7 Tips For Trailer Safety
If you’re planning to explore farmland, beautiful lakes, and national parks this summer, make sure your trailer is in mint condition before you head out. If you’re towing a trailer for the first time, read the state towing rules and regulations to know how to become a safe driver.
Tips for Trailer Safety
- Looking after Your Trailer
One of the most important things you could do is to keep the trailer sparkling clean. Wash it with non-abrasive soap, especially the undercarriage area. If dirt collects in the area between moving parts, there will be a lot of wear and tear. To keep things moving smoothly, you must lubricate moving parts with grease. This will keep friction to a bare minimum. Don’t forget to lubricate towing winches, ball hitches, and trailer jacks.
- Tyres
Inspect your tyres before you do a long haul journey. Heavy loads wear out trailer tyres quickly. Check the tyre pressure and inflate the tyres if required.
- Lights
It’s a bad idea to drive without proper working trailer lights. Inspect the wires on the trailer and the coach vehicle. Look for worn out spots or inadequate insulation. If you can’t change the entire wiring, fix cracks or worn out spots with electrical tape.
- Bearings
Trailer bearings work very hard to give you a smooth ride. They protect your trailer from unnecessary wear and they prevent friction between the wheel and the wheel assembly. Before heading out on a long journey, dismantle the wheel assembly to grease the bearings.
- Brakes
Inspect and clean the brakes at least once a year. Use a jack to raise the trailer. Then remove the outer wheel bearing and the drum in order to inspect the brake. Check the magnet arm for damage and replace magnets if they’re worn out. If the drum or the armature looks worn out, replace the entire assembly.
- Trailer Towbars
Check the towbar pins and bolts for anything unusual. The pins get rusted and worn out with repeated use. The bolts may become loose or shift over a period of time. You may also see the towbar paint peeling off. To protect your towbar from damage, keep it free from dust and dirt. Also, avoid pulling loads that are heavier than the towbar’s maximum load bearing capacity.
- Springs
Inspect the trailer springs for cracks. If the spring looks flat and worn out, it will most likely break in the future. Look for signs of rusting. Apply softened toilet ring wax to the springs, to prevent them from getting rusted even further.
Professional Trailer Servicing
If you don’t have the time to service your trailer, contact the professionals at Advanced Towbars. Whether you need tow hitch installation in Melbourne or preventive maintenance for your trailer, we can help.
We know vehicles inside out and we can identify and repair worn out trailer parts. If you’d like to replace your old towbar with a new one, look up our towbars for sale.
We supply and install car accessories including LED lights, bike racks and reversing cameras. We also fit nudge bars and custom tow bars – our professional towbar installers will come to your home/office to do the job.
Call us on 1300 238 869 for an obligation-free quote for towbar fittings. Also, view our range of towbars and car accessories online.