Essential Pre-RV Trip Checklist: What to Check and When

The TV antenna is still up. The entry step is still out. A stabilizer jack is still down, or the breakaway cable is hanging loose. None of these is a mechanical failure. Each is a check that got skipped, often because everyone assumed someone else had done it.

A good pre-RV trip checklist fixes that. It puts the checks in the order you’ll actually do them, from a week out to the moment you pull away. It also separates what every RV needs from what depends on your rig, because a Class A, a travel trailer, and a fifth wheel don’t hitch, load, or brake the same way.

Use this guide once to build your routine. Then print the checklist near the bottom and keep it in the cab.

Start with Your Rig: What Changes by RV Type

The basics apply to every RV: tires, lights, propane, alarms, weight, and a clean walk-around. What changes is the connection between the parts that roll.

Rig type	Extra checks that apply	Where the procedure lives
Motorhome (Class A, B, C)	Chassis fluids and engine items, leveling jacks fully up, house and chassis battery status	Chassis owner’s manual and coach owner’s manual
Motorhome towing a car	Tow bar and base plate, safety cables, supplemental braking system, toad lights, toad drivetrain set for towing	Towed vehicle’s owner’s manual, tow bar and brake system manuals
Travel trailer	Coupler latched and locked, safety chains, breakaway cable, brake controller, weight-distribution hitch if used, tongue jack up	Trailer, hitch, and brake controller manuals
Fifth wheel	Hitch jaws locked on the kingpin, pull test, landing gear fully up, breakaway cable, tailgate and bed clearance	Fifth wheel hitch manual and trailer manual

When this guide says “follow your manual,” it means it. Hitch adjustment, brake controller settings, lug nut torque, and flat-tow steps vary by manufacturer. A generic number from the internet isn’t a substitute.

A Week Before You Leave

Know What Your Rig Actually Weighs

The weight in a brochure isn’t what your rig weighs loaded for travel. Manufacturers define dry or unloaded weights differently, and none of them knows what you’ll add in water, food, gear, people, or accessories. Use actual scale weights and compare them with your ratings. NHTSA’s towing guide puts it plainly: to choose a safe setup, you have to know your trailer’s fully loaded weight, and the best way to know is to weigh it at a public scale.

Know these ratings and where to find them:

GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating): the most the loaded vehicle or trailer may weigh. It’s on the federal certification label.
GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating): the most each axle may carry. It’s on the same label.
GCWR (Gross Combination Weight Rating): the most the motorhome and towed car, or the tow vehicle and trailer, may weigh together. Look in the owner’s manual or the manufacturer’s towing guide.
Cargo carrying capacity: how much you can add. It’s often on a separate label inside the RV.

Weigh your rig loaded the way you travel. A truck-stop scale gives total and axle weights, which is a good start. The RV Safety and Education Foundation recommends going further and weighing by wheel position, because you can be within your GVWR and GAWR and still overload a single tire. RVSEF suggests repeating that every three to four years, or after a significant modification. Remember that water is heavy, at about 8.3 pounds per gallon, so a full fresh tank changes the picture.

Check for Open Recalls

Check recalls by VIN for every part of your rig, including the motorhome chassis, the coach, the tow vehicle, the trailer, and the towed car. Use NHTSA’s recall lookup, and check your chassis and RV manufacturers’ own recall pages too. Recalls can also cover appliances, and the Propane Council of Texas recommends getting any recalled item serviced before departure.

Schedule Anything Due

Look at your owner’s manuals for service that’s due before the trip, especially brakes, wheel bearings, generator, and roof and seal inspections. The U.S. Fire Administration recommends a thorough inspection by a trained technician at least once a year, and the Propane Council of Texas recommends an annual propane system inspection by a qualified technician. If something’s overdue, a week out is the time to book it, not the morning you leave.

Plan the Route for Your Rig

Know your height, length, and weight, and plan around them. NHTSA’s pre-departure checklist includes checking routes and restrictions on bridges and tunnels. Some tunnels also restrict vehicles carrying propane, so check your route if you’ll pass through one. Plan fuel stops you can actually get into with your length.

Confirm Reservations and Check the Forecast

Confirm your campground reservation and arrival window, and ask about site length and hookups if you haven’t already. Check the forecast for the full route, not just the destination. High-profile rigs are sensitive to wind, and our guide to staying safe in high winds covers what to do when the forecast turns. For more on booking, see our campsite reservation tips.

The Day Before

Check Tires Cold, and Use the Right Number

Tires deserve their own block of time. NHTSA says to check pressure when the tires are cold, meaning the vehicle hasn’t been driven for at least three hours. It also says the correct pressure is what the vehicle manufacturer lists, not what’s printed on the tire. Don’t pick a pressure just because it’s the sidewall maximum. Follow your vehicle, trailer, and tire manufacturers’ guidance for your load.

