Boat enthusiasts often focus their efforts on taking care of their vessels. It’s not surprising given how much leisure boats cost nowadays. However, there is also one thing that requires good maintenance if you want to be successful in boating, and that is the boat trailer. Just like with your car and boat, you need to prolong its life so you can save a lot of cash in the long run. We listed some tips on how to maintain and care for your boat trailer.
Clean the boat trailer with fresh water after every use.
This tip is pretty basic and easy to do, but it’s also the most important one. The trailer can get contaminants when submerging to water, especially salt-water. As much as possible, rinse your boat trailer with fresh water right after using it. If you have a hose available, splash all the surfaces and parts of the boat in all angles with water. This will prevent the metal parts of your trailer from corrosion, which gradually damages the material with rusting.
Always give your trailer a check-up.
Once the boat is launched and the car is parked, it will be a very good time to inspect the trailer. Check for any signs of rust on all parts of the trailer including the frames, the inside of the wheels, the trailer coupling, the brakes, and suspension, and also the safety chains. If there are any signs of a potential problem, schedule a repair right away. It is better to fix the problem early, which is less expensive than replacing all the trailer parts because of serious issues.
Perform simple maintenance activities
Once in every six months, do over-all check-up and maintenance on your boat trailer. First, check the wheels using a wheel dolly jack. Try to wobble each wheel and when there are lateral movements, have the brakes and bearings examined right away. Second, apply some marine grease to the bearings, trailer couplings, suspension springs and wheel studs. It will make sure that everything is moving freely.
Third, check the wirings under the mudguard if they are still tightly secured and free of any damage. Fourth, inspect the brakes (whether mechanical or hydraulic) and see if they still operate properly. Lastly, check the safety chains and shackles in front of the boat trailer to see if there are any rusty or worn parts. Also, inspect the winch and cable to make sure that they are still working.
Comply with the trailer weight limit all the time.
Overloading will lead to a shorter lifespan of your boat trailer. So make sure to contact your dealer or manufacturer to find out (if you don’t already know) the trailer specifications, especially the maximum weight it can hold. Visit public weighbridge and try to weigh the combined weight of the loaded boat and the trailer. If the weight is beyond the designed limit, then you should get some things off your boat.
Ask for Professional help.
Although we can do little things to take care of our boat trailers, it much better to have a professional inspect them at least once a year. Get a schedule with a seasoned boat mechanic or your boat dealer. The small amount of money that you will pay will be worth the longevity of service you will get from your trailer.
A boat trailer keeps your precious vessel safe during transport, when launching into the water and even while the boat is resting at home. So, pay attention to it. Proper maintenance of the trailer is just as important as caring for your boat.
