Beached Roadside? Avoid Breakdowns with Regular Boat Trailer Service

Have good intentions with regard to boat trailer service, but fall short on the actual effort required to make the appointment? Boat trailer breakdowns are common, with 77% of roadside assistance calls for boat trailer breakdowns attributable to trailer maintenance issues. Don’t want to end up becoming part of those roadside statistics? Managing boat trailer breakdowns is all about preparation…

Avoiding the 3 Most-Common Trailer Breakdowns
Rushing onto the road with your boat and sticking your head in the sand in regards to maintenance could leave you beached roadside. To avoid the causes of most boat trailer roadside snafus, regular preventative maintenance is key:

1. Preventative Tire Maintenance
   43% of roadside assistance calls for boat trailer breakdowns are due to flat tires, which are easily prevented with an air pressure check, a quick eyeball for sidewall cracks caused by age and other tread irregularities such as separations and bubbles, and the occasional alignment and balancing of wheels and tires.
2. Preventative Wheel Bearing Maintenance
   22% of roadside assistance calls for boat trailer breakdowns are due to failed wheel bearings, which are easy to detect but commonly ignored. Watch for warning signs of neglected wheel bearings including hubs that are too hot to touch after hauling, noisy bearings, and sloppy, loose wheel play when the trailer is jacked up. When was the last time you checked or repacked your bearings?
3. Preventative Axle Maintenance
   12% of roadside assistance calls for boat trailer breakdowns are due to failed axles. This typically indicates long-term corrosion. If your boat trailer shows signs of rusted stains or bubbles beneath axle paint, your trailer needs TLC – and fast. You can verify the issue by tapping the axle lightly with a steel hammer. If it doesn’t ring, but thuds, it’s rotten. Once rust or ‘metal cancer’ has begun within the axle, replacement (potentially following a roadside trailer breakdown) is inevitable.

Boat Trailer Breakdown Despite Your Best Efforts?
Sometimes you follow all the rules of regular trailer maintenance, and you still end up roadside. When your trusty trailer toolkit isn’t enough to get you by, it pays to have the number of a trusted roadside repair service on-hand in the event of an emergency. If your boat trailer ends up miles from the creek and there’s no paddling or pushing your way back home, Ainsworth has you covered, servicing your vehicle roadside and sending you on your way to the water, or rescuing you from your roadside location for service at our local repair facility.

Boat trailer beached? Dig yourself out with the dependable and affordable emergency roadside service of Ainsworth Trailer Repair today.

This post was originally published at http://www.trailerrepairdenver.com/dont-get-burned-replacing-trailer-axle-spindles/

Tractor Trailer Repair: Avoiding the Top 10 List

There are some ‘Top 10’ lists you don’t want to be a part of, among them, those involving tractor trailer repairs. How can you prevent these chart-topping trailer repairs from leaving you roadside?  

Know the Issues: 10 Most Common Tractor Trailer Repair Needs

1. Body component repairs.
   Bumpers, wing flaps, fenders and more can take a real beating during delivery, and when in disrepair can wreak havoc on the road. Are you a contender for a ‘honk if parts fall off’ bumper sticker?
2. Pneumatic element repairs.
   Brake hand valves, air hoses and other pneumatic parts could put you under serious pressure if neglect leads to an accident.
3. Rolling gear & suspension repairs.
   Heavy loads and rough roads can take a toll, creating costly cargo conundrums when issues with worn rolling gear and suspension components come into play.
4. Technical inspection glitches.
   Tailgate control and other issues that can thwart technical inspection can leave you stuck with a truck that ‘cannot pass go’ and make you money.
5. Electrical equipment issues.
   Lights, lamps, waterproof boxes and more are among the most common trailer repair needs.
6. Liftgate repairs.
   Don’t let neglected liftgate maintenance leave you and your cargo high-and-dry.
7. Refrigeration system maintenance.
   Proper climate control is key to safeguarding contents, reducing liability, and ensuring repeat business.
8. Tire repair, retreading, or replacement.
   Your tires keep your rig and cargo safely connected to the road, effecting everything from driving comfort and fuel mileage to traction and braking distance. When was the last time you checked yours?
9. Brake pad or drum replacement & EBS diagnostic issues.
   Common and inexpensive, regular braking maintenance can prevent deadly accidents.
10. Door/rolling door & curtain repair/replacement.
    Nothing says ‘steal me’ like unsecured, prominently displayed cargo.

Avoid the Bumps in the Road: Predictive & Preventive Maintenance
Rather than treating routine maintenance as an annoying, time-consuming, or costly affair, avoid troubles that could take your truck off the road. Keep yourself away from the ‘Trailer Repair Top 10’ list with regularly scheduled maintenance. Avoid easy-to-forecast trailer malfunctions, heading off common trailer issues at the pass, and ensuring your rig and its contents get where they’re going, on-time.

Don’t let your trailer go down from overuse and abuse. Avoid costly downtime, keeping on-track with regular predictive and preventative maintenance. Ensure a rig that’s in superior condition, top to tire, bumper to bumper, staying ahead of the competition with the knowing eyes of the trailer repair experts at Ainsworth today.

This post was originally published at http://www.trailerrepairdenver.com/gauges-trump-thump-guide-safe-accurate-tire-pressure-readings/