Whether it's a boat trailer or a trailer you use for hauling lawn care equipment, you want to ensure you maintain that trailer properly through the long winter months. This will include making a few quick fixes before you put it away, and then giving it a bit of attention during wintertime as well. Note a few simple but important tips for maintaining your trailer and its parts through the winter months so it's in good repair and ready to be used once the warm season arrives again.

1. Remove rust

 Check the entire frame of the trailer for rust that's formed and be sure you remove it so it doesn't spread and the trailer remains strong. You can use a wire brush or a rust removal product that you spray on the affected areas, to make it easier to wipe off or brush off the rust. You can then clean the area and repaint it as needed.

2. Caring for tires

It can be good to actually flatten unused tires so they aren't under pressure through the winter months, when their rubber may become hard and brittle and more likely to crack under that pressure. You can always then inflate them once summer arrives. Don't do this for the tires holding up the trailer, however, as they need the air in them to cushion them against the weight of the trailer. These tires will need some care themselves; you want to move the trailer just a slight bit every few weeks so no one spot of the tires is under continuous pressure. If you allow one spot of the tires to hold up the trailer over the winter months, this can cause an area of the rubber to flatten slightly. Move the trailer just a few inches or centimeters every week or every few weeks to prevent this from happening.

3. Check casings and housings

Look at the casings and housings for wires and wire connectors. If they're cracked or loose, change them or tighten them. During wintertime, frost might settle into these areas if the casings or housings are cracked or loose and your trailer's wiring may then become corroded, bare, frayed, or otherwise worn. This might also cause shorts if the moisture doesn't dry before you use the trailer. Replacing cracked casings or tightening wires into place can protect those connections even if you have the trailer covered, and keep the wiring in good repair through wintertime.

For assistance with trailer parts, talk to a professional.