Like with your home, car, or side-by-side, a cargo or utility trailer requires maintenance to keep it operating at its best. You’ve already invested time and money in choosing, customizing and purchasing your ALCOM aluminum trailer – now, invest in its maintenance for best results on the road ahead.
Why maintain your trailer? First and most important is safety. A well-maintained, properly hitched, correctly loaded trailer is set up for ideal operation. Not only is it safer, but it looks good, works well, and holds more of its resale value – protecting your investment in case your needs change and you need to upgrade to a different trailer.
Here’s the great news about aluminum trailer maintenance: worrying about rust is not part of your process. Your trailer is built to resist rust and corrosion. Wash it down, even during winter months, without worrying about water intrusion or damage. You’ll never find yourself falling through the trailer’s floor, like one of our Frontier customers did in her old steel trailer! And you won’t have patches of unsightly, trailer-destroying rust creeping around your investment.
That doesn’t mean your ALCOM trailer is a no-maintenance investment. But smooth, bonded, screwless sides and all-aluminum construction go a long way to protecting your trailer without extra fuss. So – how do you keep your aluminum hauler happy for years and miles to come? Let’s look at the basics.
Start with an aluminum trailer maintenance schedule of at least once every six months. Don't forget to check your specific trailer’s manual for details, especially for any specialty upgrades you've selected.
If you notice anything amiss with your trailer, like damage after hauling, a flat tire, or something else that needs immediate attention, your best bet is to deal with it right away. But if everything is smooth sailing, then you should still have a twice-yearly checkup on the calendar for your trailer.
Plan to inspect and maintain your trailer ahead of any heavy-use seasons. For a snowmobile trailer, that might be near the end of autumn; for a utility trailer, maybe it's part of spring cleaning!
A maintenance checklist keeps you on track and ensures your trailer is ready to haul. At minimum, inspect the following components once every six months, and more frequently if needed. Some of these may not apply to your trailer, like generators or water systems, but many -- like tires and axles -- are key components of every trailer on the road.
| - Brakes | - Axles | - Tires |
| - Wheels/Bearings | - Safety Chains | - Couplers |
| - Jacks | - Breakaway System | - Lights |
| - Doors/Latches | - Ramps | - Electrical Connections |
| - Tie-Downs | - Spare Tire | - Cabinets |
| - Outlets/Receptacles | - Vents/Windows | - Generators |
| - Propane Tanks | - Heaters | - Water Systems |
Checking components like couplers, safety chains, and jacks is important to identify any wear-and-tear that may need repair for safe towing. Grease wheel bearings as needed. Check your tire pressure and make sure all tires are inflated to manufacturer's specifications. Look for damage or low tread and replace tires as needed. Make sure your spare tire is in good condition, inflated and mounted somewhere accessible.
If you've added any upgrades or custom features to your trailer, ensure they're part of your maintenance checklist. This is especially important for upgraded systems like heaters, generators, sinks, toilets, propane tanks, awnings -- anything that could ruin a trip if it started to malfunction! Check any connections, tubing, pipes, or wiring you've installed. Start your appliances to make sure they're working. Don't forget to check the batteries in your smoke/carbon monoxide detector, if you have one -- and verify your fire extinguisher is up to date.
With smooth, bonded side panels (including our new PolyCor AP siding) on your enclosed aluminum trailer, and water-resistant decking on all open trailers, it's easy to wash down your trailer, too. Be sure to check for any debris buildup or exterior damage to your trailer's sides, rails, ramps, deck and other components so you can stop any potential issues in their tracks.
If you aren't comfortable doing at-home trailer maintenance, or find something during your inspection that needs professional attention, don't hesitate to take your trailer to a service center. Your local ALCOM dealer is a great place to start!
If you have the space, the tools and the know-how, taking care of routine aluminum trailer upkeep can be a fun at-home project. Don't forget to register your trailer in accordance with local requirements, and check out your tow vehicle to make sure it's also ready for the road. Maintain your investment to make your ALCOM trailer look great and work well for miles and miles ahead.
If you're not ready to start with trailer maintenance yet, because you still need to find the right aluminum cargo, utility, car or snowmobile trailer, don't worry. ALCOM has six manufacturing sites in the USA, with a dealer network of over 500 local dealers who are ready to help you find the ideal aluminum trailer for your needs. Visit our brand sites to explore the full lineup of rugged, lightweight, versatile and long-lasting trailers we build. Next, find your local dealer -- and get started choosing your aluminum trailer!