Best Practices for Trailer Maintenance

Maintaining your trailer is essential for ensuring its longevity, safety, and reliability. Whether you use a trailer for personal or business purposes, regular maintenance can prevent costly repairs and potential accidents on the road. By following a few basic practices, you can ensure your trailer stays in the best condition.  

Tyres

Keeping your tyres in the best condition reduces the risk of blowouts and ensures a smooth ride. 

• Check your tyre pressure

Each trailer may have a different requirement for their tyre pressure. The maximum tyre pressure is always stipulated on the wall of the tyre, and this must not be exceeded.  Maintaining this pressure is essential for safety, tyre longevity, load capacity, and overall driving performance. Low tyre pressure, especially when carrying a heavy load can cause your tyres to overheat, resulting in potential blowouts.  

• Check your tread depth 

In the UK, the minimum tread depth for trailer tyres is 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tyre. The recommended depth for safe towing is 3mm. If your tyres have less than 3mm of tread depth, your tyres may provide little grip and increase your stopping distance.  

• Inspect for damage  

Tyres should be free of damage before every journey. You should check a tyre for cuts, bulges, uneven wear patterns, cracks and any visible damage. Tyres don’t last forever.  Rubber can perish with age and lack of use, so if you trailer has not been used for a long time, take extra care.  By regularly checking your tyre pressure and tread depth, you can prevent any future damage. 

 Brakes and Bearings

A poorly maintained braking system can reduce the effectiveness of your brakes, increasing the chances of an accident happening. 

• Adjust your brakes regularly  

To ensure safe towing you should be regularly readjusting your brakes. This should be done approximately every three months but does depend on frequency of use.  A good check to see how well the brakes are adjusted is to apply the handbrake and see how high it comes up.  A good indication that they are well adjusted, is if the handbrake when applied comes up to around the 10’o clock position.  If its higher than this, check the brake rod, compensator and brake drums of excess slack. 

• Inspect you brakes 

It is important that your brake drums are removed annually as a minimum.  Inspect the brake shoes and the condition of the brake drum.  You should look for signs of excessive wear on the brake shoe lining, such as cracks or uneven wear, and the drum surface should be free of any distortions or deep grooves.  

• Bearings 

Whilst doing your brake checks, is important that your bearings are running smoothly.  Spin the brake drum and check that are no rumbling noises.  You can also rock the brake drum to check there is no movement.   

Lighting 

• Check your lights daily 

When towing a trailer, it’s important other drivers can see when you are braking, indicating and importantly at night the trailer is visible.   Make sure all your main lights are working every time before towing.  A visual check can highlight any signs of damage, such as cracks, or simply a dirty lens.   

Regular Lubrication and Cleaning 

Keeping your trailer at a high standard of cleanliness doesn’t only increase the appearance of your trailer but also helps in maintaining its value. 

• Regular cleaning  

By keeping your trailer clean, you can reduce the risk of rust and damage from debris you may have picked up from towing. This also keeps the weight of your trailer down, as you are not carrying any excess materials.  

• Lubricate moving parts 

Regularly lubricating your trailer increases the efficiency and life span of the parts. By providing lubrication, you are reducing the amount of friction between the components, preventing additional wear and tear. Please reference our owner’s manual to find out which parts of our trailers need lubricating and which lubricant you should be using.  

Servicing and Professional Inspections 

Regular trailer servicing is crucial in preventing accidents, extending the life expectancy of your trailer and avoiding costly repairs.  

At Towmate Trailers, we recommend a three-, six- and twelve-monthly service to keep your trailer maintained to a high standard. 

All our Towmate Trailers come with a user manual which includes important information you need to keep your trailer maintained, including a service schedule and guides on each specific part of your trailer. Can’t find yours? Download it now on our website.  

If you have any questions about how to keep your trailer in the best condition or would like to speak to one of the team about a specific trailer, please get in touch!