That’s a nice boat you have there… be a shame if something happened to it! Indeed it would be a shame and no doubt you’ve taken pains to protect your boat at the dock and on the water and maintained the engine but…
When was the last time you made a close inspection of your boat trailer? Damaging accidents to boats while trailering or ramping are all too frequent and most can be prevented with routine inspection and maintenance of your boat trailer. Be sure to pay close attention to the following:
- Tires: Tire blow-outs may be the biggest cause of boat trailer accidents on the highway. Not only can tire failure result in an overturned boat, but there is always the risk of causing a major accident involving other vehicles. Boat trailers that are stored for extended periods of time, especially where the tires are in contact with the soil, should be carefully inspected for signs of dry-rot. Putting the trailer on stands to lift the wheels and covering wheels with inexpensive canvas covers will extend the life of these tires. By all means replace trailer tires with excessive tread wear.
- Hubs & Bearings: Keep you hubs greased and carefully inspect the hubs, grease seals and hardware for signs of excessive corrosion. Use “Bearing Buddies” where appropriate for protection.
- Springs: Heavily rusted Leaf Springs should be replaced. Pay extra attention to shackles and hardware. Leaf Springs are relatively easy to replace, whereas torsion axles may require replacement of the entire axle assembly. In either case, failure of the trailer springs can be catastrophic when a boat and trailer is in tow.
- Structural corrosion: We have twice in the last several months dealt with situations where the trailer tongues had collapsed while the boat and trailer were on the ramp. In neither case was the rust and corrosion visible from the top or sides of the tongue. Inspect all structural members, especially the tongue, top, bottom and sides for potential failure from corrosion.
- Surge Brakes: Where trailer brakes are present, and required, they should be tested before even the shortest trip. Inspect brake shoes and mechanisms regularly and replace and repair as needed. Trailer brake failure while towing a 5000# load is not a pleasant experience.
- Lights: It’s all too easy to tow a trailer without verifying that the running lights, brake lights and turn signals are functional, but towing without lights can be both dangerous and illegal!
- Bunks & rollers: Warped and broken wooden bunks and missing rollers cannot provide adequate support for your boat. Covered bunks protect the hull and ease loading and unloading.
Sunset Dreams provides maintenance and repair services for boat trailers. Bring your trailer in for an expert inspection and, for a small investment, have your trailer professionally set up to match your boat and facilitate on and off at the ramp. You can find us at 5149 Pine Island Road, 1/4 mile east of the 4-Way stop at Pine Island center. You can also find us on Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/sunsetdreamsfl/