Why You May Be Overlooking a Crucial Component When It Comes to Your Trailer Maintenance
If you love to take to the inland waterways or explore the coast of this beautiful country, then you will truly prize your boating hobby as a means of escaping from your busy world. You will undoubtedly spend a lot of time looking after the boat as your prized possession so that you get maximum usage and don't suffer any downtime, but are you paying an equal amount of attention to the upkeep of your all-important trailer? What is one of the most important areas that you may be overlooking in particular?
Inspecting the Winch
While the body of the trailer itself is of course crucial when transporting your vessel from point a to point b, you're not even going to make the boat mobile without a fully functioning winch. You may take this unit for granted, but it requires periodic inspection and maintenance throughout the season.
Examining the Strap
The first thing to look for is wear and tear on or around the wire strap that connects the boat to the winch. You should always aim to wind and unwind the wire carefully so that it doesn't overlap itself too much and place a strain on its integrity. Have a look to see if there are any tears or frayed elements, or whether the wire has any kinks caused by an incorrect load. In the worst case, you may need to replace it, as it could snap and cause a lot of damage if it's significantly weakened.
Drum Maintenance
Have a good look at the drum into which the wire retracts. There shouldn't be any evidence of rust or water infiltration, as this can compromise its efficiency. Make sure that it is clean and dry on the inside and protected from any impacts that could be caused by road debris.
Recommended Parts
Refer to the manufacturer's manual to make sure that you are using the proper type of lubricant for all the moving parts, and always replace them with recommended products if needed. If you do need to replace the winch strap, then don't just fit a stock item, but once again make sure that it is rated to work with all the other equipment.
Getting the Once Over
It's a good idea to take the trailer in to a qualified shop for trailer repairs and for maintenance at least once per year to make sure that all is right and they can have a good look at the entire winch mechanism at the same time.
Share
