Importance Of Maintaining Your Trailer

Safety

All vehicles are prone to wear and tear and trailers are certainly no exception. They tend to be exposed to the elements almost all year round, and depending on the type of trailer, aren't exactly handled delicately. Without proper care and regular maintenance, it is very probable that your trailer will sustain damage and could even run the risk of causing damage to your tow vehicle or harm to you or other people on the road. For this reason, it is always a good idea to ensure that your trailer is up to a roadworthy standard, and any signs of wear and tear are quickly addressed. Trailers are generally pretty simple vehicles, so checking things like the tyres and wheels, the chassis and the attachment gear, shouldn't be too arduous a task - and most of the components are easily accessed, maintained and replaced.

Fuel efficiency

A trailer that tows badly will increase the strain on the towing vehicle, which in turn increases the amount of fuel you use to tow it; therefore it is worthwhile to always stay on top of trailer maintenance, as the smallest things can contribute to your efficiency. One of the simplest things you can do is to check the air pressure in the tyres of your trailer. Similarly, it is a good idea to ensure that if your trailer is equipped with brakes, that they work correctly and disengage properly. This way you aren't trying to tow a trailer that is stopping itself - and having to expend more power and fuel than necessary to do so. Correctly maintained wheel bearings could also contribute to your fuel efficiency since they allow smooth and continuous rotation of the trailer's wheels. If your trailer has worn bearings, then it will tend to tow poorly and unevenly - further contributing to the fuel cost to pull it.

Economy

Besides saving money on the fuel to tow your trailer, you can also save money in other ways through regular and proper maintenance. It is just like the old saying about apples and doctors - if you maintain your trailer, and catch issues when they are still minor, then the likelihood of catastrophic and expensive failure occurring in the future is reduced. A well-maintained trailer that is in tidy condition is likely to hold its value as well - particularly if it is a specialty trailer.

Below are a few tips and hints as to what you might want to carry out regularly, in order to ensure that your trailer is safe, economical and holds its value for longer:

Check your tyres - As mentioned above, tyres contribute to your safety and your fuel economy. Be sure to check the tyres for wear, damage and the correct pressure before using your trailer, and make sure that you replace your tyres if anything is amiss. After all, trailer tyres (and entire wheels) are pretty cheap compared to the costs of potential damage resulting from their failure!

Keep your trailer clean - As dirt and road grime builds up, it increases the risk of rust and other damage to your trailer. It's a good plan to clean your trailer regularly. You can use the same sorts of cleaning products as you'd use to clean your car, although a simple once-over with a water blaster or pressure washer will usually do the trick. Depending upon how and where you use your trailer, it might be a good idea to give it a wash down after every use too.

Check and lubricate the fasteners - Be sure to check the coupling for damage and signs of wear, and ensure that it is free from rust and corrosion. You'll want to lubricate the moving components to keep them functioning properly, and to protect them from the elements too. Be sure to check the safety chain, and the fasteners that it attaches with. These parts are of vital importance to your safety, and the safety of other people on the road, so you should never skimp on their maintenance.

Check the electrics - Before you use your trailer, always make sure that your its lights function correctly. Most of the time, a trailer will obscure the lights on the vehicle that's towing it. This means that other drivers will have no idea that you are stopping or turning, and so run the risk of a collision. Make sure that you repair or replace any damaged wiring, replace blown bulbs, and ensure that your lights don't allow moisture into them.

Check your brakes - If your trailer has brakes, you'll need to check and maintain them the same way you'd maintain your car's. This means that you should check the level of your brake fluid and top up or replace it as and when required, check and replace the pads as necessary, and replace the rotors if they are warped or sufficiently worn.

If you carry out these basic checks and a little maintenance, you can ensure that your trailer remains safe and economical to use for a good, long time, and maximises its resale value as well. If you want to be really sure that your trailer is in tip-top shape, then having a professional mechanic give it a once-over every now and again can really help too.