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Originally Posted On: https://www.slideon.com/6-signs-you-need-boat-trailer-repair/
If you own a boat, you probably paid a pretty penny for it. Most new boats will cost tens of thousands of dollars, and even used boats will often put a decent-sized dent in your bank account.
With this in mind, you’re going to want to be very careful with a boat once you get it into the water. You’ll also want to be extra careful with it when you’re carrying it around on a boat trailer.
If your trailer is in need of boat trailer repair and you choose to use it anyway, you might put your boat at risk. It’s why you should secure boat trailer repair services ASAP when you find yourself saying, “My boat trailer is broken.”
There are a handful of signs that will let you know when you’re experiencing boat trailer problems and need to take on boat trailer repair. Check out six of these signs below and make sure you take care of boat trailer maintenance right away if you spot any of them.
1. Flickering or Non-Functioning Lights
If you have a boat trailer that’s on the newer side, it might have LED lights on it. LED lights will be brighter than incandescent ones, and you also shouldn’t run into too many issues with them.
However, if you have an older boat trailer, it might have incandescent lights that can lead to problems. For instance, you might find that the lights on your trailer will flicker, which could result from an intermittent ground fault.
You might also discover that your boat trailer’s lights aren’t working at all at some point. This can be the result of anything from loose wires to damaged bulbs. Whatever the case, you’ll need to get to the bottom of the issue with your boat trailer’s lights and fix it.
If you don’t have fully functioning lights on your boat trailer, another driver could run right into the back of it at night. It could lead to damage being done to your trailer, your boat, or, in a worst-case scenario, both. It’ll make you wish you had scheduled boat trailer repair sooner.
2. Broken Rollers
Many boat trailers have rollers on them that are designed to make it easy for you to roll your boat right up onto your trailer. They’re also in place to provide some cushioning for your boat when you’re driving around with it.
The problem is that these rollers can break and/or get deformed over time. It can make it harder than it should be to get your boat onto your trailer, and it can also do damage to your boat while you’re using your trailer.
Broken rollers on a boat trailer should be simple enough to replace. But if your boat trailer is at the point where the rollers are starting to go on it, you might want to have the entire thing inspected by a professional who knows how to perform the proper boat trailer repair services.
3. Faulty Brakes
As you might imagine, you’re going to put a lot of wear and tear on the brakes that are on your boat trailer. They’ll be responsible for bringing your trailer and the heavy boat that sits on top of it to a halt when you’re out on the road.
For this reason, your brakes might experience any number of problems over the years. Here are just a few of the most common boat trailer brake issues:
- Low brake fluid
- Corroded actuator
- Damaged brake lines
- Worn-down brake pads
If you ever notice that slowing your brake trailer down is getting to be more difficult than it used to be, you might have faulty brakes on your trailer. You’ll need to arrange to have them repaired or replaced as soon as you can.
4. Corroded Axles
There are some basic boat trailer repairs that you might be able to pull off on your own. Working on the axles on your boat trailer is not one of them!
But you can keep a close eye out for any potential problems with the axles on your boat trailer. You should check to see if they’re ever corroded and/or sagging. If they are, that’ll be a surefire sign that you’ll need to take your trailer in for boat trailer repair.
You might also want to look at your tires every so often to be sure that they’re wearing evenly. If they aren’t, that could be another sign that you have boat trailer problems stemming from bad axles.
5. Rotting Tires
Speaking of tires, you should check more than just the wear you’re putting on them. You should also see to it that they don’t ever start to rot on you.
Boat trailer tires may begin to rot if you keep them around for too long. They might also start to rot if they sit in the sun all day long or if you don’t keep them inflated enough.
You might be able to preserve the tires on your boat trailer by doing things like jacking the frame of your boat trailer up to take the tires for it off the ground. But even still, there will come a time when these tires will start to rot and need to be replaced.
You might also find that you’ll need other boat trailer repair services if you stick with the same tires for an extended period of time. It’ll be important to have them replaced on a regular basis.
6. Rusty or Broken Frame
The very best boat trailers available nowadays have aluminum frames on them. Aluminum frames are extremely durable and should stand the test of time.
If you have a boat trailer with an aluminum frame, you shouldn’t have to be too concerned about it rusting. But if you have an older boat trailer made out of another type of metal, it could begin to rust and even break apart if you let this problem grow out of control.
It’ll be important for you to stop things from getting to this point. You may be able to do it by painting your frame or applying a cold-galvanizing spray to it.
You can also have the professionals perform welding on your boat trailer’s frame to keep it in good condition. You should bring it in for service right away if you ever suspect the frame isn’t capable of carrying your boat safely.
Contact Us for All Your Boat Trailer Repair Needs
Have you spotted any of these signs that indicate a need for boat trailer repair? Owens & Sons would be happy to help you out by delivering the boat repair services you need.
We specialize in working on boat trailer axles, brakes, and winches, but we can also provide you with a wide range of other boat trailer parts. We can even sell you a brand-new custom boat trailer made out of aluminum if you need to invest in one.
Touch base with us today to schedule boat trailer repairs.
