6 Tips For Maintaining Your Trailer

Whether you use your trailer for work every day, only on occasion or it’s reserved for occasional road trips, trailer maintenance is important for keeping you, your cargo and passengers safe on the road.

Even the best tradesman trailers in Australia need work to stay roadworthy and in good working condition. Taking care of this maintenance regularly will save you a lot of heartache down the line when something unexpectedly fails or a neglected trailer earns you a hefty fine. 

Upkeep isn’t hard; it just means taking the time to run through the major areas of concern you’ll want to check and make sure that you’re doing so regularly. To help you keep your tradesman tool trailer or weekender trailer in good working condition, here are our six tips for trailer maintenance to keep your trailer and you happy. 

Don’t skimp on safety before hitting the road

Trailer maintenance is going to save you money on expensive repairs, fines and possible delays when you need to be getting on with the job at hand, but perhaps the most important reason to actually keep your trailer well-maintained and in good working order is safety. 

Especially if you’re loading heavy cargo, a problem with your trailer could cause skidding, loss of control of your vehicle or accidents. In order to avoid all of that, let’s run down the checklist of what trailer maintenance you need to stay up to date with. 

1. Test your couplings

Perhaps the most crucial element of operating a trailer is making sure that the connection between your vehicle and the trailer is step one of trailer maintenance. Parts of your hitch can work themselves loose over time, so giving all the couplings a once over before you hit the road is always a good idea. 

Check the tow ball on your vehicle and lubricate the inside of the tow coupling regularly to ensure everything is hitching and unhitching smoothly.  

2. Check your electrical

While you’ve got the WD40 to lubricate your tow coupling, you may also want to spray the electrical plug on your towing vehicle to prevent rust and corrosion. 

Also essential is checking the connections of your electrical cables, ensuring that your brake lights are functioning properly, that your indicator lights are operating in sync and that your hazards light up when you need them to. 

Not only will checking these avoid any nasty prangs in traffic, but they’ll make sure you don’t get booked for a silly oversight while you head to your destination. You may need a mate to help you test these elements but bribe them with a 6-pack or a promise to do the same for them, and you’ll save yourself extra hassle down the line. 

3. Repair any damages

Even if it’s only a small bit of wear and tear, putting off repairs to your tradesman trailer is only going to leave you with a bigger, and likely more expensive, problem down the line. 

Take the time regularly to deal with any rust, corrosion or other damage that may start to threaten the structural integrity of your trailer down the line, and your future self will thank you. 

4. Maintain your breaks 

This may seem like a no-brainer, but when you’re hopping into your truck or ute every day and speeding off to the next job, it can be easy to let this aspect of trailer maintenance slip your mind. Breaking cables have to withstand a lot of wear and tear, so ensuring they’re in good working order is essential. 

Your brake shoes and bearings can also start to break down over time, so keep an eye out and replace your brake pads if you notice any wear. Ultimately, it’s always better to be safe than sorry when braking. 

5. Remember, cleanliness is next to godliness

Keeping your tradesman tool trailer clean and tidy isn’t just a nice idea; it can prolong your trailer's life. Water or other liquid can pool in areas causing damage, grime accumulation can speed up the degradation of materials, and a messy trailer means tools and equipment can get lost or damaged too. 

Give your trailer a good rinse off with a hose and a brush to remove any potential soluble or corrosive materials, and remove the leftover materials from previous jobs. If you’ve chosen a tradesman tool trailer from T.C Boxes, you’ll find that our power-coated galvanised steel trailers are incredibly durable and robust, but even then, corrosion and rust can start to creep in if neglected. 

6. Pick up anything you need from the best tradesman trailer supplier in Australia

If you have neglected some trailer maintenance and are now facing the reality of a trailer with degraded cables or severe corrosion, it may be time to face facts and invest in a new tradesman tool trailer that will last you for years to come, with regular maintenance, of course. 

The T.C Boxes range of tradesman trailers have been developed for a range of uses, so whether you work in mining, construction, landscaping, carpentry, plumbing, or another trade or you simply use a trailer for occasional trips to the dump or to take materials away for recycling, you’ll find the perfect option to suit your needs in our online store. 

Whether you’re searching for tradesman trailers for sale to give yourself a much-needed upgrade or need some extra accessories to help keep your trailer maintained and in good working condition, T.C Boxes can help. 

From our heavy-duty tradesman trailers to our durable and affordable aluminium canopies and even swags, we’ve got all your trailer needs covered. Shop the standard range of premium tradesman trailers with solar power, running water and external 240v connections.