Boat Trailer Maintenance Tips: Why Boat Trailer Repair & Maintenance are Important
It’s getting warmer and soon it will be time to take your boat out for a day on the water. But is your boat trailer up for the trip to the lake? You’ve likely protected your boat in storage over the winter, when the trailer sits exposed under it. If want to get your boat trailer in good working order to save you the hassle and expense of a roadside breakdown, keep the following boat trailer repair tips in mind –
Your Trailer Inspection Checklist
Before you use the trailer for the first time this spring:
- Inspect the hitch, hitch ball, coupler and light connectors for loose parts or damage
- Inspect wheels for any loose movement or missing lugs
- If the trailer has brakes, make sure both sides respond well when applied
- Try to move the wheel side to side, or free spin the wheel with the trailer lifted to determine if the wheel bearings are properly greased
- Check the pressure in the tires and whether the sidewalls have become weather checked (cracked) over the winter
- If there are any issues, bring your boat trailer to Ainsworth Trailer Repair
Check the Lights
Electrical wiring and corrosion from emersion in water bring about a bad result: sporadically working lights, blown fuses or only partially working lights. Not knowing that your trailer lights don’t work is not a good enough excuse to avoid a ticket. If the lights don’t work, or work sporadically, it might be time to replace the bulbs, check the connections, or replace the whole fixture before you take your boat trailer out to the lake.
Brakes
Every time you take your boat into and out of the water, the trailer hubs and lights get a good dunking. In other words, you need to take care of them with the same care and attention that you do to your boat – after all, the trailer is what gets your boat to the lake in the first place.
Maintaining your boat trailer’s brakes should be a top priority in your boat trailer repair list:
- Your brake shoes or drums aren’t worn or corroded from immersion into water.
- All internal moving parts move freely
- Your emergency breakaway device is in good working order
Tires
Tires tend to succumb to dry rot from the sun. Your boat trailer’s tires might do the same if you only use it a few times a year and keep it outside. If your trailer is in storage, consider covering the tires to protect it from direct sunlight.
Preventative maintenance is usually the last thing on a fisherman’s mind in the excitement to get out on the water before the weekend crowd. However, being stranded on the side of the road on a weekend will put a real damper on your boating plans, not to mention costing you more money. Have a qualified trailer expert do an inspection and any boat trailer repairs well in advance of your weekend excursion – you’ll be glad you did.
Call now to talk to a boat trailer repair specialist.
