Every spring, we get a wave of calls the week before Memorial Day. Slides that won’t extend. Air conditioners that haven’t been tested since October. Refrigerators that technically run but can’t hold temperature. In almost every case, the issue was there weeks earlier — it just hadn’t been caught yet. If you’re planning your first big trip of the season, this checklist exists to make sure you’re not one of those calls. Run through these 10 items now, while there’s still time to handle anything that comes up.
Why Pre-Season Inspections Matter (and Why Most People Skip Them)
Most RV owners don’t skip pre-season checks because they don’t care. They skip them because life gets busy and the rig looks fine sitting in the driveway. But sitting is actually hard on an RV. Seals dry out. Batteries discharge. Bearings can develop flat spots. The refrigerator absorption system needs to run to stay healthy.
Reactive maintenance — fixing things after they fail — almost always costs more than proactive checks. A roof seal caught early is a $30 tube of lap sealant. A roof seal missed for two seasons is water damage in the walls, rotted wood framing, and a five-figure repair. The math is simple. The habit is what most people struggle with.
Give yourself 60–90 minutes this week. Work through this list. You’ll either leave the driveway knowing everything checks out — or you’ll know exactly what needs attention before Memorial Day.
The 10-Point Checklist
1. Roof Seals and Seams
Your RV roof is the most vulnerable part of the whole rig, and it’s the one most owners never look at. Lap sealant — the flexible caulking-like material used around vents, AC units, antennas, and all roof penetrations — degrades over time. UV exposure, heat cycling, and simple age causes it to crack, shrink, and pull away from the surface.
What to check: Every seam and penetration on the roof. Look for visible cracks, gaps, or areas where the sealant has pulled away from the surface. Pay extra attention to the front and rear caps where the roof meets the sidewalls, and anywhere the roofing material changes.
What it means: A small gap in the sealant lets water in slowly — behind wall panels, into the wood framing. By the time you see a ceiling stain, the damage is already significant. Catching it early is almost always a simple re-seal. Missing it is almost always expensive.
2. Air Conditioning System
Turn your AC on and let it run for at least 15–20 minutes. You’re checking two things: that it starts cleanly, and that it actually cools.
A healthy RV AC should drop interior temperature noticeably within 15–20 minutes. If the fan is running but the air isn’t getting cold, or if you hear the compressor struggling to start, that’s a capacitor starting to fail — one of the most common issues we see every June. Capacitors weaken over winter when the unit sits unused.
3. Slide-Out Operation and Seals
Extend your slide-out fully and then retract it. You’re listening for hesitation, grinding, or anything that sounds different than normal. The operation should be smooth and consistent in both directions.
While it’s extended, inspect the rubber seals around the perimeter — top, bottom, and sides. They should be pliable and making solid contact. Dry, cracked, or torn seals let in water and drafts.
4. Refrigerator Performance
Turn your refrigerator on 24–48 hours before a trip, not the night before. RV absorption refrigerators are slow to cool — they need time to reach temperature and stabilize. Also check that your rig is level — absorption fridges require level operation to function correctly.
5. Propane System
Turn on a stovetop burner and confirm it lights and burns cleanly. Run the water heater through a cycle on propane. Check that the igniter fires and the burner stays lit.
6. Brakes and Wheel Bearings
For towable RVs, check that your brake controller is communicating with the trailer brakes. Test your breakaway battery. Do a slow-speed brake test in an empty parking lot. Wheel bearings should be warm but not hot after a short drive — excessive heat means they need service.
7. Water System
If your fresh water tank hasn’t been sanitized since last season, do it now with a bleach flush. Turn on your water pump and pressurize the system. Check under every sink and at every connection point for drips or weeping fittings. Run the water heater through a full cycle.
8. Electrical and Battery
Check your 12-volt house battery voltage — a fully charged battery should read 12.6–12.8 volts at rest. A battery below 12.0 volts has self-discharged and may be sulfated. Check your shore power cord for any damage, and test all GFI outlets.
9. Awning
Extend the awning fully and look it over: check the fabric for tears, UV degradation, or mold. Check the arms and mounting brackets for any damage or loose hardware. Retract it and make sure it seats fully and locks — an awning that doesn’t retract completely can catch wind while driving.
10. Tires
Check cold pressure against the placard in your RV doorframe. Inspect the sidewalls for cracking, crazing, or bulging. Check the DOT date code — RV tire manufacturers recommend replacement at 5–7 years regardless of tread depth. Underinflated tires on a loaded RV in summer heat are one of the leading causes of blowouts.
What to Do If Something Doesn’t Pass
Finding something on this list isn’t a disaster — it’s the whole point of the checklist. Most of what shows up is fixable before Memorial Day if you find it now. Some items you can handle yourself: tire pressure, water sanitization, battery charging, seal conditioning. Others require a technician: roof reseals, AC capacitor replacement, slide motor service, refrigerator repair, brake work.
Can’t Do It Yourself? We Come to You.
If you’d rather have a professional run through this list — or if you found something that needs service — Pull Through Sites is mobile. We come to your driveway, your storage facility, or wherever your rig lives. No hauling across town, no shop queue, no waiting weeks for an appointment.
We’ve been doing mobile RV repair in the St. Louis area for four years, serving a 60-mile radius. Give us a call or text at 314-907-0937 or visit pullthroughsites.com.
