With spring here and summer on the way, now is the perfect time to give your trailer a maintenance checkup so it’s ready to go at a moment’s notice. You never know when you’ll feel like taking your boat out, or if you need to use the trailer to clean up after a summer storm.

The keys to your trailer maintenance cover a variety of items throughout the trailer in a similar way to a car service. The 8 critical areas that require your attention include wheel bearings, tires, brakes (if equipped), electrical wiring and connections, lights, coupling, and the physical condition of the trailer body (eg. ., winch cables and rollers on a boat trailer; or the tray, door, cage, and toolbox on a box trailer), and signage.

1. Wheel Bearings – They are a critical part of your trailers performance and should be repacked every 2 years, or every year if your trailer has a heavy workload (such as traveling long distances or working in harsh conditions). ). The last thing you need in the middle of a job or towing your boat is a failed wheel bearing, so it’s best to have it serviced by a qualified mechanic who will disassemble, clean and repack the bearings and replace the seals. .

2. Tires – This is both the condition of the tires and the pressure of the trailer tires plus the spare. Check the wear of the tires looking for cuts, stones and metal objects that may be embedded in the rubber. Your tires need adequate grip for effective braking and to help stop trailer ‘tails’ or being pulled along the road. And you don’t want to have a blowout, so replace the worn tires. Also inflate your tires to the correct pressure, taking into account the load you expect them to carry. It is always best to have your tires inflated to a few psi above the recommended pressure. This distributes the grip of the tires more effectively, allows you to be ready for heavier loads than expected, and generally gives you better fuel economy.

3. Brakes – If you have a large trailer or are towing a boat, the brakes must operate properly for safe driving. Even if you have a large 4×4 vehicle, they are not designed to stop heavy loads on their own without additional braking ability. Make sure your brakes are clean and adjusted to get the correct braking load. Your local mechanic can help you with this.

4. Wiring and Electrical Connections – Check the wiring to make sure it is free of cuts that could otherwise cause corrosion or wiring failure. Clean all connections and check for corrosion. It is recommended that you clean with an electrical contact cleaner (this is a spray you can buy for around $10 a can). And then apply dielectric grease to all connections. This protects the electrical contacts, prevents corrosion and keeps them in good condition.

5. Lights: Test and update your lights. With the trailer attached to your vehicle, test all brake lights, indicators, and night lights. If you still have old bayonet or festoon lights on your trailer (which are generally high maintenance), now would be the ideal time to upgrade your lights to LED lights, which are more efficient, brighter, and have a longer lifespan.

6. Coupling – Clean the coupling and check its integrity and grease as necessary. Also check the adjusting bolt at the front, this helps limit rattle between the cup and the trailer ball.

7. Body – Check the physical condition of your trailer body for wear and rust, treating with anti-rust paint as necessary. If you have a boat trailer, check the winch mechanism and the integrity of the cable, as well as the rollers. If you have a box trailer, pay attention to the condition of the bed, side and cover, as well as the tailgate and its hinges, which are very susceptible to wear. Also check the condition of the cage and toolbox, if any. Apply grease to the hinges and anti-rust paint at the points of possible corrosion.

8. Signage – Check that your license plate is clearly visible and well lit at night. No need for record labels anymore, set a reminder on your phone or calendar for the due date.

These simple checks will ensure your trailer is ready to go to work, camp or boating. Your local mechanic can help you repair your trailer and make sure it’s roadworthy so you can get the best use out of your trailer, whatever type it is.