tanks and dump valves are checked, and the water heater is confirmed on both energy sources. Levelling jacks are cycled and checked for creep and leakage. On a towable the coupler, safety chains, breakaway cable, and weight distribution and sway control hardware are inspected, and we will talk through tongue weight and loading if the combination has never been weighed. ## What this inspection is not It is not a DOT inspection and it does not produce a compliance certificate. It is a condition inspection that produces a written report, which is a different thing, and any shop offering you the former on a private RV should be asked what exactly they think they are certifying. It is also not a service. If the inspection finds a slide motor drawing high current, a converter with low output or a tire that has to be replaced, those are quoted separately and you authorize each one. Booking a pre trip appointment two days before departure and expecting the repairs to fit inside it is the most common scheduling mistake owners make. Two to three weeks ahead is the useful window, because it leaves room for parts. And once you are on the road, we cannot help you there. We do not provide roadside or mobile assistance, and no amount of goodwill changes that. The entire purpose of this appointment is to make that limitation irrelevant. ## Not included - We do not perform pre trip inspections at a customer location, and we do not provide roadside or mobile assistance once you are underway. - This is not a DOT inspection and produces no compliance certificate. It is a condition inspection with a written report. - Repairs identified are quoted separately. A pre trip appointment does not include the fixes it finds. ## Questions **How old is too old for RV tires?** RV tires age out rather than wearing out, and most manufacturers consider five to seven years from the date code the practical limit regardless of tread depth. The failure mode is a sidewall letting go at highway speed, which is why we read date codes on every tire including the spare before looking at anything else. **When should I book a pre-trip inspection relative to departure?** Two to three weeks ahead. The inspection itself is one to four hours, but anything it finds is a separate quoted repair and parts run 3 to 10 business days for common items and longer for tires and mechanical components. Booking two days out means you get a report you cannot act on before you leave. **Why do you need my axle weights to set tire pressures?** Because correct pressure is a function of actual load, not of the sidewall maximum. Most coaches we see are running sidewall maximum on every tire, which gives a harsh ride and uneven wear on a light axle and is insufficient on a heavy one. A scale ticket with axle weights lets us set pressures from the load tables rather than from a guess. **Does this appointment produce a compliance certificate?** No. This is a condition inspection producing a written report, not a compliance certification, and we issue no certificate. If a shop offers you a compliance certification on a privately owned recreational vehicle, ask them precisely what they believe they are certifying and under what authority. --- Source: https://ocrv.club/rv-maintenance/pre-trip-inspection OCRV Center, 23281 La Palma Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92887 Phone (949) 799-3387. Email info@ocrvcenter.com. Serving Hacienda Heights and the surrounding area. 18.4 miles, 24 to 38 minutes via SR-60 west to Fullerton Rd, then south to La Palma Ave. In shop work only. All estimates are priced and credited against an authorized repair.