Boat trailers come in all shapes and sizes. But at their foundation, they serve the same purpose: getting your boat to the water's edge safely. Maintaining your trailer helps ensure that this happens. Whether you’re new to the boating hobby or a veteran at it, the start of the boating season is the perfect time to check the essential items on your trailer to make sure they’re in proper working order. (And rechecking them during the season is a good idea too.) Here are the eight most important boat trailer parts that should be checked.
1. Boat Trailer Tires
Pay close attention when inspecting your tire treads for wear, tear, or cracking. If they have issues, replace them before you encounter a blowout or get stranded on the side of the road. Nothing ruins a day of boating more than a breakdown on the way to or from your favorite water spot. When you need replacements, we’ve got replacement boat trailer tires available individually or with wheels in your choice of steel or aluminum from well-known manufacturers ranging in sizes from 12 to 16 inches in diameter. And when you’re checking and adjusting tire pressures, don’t forget any spare tires mounted on the trailer.
2. Boat Trailer Wheel Bearings/Kit:
Wheel bearings are a critical part of a trailer's suspension system. Tightly packed within a grease-filled, waterproof, sealed metal ring, wheel bearings are the components that allow wheels to spin freely without friction or damage. Particularly stressful to trailer wheel bearings are long trips that end with the trailer being backed into the water to unload the boat. Because the bearings are hot at this point, any imperfections in their seals can result in water getting inside and compromising the lubricating quality of the bearing grease. For this reason, it’s recommended that trailer wheel bearings be replaced at least every 20,000 miles, or more often if the trailer is used frequently each year.
In our Boat Trailer Hubs & Bearings section, you’ll find complete replacement bearings as well as individual components such as bearing protectors, center dust caps, grease seals, and related nut/bolt hardware.
3. Boat Trailer Rollers
A boat trailer's rollers help support the boat while it's being towed, and they allow easy, friction-free loading and unloading of your craft. Make sure they're strong, spin easily, and are appropriately sized for weight distribution. In our rollers section, you’ll find specially designed roller wheels to accommodate your boat’s bow and keel areas, and you’ll find a number of others designed to protect side areas of the hull all along the length of your boat.
4. Boat Trailer Bunk Carpet
A boat trailer's bunk is where you place the boat when it's in tow, and bunk pieces support the weight of the boat for safe and secure traveling. Inspect all bunk pieces to make sure none of their outer protective carpeting has torn away or worn through. Should you find your bunks are compromised in any way, take a look through our boat trailer bunks section. There, you’ll find replacement bunk pieces, high-quality marine carpeting sold in roll form, brackets, and all related hardware.
5. Boat Trailer Guides
Boat trailers require guides to keep the craft centered when loading it onto the trailer, or when you’re towing it down the highway. Boat trailer guides serve many functions depending on their design, including keeping your boat properly positioned, preventing swaying, and helping to maintain the correct orientation for loading. Boat trailers may be equipped with fixed guideposts or adjustable models that attach to brackets on your boat's hull.
6. Boat Trailer Brake Lights & Taillights
Trailer lights are another frequent trailer problem. If you’re installing new trailer lights to replace old, corroded ones, it’s essential to make sure your wiring is done correctly. Regardless of whether you use shrink tubing or Liquid Electric Tape, make sure connections are moisture proofed. A faulty ground connection is also a typical cause of early light failure. We’ve got you covered with trailer wiring components should you need any.
Because LEDs (light-emitting diodes) offer numerous advantages over traditional incandescent bulbs, replacement trailer lights we offer in our trailer lights section contain LEDs. They're brighter, longer-lasting, and quicker to light up than their incandescent counterparts – boosting their visibility and increasing your safety during towing.
7. Tie Down Straps
Tie down straps are one of the most essential boat trailering items you can buy – for a nominal cost, tie down straps can protect the entire value of your boat by ensuring it stays securely attached to the trailer, minimizing any risk of damage or separation. Inspect the straps for weathering or corrosion which may prevent proper operation. We’ve also got strap guards that serve as a protective cushions between the strap and your boat.
8. Boat Trailer Jack
A trailer jack is a tool used to raise and stabilize a trailer so it may be connected to the towing vehicle quickly and easily.
Many of the boat trailer jacks we offer are known as swivel jacks - a type of jack with a base that folds up out of the way when not in use, similar to the way a kickstand does on a bicycle. Most such jacks bolt permanently to the front of the trailer, while others can be welded on if you choose.
Swivel jacks save time, sparing the user the process of raising the base of the jack manually until it’s safely above the ground. Trailer jacks are cranked by hand – however, for those who seek true convenience, we offer the power-operated Fulton XLT 2500 lb Marine Powered Bolt-On Side Mount Trailer Jack with Footplate.
In closing, we wish you safe travels with your boat in tow, and many moments of safe enjoyment out on the water. Before you go, however, we encourage you to take a look through our boat trailer parts section where you’ll find other trailering essentials such as trailer hitches, couplers, transom savers, trailer brakes, locks, and more. And visit us at Boat iD to see our wide selection of other products to meet all your boating needs.