Forget expensive upgrades for the moment. Here’s part one of our series on eight ways to make your rig tow better for less than $100 – information every hard floor camper trailer or soft floor camper trailer owner needs to read.

Over the past couple of articles, we’ve taken an in-depth look at how to improve your tow vehicle’s performance by modification of certain areas. However while each of these upgrades definitely makes a noticeable difference, they all come at a cost – and that’s the purchase price. This time around, let’s switch speeds and look at how you can make your rig tow your camper trailer a lot better, with eight essential tweaks and modifications that all cost less than $100 each. This is essential reading for all camper trailer owners concerned about safety and performance.

STEERING ALIGNMENT

Having a yearly alignment done to your tug will make it handle as good as new while towing your camper trailer. These days, most modern steering systems are incredibly complicated. Almost gone are the days of ‘live’ axles with just a few solid steering rods connecting each wheel. Now, the vast majority of tow rigs run independent suspension, with highly complicated, surprisingly fragile steering components. Did you know that something as simple as a pothole can throw your steering out of alignment? When that happens, one or both of your steer wheels stops pointing perfectly straight, and starts to fight the vehicle instead of working properly with it. The symptoms typically are a vehicle that won’t ‘track true’ (drive in a perfectly straight line down the highway), pulling to one side or the other, or a steering wheel that isn’t perfectly centered when you’re pointing straight ahead. Left unchecked, this can lead to premature tyre wear or a vehicle with dangerously-compromised handling. The good news is often this can be cured with a simple wheel alignment by any competent tyre shop. The flipside? Leave it unchecked and you introduce a dangerous element into camper trailer towing – one that could see your vehicle respond incorrectly in an emergency lane-change scenario, and end up with you in the ditch.

COST: $80

WHEEL BEARING REPACKING

Old, worn wheel bearings are literally a massive drag on your setup, and your wallet

We often don’t realise the kind of strain that we put our camper trailers’ wheel and suspension components through. Whether you’re a free camping addict or you rarely head off the blacktop, your camper trailer wheel bearings cop a hiding – a little scary, considering how crucial they are to proper towing performance! The next time you have a Sunday free, take a couple of hours to jack your offroad camper trailer up on a flat surface and place it on axle stands. Check each bearing/brake for drag by spinning the wheel, and check for excess freeplay by wiggling at 12 and 6oclock on the tyre. Removing the wheel and then the wheel bearing is a very simple process, and thoroughly cleaning each bearing, inspecting and re-packing with quality marine-spec bearing grease will make your trailer tow so much better.

COST: $30

TYRE BALANCE AND ROTATION

Getting a rumble through your steering wheel while towing your camper trailer? Here’s what it means – and how to sort it. Forgive us if you know this, but properly balanced tyres are so essential to safe handling of your tug that it’s worth repeating. If you’re getting a rumble through your steering wheel at certain speeds, it’s almost a certainty that your steer tyres need proper balancing. As a general rule, you should rotate the tyres on your tug every 10,000km, including the spare (assuming it’s the same size and tread pattern). Have the tyre shop do it one quiet Saturday morning and they should offer to balance the two front tyres before they go back on (if not – ask them to!). For such a minor investment you’ll dramatically prolong the service life of your tyres, and improve your towing setup massively too. Don’t forget to have your camper trailer tyres rotated too! While balancing camper trailer tyres isn’t necessary, regular rotation will extend the life of your tyres and lower your overall cost of ownership.

COST: $60-$80

GREASE-POINT SERVICE

The squeaky wheel might get the grease, but don’t forget your grease-points either! Unless you’ve got a crook back or knee or shoulder, then a simple grease-point service is within the realms of just about any DIY-inclined RVer. Time was, ensuring all the grease-points underneath your camper trailer and your tow rig was simply second nature, but these days it’s become a forgotten art. There are multiple points where metal meets metal or rubber, and clean grease is required to lessen the friction. Start at the vehicle front of the vehicle and make your way to the rear of the hybrid camper trailer and look for little grease nipples on suspension components, tailshafts and similar. This is a great way to get intimately familiar with your camper trailer and learn about all its undercarriage components, in the comfort of your driveway or street.

COST: $30

NEXT TIME AROUND

In part two of this series, we’ll go into more depth on budget-friendly ways to get better camper trailer towing performance. You’ll be surprised just how easy and cost-effective it is – don’t miss it as it’s a must-read!