It's time to inspect that trailer!

Hunting season is here, and snowmobile season will be here soon. Get out and inspect that trailer! Make sure the frame is still good, lights and wiring are working properly, and check things like spring shackles.

My utility trailer had the u-bolts stretch recently after using it to move firewood around on the property. Put the ATV on, drove out into the bush for a day of bird hunting... when I got home I noticed some extra rattles and looked underneath to discover the axle was moving around on the springs. Easy to cut off and replace in the driveway... not so easy on the side of the road.

This weekend was a complete R&R on the snowmobile trailer I picked up last spring. Bearings were all replaced last spring, but it needed more serious wiring work and some frame stiffening. When I got it up in the air, this is what I discovered. Those u-bolts were holding on... but barely. Remember, these things get exposed to a lovely salt water mix, then left sitting all summer. $11 in parts to replace both sides, 20 minutes to cut them off and replace both sides. That could have been a bad weekend on the side of the highway...

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good reminder!! I'll take a look at mine in the coming weeks.

FishFrenzy

A yearly oil spray on the metal would definitely help.

Pulled an old skidoo trailer from my parking area last summer with plans to license it. Flipped it over to do the bearings and the axle broke! Rusted almost through and just took a bit to snap it.
This is the time of year to get the lights working as well......

Time to take a good look at those original tires as well.
Very few trailer tires ever wear out from overuse. But the sidewalls crack from age and will blowout when you least need it.

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Originally Posted by sawbill

Time to take a good look at those original tires as well.

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Agreed...

One rim was so badly corroded on the inside there wasn't much of a lip left. Held air because it has a tube in it... and the bad side was the inside, so you'd never see unless you took it off or got underneath. Swapped on the brand new "spare" that I'd bought.

Tires on rims on sale this week at Princess Auto... only slightly more than bare tires, and no cost/hassle to have them mounted. ;)


Replaced entire wiring harness and lights with LED's. Ground run to each light. All joints soldered, then sealed with hot glue and heat shrink. Wiring will outlive the trailer. Takes a little longer to do it that way, but you never get corroded connections!

Just remember too that if you decide to pull a trailer with four quads on it to go north for the moose hunt, you had better have a yellow sticker on it. If you get stopped for a check they will be running you over portable scales and if your total weight is over 10,000(?) lbs you need the sticker.....
Its not just a fine, they can hold you until you get another unit on scene to split the load.

Good reminder. Pretty much if you have a dual axle trailer you will need a yellow inspection sticker on it AND any truck that tows it will also need one.

http://www.oldbellfarm.com/Drive%20O...egulations.pdf

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Originally Posted by sawbill

Time to take a good look at those original tires as well.
Very few trailer tires ever wear out from overuse. But the sidewalls crack from age and will blowout when you least need it.

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I need to replace mine next spring. Only a little tread left. They were new in '99. I won't chance them another year. It's actually cheaper to buy them pre-installed on rims on sale than it is to buy just the tires and get them installed. Go figure.

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Originally Posted by patvetzal

Just remember too that if you decide to pull a trailer with four quads on it to go north for the moose hunt, you had better have a yellow sticker on it. If you get stopped for a check they will be running you over portable scales and if your total weight is over 10,000(?) lbs you need the sticker.....
Its not just a fine, they can hold you until you get another unit on scene to split the load.

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4 quads still seem pretty light to me. Say each one quad weighs 500lbs, the trailer weigh 2000lbs. And you have 1000lbs of gear. That equals 5000lbs. Well below 10000lbs. Am I missing something here??