How to Maintain a Trailer

No matter how difficult the project, your cargo trailer works hard to make your life easier. To ensure that it continues to do so for years to come, you need to take good care of it. To help you do that, we at Stoneham's Motorsports have provided some tips for caring for and maintaining your trailer. If you need additional information or if you’d like to check out some quality cargo trailers for sale in Pennsylvania, head to our dealerships in Waynesboro and Everett.

Go Through the Owner’s Manual

Before you begin any maintenance on your cargo trailer, remember that it’s best to review the owner’s manual properly. While generalized tips work for most models, there may be part-specific or mechanism-specific information in your cargo trailer manual that you should be aware of. This could include recommended products, a maintenance schedule, and anything else that might only apply to your model.

Tires

No matter what type of trailer you have, tire maintenance should be on your list of priorities. As a matter of fact, you should inspect your tires before every trip. Look for any signs of damage or poor tire pressure. To measure the exact psi levels and adjust as needed, you can use a tire pressure gauge. To know the recommendations, check your owner’s manual. Of course, at some point, you’ll probably just need to replace a damaged tire or a tread that’s too worn.

Deck

For the most part, your cargo trailer deck needs to be cleaned, regardless of the kind of material it’s made of. However, depending on the building materials and how often you use the trailer, you might want to take extra precautions against what the elements can do to your unit. If you have a wooden deck, it might need to be stained every so often; if you have a metal deck, it will need to be tended to if you notice oxidation. Inspecting the deck frequently will help you stay on top of problems and avoid any serious damage. 

Checks

Take a little extra time before each trip to ensure that your cargo trailer is operating properly since this can keep you and other commuters safe. Check that your brakes and lights are functioning well. The breakaway switch, battery, and lugnuts should all be in good working condition. Ensure the load weight is even in the cargo trailer, as uneven weight distribution leads to problems with towing. You can damage a new model by not loading the cargo properly so always double-check this. You can invest in a weight distribution trailer hitch that automatically levels out the trailer. 

Regular Maintenance

While you’ll be able to handle some of the problems your cargo trailer faces, you’ll eventually need a trained technician’s help. They’ll be able to provide a more thorough check of all the various parts of your trailer. You’ll definitely want to do this at least once a year, but we recommend once every six months.

We hope that this guide helps you take better care of your trailer. In case you need professional help, bring your cargo trailer down to Stoneham's Motorsports in Waynesboro and Everett, PA. We invite all our friends from Hagerstown, MD, and Bedford, PA, to come and check out our inventory.