Maintaining your boat trailer isn’t as fun as a day at the sandbar, but it helps ensure you keep getting to the sandbar safely. Your boat trailer has to work hard on the road and at the boat ramp. 

At ARG Marine, we love helping customers get out on the water. Keeping your trailer maintained can keep you out of the shop and prevent any unexpected breakdowns.

Top Tips for Boat Trailer Maintenance

Trailer maintenance is as important as maintaining your outboard engines. Check over your trailer before every launch to keep it in tip-top shape. Boat owners should check their tires, wheel bearings, brakes, trailer lights, and protect their trailer from corrosion. 

Maintain Your Trailer’s Tires

Getting a flat or experiencing a blowout on the road will ruin a day on the water before it even starts. If you have a new boat, check to ensure your tires match the load requirement and are suited to towing. Towing a boat at highway speeds can create a lot of heat and wear, so it’s essential to use Special Trailer tires. 

Check the tires before each tow. You should measure tire pressure and add air if necessary. Check the tread for any signs of wear. If the tread is wearing unevenly, this might signify an out of alignment axel. 

If a tire looks worn, it should be replaced. In addition, boat owners should keep a spare trailer tire on hand in case of emergencies. 

Check Your Wheel Bearings

Wheel bearings can get rusty. To prevent this, many boat trailers use a wheel bearing protector, such as the well-known Bearing Buddy brand. Wheel bearing protectors use light pressure to hold the grease in the wheel bearing. This system prevents water from entering the wheel bearing assembly. The bearing protector has a grease fitting that adds grease and maintains pressure. 

Test Your Trailer Brakes

Most trailers have brakes, and they should be tested and maintained. Rinse your brakes after launching and retrieving your vessel. Both disc-type and drum-type brakes wear with use and should be serviced every few years. Check the brake fluid reservoir every few launches. 

Keep Your Trailer’s Lights Working

Trailer lights are vital to your trailer’s roadworthiness and should be checked before each trip. After you’ve connected the trailer to your vehicle, check all the lights to make sure they are still working. Check the turn signals, brake lights, and running lights. 

You can cover your trailer light connection between tows to protect the metal pins from corrosion. 

One of the most recurring causes of trailer light failure is a bad ground. The grounding wire is white and is usually connected to the trailer frame with a screw. If your lights aren’t working, remove the screw and clean the contact point to ensure the ground is connecting to the trailer properly. 

If you need to replace any lights, look for modern waterproof LED lights that will last forever. 

Prevent and Treat Corrosion

Saltwater is a trailer’s biggest enemy. If you are operating in saltwater, wash your trailer with fresh water after each use.Check the trailer for rust and remove it. Then, you can apply a rust preventer to help your trailer last longer. 

Enjoy Your Time on The Water

At ARG Marine, we’re focused on helping you spend as much time as possible on the water. Keeping your trailer maintained is an excellent preventative maintenance tactic. 

Outboard engines and outboard boats are our specialties. So, if you’re in the West Palm Beach area, stop by and see how we can help you enjoy time on the water.