For RVs, there’s one more step. Once you’ve weighed your rig, tire manufacturers publish load and inflation tables that tell you the cold pressure needed for the load each tire is actually carrying. If your weights and tables point to a different pressure than the placard, talk with your tire dealer or the tire manufacturer before changing it.

While you’re down there:

Look for cuts, cracks, bulges, and uneven wear on every tire, including the inside duals.
Check tire age. NHTSA notes that RVs and other vehicles that sit for long periods are at greater risk from tire aging. The last four digits of the DOT code show the week and year a tire was made.
Check the spare’s pressure and condition.
If you have a tire pressure monitoring system, confirm every sensor is reporting.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a tire lets go at highway speed, our guide to handling an RV tire blowout walks through the response.

Test the Alarms That Protect You While You Sleep

Your RV’s smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, and propane leak detector are the cheapest safety equipment you own. Test each one with its test button before the trip. Keystone’s owner guidance points out a detail that’s easy to miss: the propane detector usually runs off the RV’s 12-volt system, so if house power is disconnected, it won’t work. Smoke alarms also carry an expiration date, so check it while you’re there.

Then check the rest of your fire plan:

A fire extinguisher is charged and easy to reach. The USFA recommends adults learn how to use it.
Everyone knows where the emergency exit windows are, and they open easily.
Propane supply lines aren’t kinked or damaged. The USFA recommends testing fittings with a gas leak detection device.

If you ever smell propane, don’t troubleshoot it. Leave the area, call 911 or the fire department, and have a qualified technician inspect the system before you use it again.

Load for the Road

Put heavy items low and spread them evenly side to side.
Secure anything that can slide, fall, or fly in a hard stop.
Latch cabinets, the refrigerator, and drawers. Secure the TV and any loose items on counters.
Decide how much fresh water you’ll carry. If your campground has water, you may not need a full tank on the road.
Gather documents in one place: registration, insurance cards, roadside assistance details, and emergency contacts.

Departure Morning: The Walk-Around

Do the walk-around the same way every time. Start at the same corner, go the same direction, and look high, middle, and low. Ideally, one person does it and a second person repeats it.

Breaking Camp

Slide-outs fully retracted and locked per your manual.
Awnings in and secured.
TV antenna down and satellite dish stowed.
Entry steps retracted.
Leveling jacks or stabilizers fully up. On motorhomes, confirm the jack indicator agrees.
Shore power, water, and sewer hoses disconnected and stowed. Caps on.
Roof vents closed and roof items secured.
Exterior compartments closed and locked.
Windows closed and the entry door locked.

Propane for Travel

Follow your RV and appliance manuals on whether propane may be on while driving, and know any local rules on your route. When you refuel propane, the Propane Council of Texas lists three steps: turn off the engine, extinguish all pilot lights and open flames, and have all occupants leave the RV during filling. Your manual may also require turning off propane appliances at gas and diesel stops.

Hitching: Towables and Towed Cars

This is where rig type matters most. Follow your hitch, trailer, and brake controller manuals for every step, and do the same checks every time.

Travel Trailers

Coupler fully seated on the ball, latched, and locked with its pin or lock.
Safety chains crossed under the tongue, with enough slack for turns but not dragging. NHTSA describes crossing them so the tongue can’t drop to the road if it separates.
Breakaway cable attached to the tow vehicle the way your trailer manual specifies. The breakaway switch applies the trailer brakes if the trailer separates.
Trailer electrical connector plugged in, with the cord loose enough for turns and off the ground.
Weight-distribution or sway-control hitch set up per its manufacturer’s instructions, if you use one.
Tongue jack fully raised and stowed.
Wheel chocks removed after the trailer is hitched, never before.

Fifth Wheels

Hitch jaws closed and locked around the kingpin. Confirm it visually per the hitch manual.
Do a pull test exactly as your hitch maker describes, with the landing gear in the position its instructions call for.
Raise the landing gear fully only after the hitch check passes.
Breakaway cable attached and power cord connected.
Tailgate in the travel position your hitch and trailer manuals specify. Lowering it to back under the pin doesn’t mean it stays down for travel. Verify clearance between the cab, bed, and trailer for turns.

Motorhomes Towing a Car

Tow bar locked, base plate pins secured, and safety cables attached.
Supplemental braking system connected and set per its manual. Many states require one above certain weights.
Towed car’s lights working with the motorhome’s signals and brakes.
Towed car set up for flat towing exactly as its own owner’s manual describes. Ignition, transmission, and fuse steps vary widely between vehicles.
Check your tow bar manual on backing up with the car attached, and plan your stops so you won’t need to.

