Inspection and Maintenance
Pre-Trip Body, Structural and Running Gear Inspection
Typical range
$250 to $600
Shop hours
1 to 3
Labor rate
$210/hr
The short answer
A pre-trip inspection checks the items that strand people: tires and date codes, bearings, brakes, seals, slides, hitch, and frame welds, with a photographed findings list. It runs $250 to $600, or 1 to 3 hours at $210 per hour, performed at our Yorba Linda facility.
01
What this work actually involves
This is a focused inspection built around what actually ends trips. In our experience the list is short and consistent: an aged tire that fails on a hot afternoon, a wheel bearing that was never serviced, trailer brakes that faded on a descent, a slide seal that let water in during a storm, and a cracked frame weld at a suspension hanger. None of those announce themselves the week before departure, and all of them are findable in a couple of hours with the unit on our equipment.
Tires get the most attention because they cause the most incidents. We read the DOT date code on every tire including the spare, not just the tread, because RV and trailer tires age out long before they wear out. In the low desert a tire on an uncovered trailer can be structurally finished at four years with most of its tread intact, and 115F pavement on the 10 outside Indio is exactly where that shows up. We document pressures for your actual axle load, not the sidewall maximum.
The structural half is where the value is less obvious and often greater. We inspect the frame welds, the suspension hangers, the equalizer, and the hitch or pin box connection, and we operate every slide and opening through full travel. A hairline crack at a hanger weld found in the shop is a manageable certified weld repair. The same crack found at a rest stop on the 15 in August is a very different day. If you are heading for mountain grade or sustained desert heat, this is the inspection worth doing first.
Location: All work is performed at our Yorba Linda facility. We do not offer mobile, roadside, or fleet route service.
02
What the job includes
- DOT date code, pressure, and wear pattern check on every tire including the spare
- Wheel bearing play check and hub temperature assessment
- Trailer brake condition and adjustment verification
- Suspension hanger, equalizer, shackle, and spring inspection
- Frame and crossmember weld inspection at known stress risers
- Hitch, coupler, king pin, pin box, and safety chain inspection
- Slide-out operation and seal contact through full travel
- Roof penetration and exterior seal condition spot check
- Entry door, window, and compartment latch and seal operation
- Photographed findings list separated into go, fix now, and monitor
03
When you need this service
- A long trip planned over mountain grade or through sustained desert heat
- A unit that has not moved since the previous season
- Tires with an unknown or unread DOT date code
- Any towed unit whose bearings have not been serviced in the past year
- A recent purchase you have not yet taken a long distance
- A trailer that felt different on its last trip but was never assessed
- Any unit heading out immediately after long-term outdoor storage
04
How we do it, step by step
- 01
Trip profile review
We ask where you are going and over what terrain, because a run to the coast and a run over the Cajon Pass to Barstow in August put load on completely different systems.
- 02
Tire survey
Every tire including the spare read for DOT date code, inspected for crazing and wear pattern, and set to the pressure that matches your actual axle load.
- 03
Bearing and brake check
Wheels checked for bearing play, brake condition assessed, and adjustment verified. These are the two items most likely to end a trip on a grade.
- 04
Suspension and frame weld inspection
Hangers, equalizers, shackles, and springs inspected from underneath, with weld areas at known stress risers cleaned enough to see a hairline crack.
- 05
Connection inspection
Hitch, coupler, king pin, pin box, safety chains, and breakaway system checked as one connection, since wear in one part accelerates the rest.
- 06
Openings and seal spot check
Slides, doors, windows, and compartments operated through full travel with seal contact checked, plus a spot check of roof penetrations for cracked sealant.
- 07
Prioritized findings list
Findings photographed and sorted into what is safe to travel on, what should be corrected before you leave, and what to watch this season.
