Okay, now that it’s the middle of summer, many of you have already bought your new boat trailer. Maybe you knew all last season that you’d need a new boat trailer come spring, or perhaps you noticed something broke on your old boat trailer over the winter and needed a new one right away. Of course, buying a new boat often means you need a new boat trailer, in which case…well, we’re pretty envious!
Now that your new boat trailer is getting you to and from your favorite body of water, you want to keep it in the best condition possible. That means ensuring that it’s properly dried, which is what we’re discussing today.
But First…
“Wait,” you might say. “why is it necessary to dry a boat trailer at all? Aren’t both aluminum and galvanized boat trailers impervious to rust?” Good question! Aluminum doesn’t rust, and any corrosion actually protects it even more. And the hot dipped galvanization of steel frames is self-healing, which makes rust unlikely unless there’s major damage.
Still, it’s important to remember that a boat trailer isn’t just the frame. Boat trailers also have wiring, brakes, wheels, tires, winches, bunks, and many other parts that might be fine being wet for a short amount of time but need to be dried out well before the trailer is put into storage for the week (or for winter).
Take It For A Drive
Luckily, the best way to dry off your boat trailer is to take it for a drive, something you have to do anyway in order to get it home from the lake or river. Most boat trailers will dry on the way home, especially if you’re on the highway at all. But if you’re only on city streets for a short amount of time, that drive might not be able to get everything dry.
Of course, if you wash your boat and trailer when you get home, then there isn’t a long drive that helps to dry hit off. If you wait to wash it off with the hose after you get home, you might want to take it out on the road for a bit before putting it away so that the wind can dry it off.
Find the Hidden Spots
No matter how the drying occurs, there will always be those spots that don’t dry as quickly as others. While LoadRite boat trailers are designed so that water doesn’t collect and pool in any particular location, there will always be areas of a trailer that are more protected from the wind than others. Take a look at these areas to make sure that the drive home evaporated all of the water.
Leave It Out in The Sun
Here’s one thing we can’t really tell you to do: take your boat off the trailer when you get home and let the trailer dry directly in the sun. Boats tend to come off their trailers only when they’re in the water, something you can’t really do in your backyard.
What we can suggest you do is to leave the boat and trailer out in the sun until you’ve checked to make sure all those hidden spots are dry (see above) before you put everything away. The heat of the day and any breezes coming through the yard will dry everything out before you put the boat and trailer in the shed or put the wrap back over them.
Keep Your Trailer Dry!
Keeping your trailer dry is an excellent way to make sure that it lasts as long as possible. While you might not have to worry about the frame, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on every part of a trailer. Want to know more? Contact LoadRite Canada today or stop by our Monkland or Innisfil yards today!