Captain Jonathan Moss
Growing up, my Dad taught me a few life lessons. One of those lessons was preventive maintenance on any trailer. He would constantly say, “If you take care of your tools, they’ll take care of you!” And that also applies to your boat and trailer. More often than not, anglers neglect their trailers. I constantly see trailers with broken bunks, busted lights, and rust galore.
Here are four quick tips to help keep your trailer road worthy.
1. Check your trailer lights, chains, and brakes before you get on the road. Make sure they are connected and in working order. Did you know you can be issued a ticket for broken lights or unconnected trailer chains? It’s worth two seconds of time to check.
2. Spray your lugs, washers and bolts, tongue jack, lock, hitch, wench and gears with WD-40. My boats are constantly in and out of saltwater, so a little WD-40 can and will go a long way in preventing rust to form. This water repelling agent is cheap and saves you money in the long run.
3. It’s recommend you have your trailer hubs repacked every 5000 miles or every 6 months. Keeping your bearings greased with synthetic marine-wheel bearing grease and packed saves your hubs and could also save your trip.
4. Lastly, rinse your trailer thoroughly with fresh water after putting your trailer into salt water. Take it to the car wash and rinse it completely or if heading back to Orlando, dunk it in fresh water at any ramp on the St. Johns River.
These are four simple tips are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to trailer maintenance but following these simple tips will make your next trip to and from the water a safe and pleasurable one.
Captain Jonathan Moss
Go Castaway Fishing Charters
www.gocastaway.com
407-760-8593