05
Pricing and posted rates
| Item | Rate or range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Typical job range | $250 to $600 | Varies with extent of damage and parts availability |
| Shop hours | 1 to 3 | Quoted after teardown, not before |
| Body and paint labor | $210 per hour | 2026 posted rate |
| Paint supplies | $55 per paint hour | Calculated automatically on every estimate |
| Body supplies | $5 per body hour | Calculated automatically on every estimate |
| Parts | 100% markup under $100, 35% over | Special order parts require a non refundable deposit at order |
| Deposit | 50% at authorization over $2,000 | Additional 25% when parts arrive on jobs over $10,000 |
| Sales tax | 7.75% on parts and materials | Labor is not taxed |
Insurance billed jobs may be billed at carrier negotiated labor rates that differ from the posted retail rates above. See all posted rates.
07
Vehicles we do this work on
Vehicle
Travel Trailers
A travel trailer tows from a ball hitch behind the tow vehicle rear axle on an A-frame tongue, which makes it the most sway-prone
Vehicle
Standard Fifth Wheels
A fifth wheel couples to a hitch in the truck bed through a kingpin and pin box, with a raised forward bedroom over the truck. The
Vehicle
Toy Hauler Fifth Wheels
A toy hauler fifth wheel carries a cargo garage behind the axles with a full-height rear ramp door. Load behind the axle centerlin
Vehicle
Toy Hauler Trailers
A bumper pull toy hauler carries cargo behind the axles on a ball hitch, which is the worst possible combination for tongue weight
Vehicle
Utility Trailers
A utility trailer is an open deck on a welded frame with fenders, a ramp gate, and lighting, and it fails through deck rot, frame
Vehicle
Class C Motorhomes
A Class C is a coach body built onto a cutaway van chassis with a sleeping or storage cabover extending above the factory cab. Tha
Vehicle
Truck Campers, Slide-In
A slide-in truck camper sits in a pickup bed and is clamped down at four points, so it absorbs the truck frame twist directly. Jac
08
Questions about pre-trip body and structural inspection
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pre-trip inspection cost?
It runs $250 to $600, or 1 to 3 hours at $210 per hour. A single axle trailer sits near the low end. A triple axle fifth wheel with multiple slides and a full underside weld inspection sits at the high end. Any repairs identified are priced separately and are never performed without your approval first.
How is this different from annual maintenance service?
Annual maintenance is broader and includes sealant renewal and moisture metering across the whole envelope. The pre-trip inspection is narrower and faster, focused specifically on the items that strand people: tires, bearings, brakes, suspension, frame welds, and the hitch connection. Many owners do annual maintenance in the fall and a pre-trip inspection before a big summer run.
When should I schedule it?
Two to four weeks before departure. That leaves time to correct anything found without turning it into an emergency, and it allows for parts lead time on tires, bearings, or brake components. Booking it the week before a trip is better than nothing, but it removes your options if we find something that needs correcting.
Do you check the engine or run a DOT inspection?
No. We do not perform engine, drivetrain, or transmission work, and we do not perform DOT inspections. This inspection covers body, structure, seals, openings, and running gear on towables and vans. Anything we notice outside that scope goes in the report in plain language so you can take it to the right shop.
What if you find something serious?
We photograph it, explain what it means, and price the correction before doing anything. A hairline crack at a hanger weld, for instance, is a manageable certified weld repair here and a genuinely bad day if it lets go on the 15 in August. Whether to correct it before your trip is your call, made on real information.
09
Related services
Service
Tire Mount, Balance and Replacement
Tire service covers mounting, balancing, valve stem replacement, and load range specification for RV, trailer, and van application
Service
Wheel Bearing Repack and Hub Service
Wheel bearing service covers cleaning, inspection, repacking, and seal replacement on trailer and towable hubs, plus race and bear
Service
Electric, Surge and Hydraulic Brake Service
Trailer brake service covers electric drum brakes, surge couplers, and electric-over-hydraulic systems including magnets, shoes, a
Service
Hitch, Coupler, Gooseneck and Fifth Wheel Service
Hitch service covers fifth wheel and gooseneck hitch installation, king pin and pin box repair, coupler replacement, and weight di
Service
Annual Maintenance Service
Annual maintenance service covers seal inspection and renewal, roof assessment, opening and slide operation, running gear checks,
10
More inspection and maintenance work
Ready to move on pre-trip body and structural inspection? Bring it to Yorba Linda.