Boat Trailer Maintenance and Advice

Buying a trailer-

The number one thing to keep an eye out for when buying a boat trailer is it's certification. The National Marine Manufacturers Association has a trailer certification program aimed at getting boat trailer manufacturers to comply with the industry-wide standards and fed safety regs. This certification also educates the public of this compliance when purchasing a boat trailer. Trailer certification includes the area of registration procedure, brakes, lights, ID plates, capacity ratings, couplings, and other aspects of the trailer. Inspectors for this certification will visit the trailer manufacturer and inspect all of their models before certification can be obtained. They do this for each model year and a manufacturer has to have each model certified with all of it's factory fittings. In other words, just like it is when being sold to the public.

Also, do not make the mistake made by tons of boaters every year. Most people will go and dump a "boatload" of cash on a supreme boat, then they'll pop it onto the cheapest boat trailer they can find. It's difficult to get the most out of your boat when you can't get much out of your boat trailer. In most cases, a cheap boat trailer won't withstand the test of time.

Another thing to remember when looking for a boat trailer is that the bigger the wheels, the better shape you'll be in. Bigger tires rotate less than smaller ones. That means less heat and tread wear to the tires. Less rotation also means more life out of your wheel bearings.

Towing

If you've don't have experience in pulling a boat behind you, you need to take many things into consideration. First, you must know the towing capacity of your vehicle. This can be found in your owner's manual. Small family cars aren't usually a good choice for towing, unless it's just a small aluminum trailer.However, a hitch and wiring will have to be added to the car. Usually a pickup or SUV can handle boats up to 25 feet, but check your vehicle's owner's manual just to be sure.

Things to check on the boat trailer before making the trip

Never tow your boat trailer before you check to be sure:

• Coupler, hitch and hitch ball are all the same size
• Safety Chains are securely attached
• No loose bolts
• Boat is properly mounted on the trailer
• Wheel lugs are all tight
• Wheel bearings are operating smoothly
• Overall load is within the towing capacity
• Tires have proper PSI
• Trailer brake lights, turn signals, and hazards all working correctly
  
• If applicable, trailer brakes are attached and functional
  
• Check local laws to make sure there's nothing you may have missed as far as hardware or safety features

Maintaining your trailer

The most important part of boat trailer maintenance lies in the hubs and bearings. They are being submerged in water every time you put your boat in the water. Water is their enemy, and you have to keep a close eye on these things to make sure that there isn't any oxidation hampering their movement. Bearings need to be greased religiously to keep water away from the critical components. The lights are also getting put in the water in most cases, and these should always be checked out to make sure everything is A-ok. To do this, have a friend stand behind the trailer every now and then while you operate all of the different light functions. Once you know everything is performing up to par, you're good to go. Also, if in salt water, make sure your trailer gets rinsed off with freshwater after used. This will stretch the life of all components on your trailer.A spare wheel is also a good investment for any boater. You don't want a flat tire to ruin your weekend out on the water. Flats happen!