How much do I need to replace/buy on a new trailer?

[Off Road]

I just bought a brand spanking new Creek Side 23dbs. I did my homework and am under the impression that it is an above average trailer as far as construction quality and components. Here is my dilemma. The more I read the threads here on iRV2 the more I am convinced that unless I purchase a whole host of new things for this brand new trailer it is going to burst into flames, have multiple tire failures, etc etc. So here is my question. How important is it to replace multiple systems and equipment on a brand new trailer?
Examples: Wheel bearings sure to seize, they are junk made in China. Converter is going to cook your batteries in no time, you need to buy a totally different one that is multi-stage (mine is only a 3 stage) with all kinds of gauges, meters, and protection etc. I did get a cheap surge protector.
Tires are junk, again from China that will surely blow within the first couple thousand miles need to replace before you use it.
I have already dropped a wad of cash on buying the trailer, I bought two 6 volt batteries, I bought hoses, extra electrical cord, nicer dump hose, put in a decent mattress, added a doodad here and there. I am only going to use the trailer 3-6 weeks a year, I'm not a full-timer, I have other hobbies and expenses. If I just use the trailer as is and grease the bearings, watch the tires, keep the batteries full of water etc. am I living on borrowed time? I have never owned a RV before but have rented several and I will admit they all tend to be cheaply built, but is it really dangerous/foolish to use it just as it rolled out the door from the factory?

[archer75]

I wouldn't worry about any of it. Keep an eye on things and cross those bridges as you come to them.

I've owned another trailer, I know many people with trailers including a guy who just bought a $60k toy hauler. And the first trip out on that toy hauler it had issues. They've all had issues no matter the price point. Bouncing down the road the way these things do there are bound to be some issues and routine maintenence. It's just the nature of the beast.

[powderman]

I wouldn't be concerned about anything but the tires. That is usually the weak spot, and a failure there can cause considerable damage. A tpms may not be a bad investment. That way barring a blowout with no warning you should be good to go. Enjoy

[parkerbill]

I would not worry too much about it, but as you should anyway, just do the routine maintenance and keep an eye on things. In spite of what many others say or may think, trailer manufacturers don't want a lot of negative publicity in this day and age of the Internet and all its many forums, blogs, etc., so in my opinion they are not going to build with junk parts to start with. Are after market things like better chargers, bearings, tires, etc., better than stock? Probably, but one can say that about a lot of things. I believe reputable manufacturers do want to build a good product and therefore, use at least adequate parts. Let the flame wars begin. ;-)

[Super Thirty]

I have had two new trailers with the most recent being made by the same company as yours. I haven't had any issues with either. I see no difference in purchasing a trailer or a vehicle. They are subject to workmanship successes and failures. Check things carefully before travelling (I like checklists) and the most important rule.....enjoy your purchase and your experiences. Don't let the glass half empty persons ruin your experience. I use their information to help build my list of watch outs. Congrats on the new trailer and I hope you have lots of enjoyment from it.


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[old guy 47]

hey off road, you bought what you liked . if your happy who care what some of these guys with deep pockets say. enjoy and have fun.

[Mike and Cha]

Enjoy what you bought and get out there and have fun using it. First of all it is under warranty, so should anything fail in the first year, and some things have longer than a year warranty, you will get it fixed for free. Like mentioned just do the routine maintenance and you will most likely have no issues. The new trailers/RV's are built with newer technology and probably better than what people mostly complain about.

You have to take these threads for what they are worth. You will find many complaints like the ones you stated from either people who own older RV's(they will have issues over time, all of them do), or they heard from a friend of a friend. You will also see people who post issues that are either quite common, or are a simple fix, but they are new to RV'ing and they ask a question. You will see many replies that jump right to taking the whole thing apart, or buying expensive parts or test equipment, or taking it in for service right away because they have a "major" issue. You will find a lot (not all) of these things are user error, or a bad fuse, or a really simple cheap fix, or maybe not an issue at all, it's just they way it is supposed to work. They should start with the simple easy to check things first before scaring people that they have a "major Issue". You see these posts all the time and it ends up being something simple and doesn't cost anything other than a little time to fix or learning how to use correctly. Or they jump right to "you need new tires/converter/ inverter" right off the bat as supposedly the manufacturers use "junk". I have owned several RV's and Boats and have not found this to be true.

Bottom line is while your RV is under warranty take it in for anything that needs repair that is costly to repair or definitely not right, if it occurs. You can always tighten nuts, bolts, and screws or make minor adjustments on your own as you figure things out. I wouldn't worry about any of it. You did your research and feel you bought an above average quality RV, so there is some reason you believe that, and you are probably correct.

If you believe everything you read here, and had no experience at all it could very well scare you away from the RV'ing experience altogether. Save your money until you believe something needs to be upgraded based on the way you use it. Good Luck and have fun.

[Off Road]

Thanks everyone for the replies. It was beginning to feel like there is a never ending list of extras and new/better stuff I needed to buy. The tires are the infamous Goodyears but they are load range D and the trailer itself hasn't weighed more than 7000 pounds when I have taken it across the scales, fully loaded for travel. That means I have at least 500 pounds per tire more before they are overloaded. I can't imagine putting 2000 more pounds in the trailer. I do have some long trips planned but don't want to upgrade just to say I did. I'm not a big worrier about stuff, I just wondered if trailers were different than other stuff.

[RPr]

The TT industry sells over 300,000 TT s and 5vers every year. How many people have to make major mods?

The industry designs the RVs for a normal weekend in the campgrounds and they serve the vast majority very well. Over time people add those items that suits their individual needs.

In spite of all the ruckus, very few of the one million tires, 300,000 batteries, black tanks, water pump and etc. are ever replaced before the unit is traded.

Do not be mis-lead however, they pound out about 25 units a day as fast as they can, so as you read on this board there are enough horror stories to go around no matter the brand.

Buy it, use it, make the changes you need when you need them. There is nothing mystical to it.

[Cumminsfan]

Too much internet hype about anything RV these days. I bought a 2013 Northwood 5th wheel and have replaced nothing that hasn't broke or quit working on it until it broke or quit working on it's own. I'm still charging my batteries (Interstate G24) with the same 3 stage charger. Never boiled either battery, and I leave the charger on 24/7 for extended stretches.
I have the same Goodyear Marathons that came on it. You know the ones now made in China that you should swap out for Maxxis before you leave the lot. They're almost 4 years old and have near 10,000 miles on them. I did find one that had a strange looking bulge on the top of the tread. I replaced it with the spare and went on my way for the rest of the summer.
I've replaced a broken kitchen and bath faucet. Kinda glad on that, now I have some nice residential ones from Home Depot. Other than that it's been trouble free as far as things working.
Just go out and camp and quit reading all the sky will fall if you don't have something different than what you have BS.
Most campers don't full time, let alone go out for more than 2 months total a year. So no need to replace anything.
Sometimes I wonder if some of the posters on RV forums work for the companies that they're touting products for. Nah, not on the internet. Everything's all legit.
Right?

[jfran304]

You have to remember that most of the posts on this site and others are from unhappy campers that want to vent about their problems.

Enjoy your new trailer.

Jon

[TonyDi]

The one thing I classify as a must have is a TPMS. If you start developing a loss of air you'll want to know about it ASAP. You may not notice a flat due to dual axles or dual tires.

Beside that I'd let it go for a while.