Towing a trailer safely requires a combination of both knowledge and skill. Also, keeping your trailer in a good and safe condition requires ongoing care. So, what maintenance should you do, and what should you check before hitting the road?
Maintenance
There are a number of key maintenance tasks that you can undertake to ensure that your trailer remains safe/roadworthy.
1. Grease the bearings
Under-maintained bearings can cause a number of issues including seizure, separation of wheels and even fires! Because the grease breaks down over time, you need to regularly clean your bearings of the old grease, and regrease. This should be done at least once a year or every 10,000 miles.
2. Check the tyres
Inspect your trailer’s tyres for signs of damage such as cuts or bulges, ensure that they are sufficiently inflated for the load they are carrying, make sure the tread depth is at least 1.6mm, and tighten nuts/bolts as needed if you notice they are loose. Additionally, make sure that any mudguards are securely fastened to the trailer.
If you are looking for parts for your trailer, there are a number of specialists such as autoandtrailer.com who offer a selection of trailer parts to meet various requirements.
3. Test the emergency brake
Most large trailers have a backup emergency braking system. This often involves a cable, key, switch and dedicated battery. You should ensure that this is working before embarking on a trip, and carry out regular checks to make sure the battery is live and there are no signs of faulty wiring or defective switches.
Checklist
Before hitting the streets, you should ensure the following:
- Brakes are working.
- Lights are all working.
- Tyres are properly inflated.
- Lug nuts are tight.
- Load is fastened/secure.
- Ramps and/or gates are securely shut.
- Ball mount pin is in place.
- Chains, breakaway cable and wiring harness are all connected.
- Locking lever is down with the pin installed.
- The ball is securely fastened to the ball mount.