Test the Brakes and Lights

NHTSA’s pre-departure checklist calls for confirming every running light, brake light, turn signal, and hazard light works, and that the tow vehicle and trailer brakes operate correctly. With a helper outside, run through each light. Then, at walking speed in a clear space and following your brake controller’s instructions, confirm the trailer or towed car brakes engage. If your trailer manual describes a breakaway test, follow it exactly and reconnect the cable afterward.

Before You Turn the Key: Set Up the Driver

Seat: adjusted so you can reach the pedals fully and see the gauges. If drivers will switch, both should check it.
Steering wheel: set so it doesn’t block the gauges or your view.
Mirrors: flat mirrors show the lane beside you and help judge distance behind. Convex mirrors show a wider angle but make things look farther away. Set them so a car passing you moves from one mirror to the next without disappearing. Neither eliminates blind spots, so use your spotter and camera too.
Height posted: your rig’s height, length, and weight on a note where the driver can see it.
Navigation set for your rig’s size, and the co-pilot knows the first few turns.

At Your First Stop

The first stop is your quality check. Walk around again. Look at the hitch or tow bar connection, the safety chains, the breakaway cable, and the power cord. Look at your tires and check your TPMS readings. Make sure nothing shifted inside. If any wheel was recently serviced, follow your manual’s guidance on rechecking lug nut torque.

Don’t Leave If…

Some problems mean the trip waits. Stop and fix it, or get help, if:

A tire has a bulge, cut, or exposed cord, or won’t hold its cold pressure.
Your rig is over any weight rating: GVWR, GAWR, or GCWR.
Brake lights or turn signals on the RV, trailer, or towed car don’t work.
Trailer brakes, the breakaway system, or the towed car’s braking system aren’t working.
The coupler, fifth wheel jaws, or tow bar won’t lock.
You smell propane, or a propane, CO, or smoke alarm fails its test.
A slide-out, awning, jack, or step won’t fully retract and lock.
Your route has a clearance, weight, or propane restriction you can’t plan around, or the wind forecast is beyond what your rig handles.

Printable Pre-RV Trip Checklist

Copy this into your notes or print it for the cab. Cross off what doesn’t apply to your rig.

A Week Before

☐ Loaded weights known and under GVWR, GAWR, and GCWR
☐ Recalls checked by VIN for every vehicle and trailer
☐ Due service completed per manuals
☐ Route checked for height, weight, length, and propane restrictions
☐ Reservations confirmed and forecast checked

Day Before

☐ Tires at correct cold pressure, spare included
☐ Tires inspected for damage, wear, and age
☐ Smoke, CO, and propane alarms tested
☐ Fire extinguisher charged and reachable
☐ Propane lines and fittings checked
☐ Heavy items low, loose items secured
☐ Documents, insurance, and roadside assistance info together

Departure Morning

☐ Slides in, awnings in, antenna down, steps up
☐ Jacks or stabilizers fully up
☐ Utilities disconnected and stowed
☐ Vents, windows, compartments, and door closed and locked
☐ Propane set for travel per manual
☐ Travel trailer: coupler latched and locked, safety chains crossed
☐ Fifth wheel: jaws locked, pull test done per hitch manual, landing gear up, tailgate in travel position
☐ Towed car: tow bar locked, safety cables attached, towed car set up per its manual
☐ Breakaway cable attached
☐ Electrical connection secure
☐ All lights tested with a helper
☐ Trailer or towed car brakes tested
☐ Chocks removed after hitching
☐ Seat, steering wheel, and mirrors set
☐ Height and length posted for the driver

First Stop

☐ Walk-around repeated
☐ Hitch and connections rechecked
☐ Tires and TPMS checked
☐ Interior load checked

Frequently Asked Questions

What tire pressure should I run in my RV?

Start with the cold pressure your vehicle or trailer manufacturer lists on the tire and loading label. Don’t choose a pressure just because it’s the maximum printed on the sidewall, even though on some rigs the two numbers match. If you’ve weighed your rig by wheel position, the tire manufacturer’s load and inflation table shows the pressure needed for your actual load. Check pressure cold, before you drive.

Is a pre-trip checklist different for a travel trailer and a motorhome?

The basics are the same: tires, lights, propane, alarms, weight, and a walk-around. The difference is the connection. A bumper-pull travel trailer needs coupler, safety chain, breakaway, and brake checks. A fifth wheel needs kingpin and jaw, pull test, landing gear, breakaway, and brake checks. Motorhomes need chassis checks, and a towed car adds tow bar, safety cable, supplemental brake, and towed-car setup checks. Follow the manual for each piece of equipment.

How often should I weigh my RV?

Weigh it before your first big trip, loaded the way you travel, and again after any major change to your setup or cargo. RVSEF suggests wheel-position weighing every three to four years, or sooner after a significant modification or if you suspect an axle or tire problem.

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