Travel Trailer and Camper Repair
Most travel trailer problems come from three places: water that got in somewhere on the roof, a mechanism that was asked to move a few hundred more times than it wanted to, and a suspension and brake system that gets ignored because the trailer has no engine to remind you. We repair travel trailers, campers and fifth wheels at our shop at 13788 Oaks Ave in Chino, and we handle all three of those in the same building rather than sending you to a body shop for one and a mechanic for another.
What travel trailer repairs do you do?
Roof repair, resealing and full roof replacement. Awning repair and replacement, fabric and mechanism. Slide-out diagnosis, adjustment, seal replacement and rebuild. Plumbing and water systems, including tanks, pumps, water heaters and winterising damage. Electrical, 12 volt and 120 volt, including converters and inverters. Appliance repair. Sidewall delamination and fiberglass repair. Floor and subfloor repair. Full and partial paint in our 40-foot enclosed booth. Axles, bearings, suspension and brakes. Collision damage and the insurance claim that goes with it.
That list is broad on purpose. The reason people drive to Chino for trailer work is that the problems are usually connected, and a shop that only does one of these will find the part it recognises and stop there.
Why is my travel trailer leaking, and where should I look first?
At a seam or a penetration, almost always, and almost never at the middle of a panel.
A trailer roof is a membrane with holes cut in it for vents, air conditioners, antennas, skylights and the front and rear cap joins. Every one of those holes is sealed, and sealant is a consumable. In this climate the failure is UV and heat rather than cold: sealant goes hard, shrinks and cracks along the edge of a flange, and the crack is usually thinner than a pencil line. Then the water goes sideways along the roof structure and appears at a ceiling seam or down a wall a long way from where it entered.
The other three usual entry points are the awning rail, where a long run of fasteners and sealant sits on the sidewall; the window and door frames; and the front cap join, which flexes on the road more than the rest of the trailer.
We trace leaks rather than resealing the nearest suspicious joint, because on a trailer the visible damage is generally smaller than the actual damage, and the second reseal costs more than the first trace. Our roof repair and replacement page covers the reseal-versus-recoat-versus-replace decision in more detail.
Can a soft floor or a soft wall in a camper be repaired?
Yes, in most cases, and the question that decides it is how far the water travelled before you found it.
A soft spot in front of a door or under a window is usually localised and is a floor repair. A wall that flexes when you press it, or a sidewall with a visible bubble or ripple, is delamination: the outer skin has separated from the structure underneath because water got between them. That is repairable, and it is one of the things this shop actually does rather than subcontracts.
What changes the answer is rot in the frame members or the subfloor over a large area. At some point the honest advice is that the repair is worth more than the trailer, and we will tell you that. We would rather lose the job than take your money for a repair that does not make sense.
My slide-out will not come in or out. What is likely?
Depends on the mechanism, and there are three common types on trailers.
Rack and pinion systems typically fail at the motor, the gearbox or on synchronisation, so the room comes out crooked and binds. Cable systems fail on cable tension and on the pulleys, and a room that is out of adjustment will damage the seals every cycle. Hydraulic systems fail on the pump, on a solenoid, or on a leak that shows up as a room that creeps in overnight.
Underneath all three, two things cause more slide problems than any component: the trailer not being level when the room is operated, and seals that have hardened and are now dragging or letting water in at the top edge. Slide seal replacement is unglamorous and it prevents a category of expensive damage.
Do travel trailers really need brake and bearing service?
Yes, and it is the most commonly skipped maintenance on any towable, because there is no engine to book a service around and nothing tells you it is due.
Trailer bearings need repacking on a schedule, and a bearing that runs dry does not just fail, it can take the spindle and sometimes the axle with it. Electric brakes wear, magnets wear, and the adjustment drifts. Suspension components, shackles, bushings and equalisers wear quietly and then let the axles move out of alignment, which shows up as uneven tyre wear well before it shows up as anything you can feel.
None of that is exotic work and all of it is cheap compared to what happens when it is neglected on the 15 north of Corona in August.
What does travel trailer repair cost at your shop?
The estimate comes after we look at the trailer, not before. That is not evasion, it is the only honest way to price this kind of work: two trailers with the same symptom, a stain on the ceiling, can be a two-hour reseal or a subfloor and wall rebuild, and the difference is not visible from the description.
Every estimate carries a budget for parts, and the final price adjusts to the parts actually used. If we open something and find more than the estimate covered, you hear about it then, with the trailer open, and you decide.
Do you offer mobile RV repair or house calls?
No. McBride's is an in-shop repair facility at 13788 Oaks Ave in Chino, and we do not send technicians to your location or to a storage lot. Tracing a leak means getting on the roof and often opening a ceiling or a wall, and slide and suspension work needs the trailer level, supported and lit. Bring it to Chino and the whole repair happens under one roof. More on why we work this way is on our in-shop repair page.
Frequently asked questions about travel trailer and camper repair
Do you work on fifth wheels as well as bumper-pull trailers?
Yes, both, and toy haulers, which have their own service page.
My trailer has been in storage for two years. What should I expect?
A predictable cluster: hardened roof sealant, dried slide seals, tyres that are aged out regardless of tread, bearings and wheels that need attention, a water system that needs checking, and gas appliances fouled by insects. Bring it in and we will go through all six at once rather than finding them one at a time on the road.
Can you repair hail or tree damage on a camper?
Yes. Body, fiberglass and paint work happens in our own booth, and if it is an insurance job we handle the claim in-house.
Do you replace awning fabric, or only the whole awning?
Both. Fabric replacement is often all that is needed if the arms and the roller are sound. If the mechanism has been damaged, usually by wind, we will tell you which parts have to be replaced and why.
How long will my trailer be here?
You get a drop-off date and a pickup date. We schedule the trailer in rather than parking it in a queue, which is the thing our customers mention most often.
Do you take walk-ins?
Yes. If you want a definite slot, call (909) 627-7566 first.
Where do your customers come from?
Chino, Chino Hills, Ontario, Montclair, Upland and Rancho Cucamonga locally, off the 91 and the 15 from Corona, Norco and Eastvale, and down the 57 and the 91 from Yorba Linda and north Orange County.
What are your hours?
Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4 PM, closed weekends.
Grand Design is one of the trailer brands we service at our shop in Chino. See Grand Design RV service and repair.
Hear From Our Satisfied Customers
They are always professional, courteous and they have resolved any and every issue I had.
If your trailer has a stain on the ceiling, a slide that fights you, or an awning that came back from a trip in a different shape than it left, bring it to Chino and we will find out what is actually going on before anybody quotes it. McBride's RV has been family-owned here since 1967, we do body, structure, house systems and running gear in one shop, and we show you the problem before any work begins. Walk-ins welcome. Call (909) 627-7566 and we will book you in.
McBride's RV Service & Paint, BAR ARD 314817, 13788 Oaks Ave, Chino, CA 91710, (909) 627-7566.