Depends on what you're after and how much you can do yourself, along with how much risk you're willing to take.
I like to keep my stuff nice and in good repair. Said alternatively: I don't like to risk my stuff not working right when I want to go use it. I take pride in my "things", and so I treat them well. I've worked hard for what I have, and I want it to last a long time. BUT I do most of the work myself. For now at least, I am still strong enough to do it.
An oil change on my rig costs me only the oil, the filter and the time. And I don't even care much about the time because I enjoy doing it. Stabilizer for my fuel is relatively cheap too. The upside is that I know it's taken care of, and I know it will work as intended when I go to use it. Which is worth FAR more to me than the cost of materials and labor.
I wash my rig a few times each season, I inspect the various components as outlined in the owner's manual, and if service is required, I will either do it or have someone else do it if I deem it necessary.
If I were unable to do these things myself, I don't know that I would necessarily pay someone else to do them as often as may be recommended in the manual, but I might. Depends on what it is and whether it affects or is likely to affect a critical system.
ETA: And you SHOULD replace your trailer tires every 4 years. That's well known, and is just part of the cost of doing business. Again, I would gladly replace my tires every 4 years to avoid being stranded on the side of some highway or put in a dangerous situation. The tires on my MH should last a little longer, but you can bet I'm going to be inspecting them VERY closely at the 4 year mark. And at the first sign of cracking, or degradation they're gone, if they don't age out first.
But then I take tires pretty seriously...
This..well said. I am self employed and my entire family income is derived from my business. Every time I leave town on a short trip I know that if something on my rig fails not only will my trip be ruined, but I risk not getting back home in time to get to the office Monday. If this happens I am taking a huge financial hit. I need to do whatever prevention is necessary to make sure I am safely home on Sunday and back to work on Monday.
Linear Mode
