What Type of Maintenance Does My Trailer Need?

Spring is here and trailers everywhere are being pulled out of storage to haul a variety of goods. The best time to check over your trailer and take care of any maintenance issues is now! Towing a trailer can be tricky business and confirming it so it’s safe should be a priority. To get started, check out these common maintenance tips and tricks:

Tires & Brakes

Be sure to take a look at the tires and brakes on both your trailer and the truck you will use to tow. Correct load rating and proper inflation of your tires can be critical. Look out for dry rot and wear on your trailer tires. Tires older than five years need to be observed closely, you can check the manufacture date on the sidewall of the tire. The DOT alphanumeric code includes the date of manufacture stated in the last four numbers. For instance, 2709 tells you tire was manufactured in the 27th week of 2009.

Make sure your brakes are working properly. You need more stopping distance while towing so having brakes that are even slightly spent could be a real hazard. Riding the brakes while towing can lead to overheating your brakes and possibly losing control.

Hitch & Safety Chains

Confirm the towing capacity limits on all gear and be sure the hitch ball is still firmly attached to the drawbar. Make sure that the coupler and hitch ball is sized correctly and fit together snugly. Your second line of defense is your safety chains, which are required. When choosing the thickness of your safety chain, confirm they will prevent the trailer from drifting, while still allowing it to turn easily. Also, crisscrossing your safety chains underneath the trailer's tongue can prevent the tongue from striking the ground in case the trailer becomes unhitched.

Wiring

Whether your truck and trailer came prewired or whether you needed to do your own trailer wiring, you need to confirm that nothing has short-circuited before you tow. Have someone stand behind the trailer while you run through a test of the brake lights and turn signals.

Contact Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales for all your trailer needs, repairs, and maintenance. Avoid disaster and keep your family safe while driving. Call 641-985-2536 or visit our website at www.ricevilletrailers.com.

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References:

https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/r/advice/car-truck-mods/10-towing-maintenance-tips

https://trailerguys.com.au/faq/trailer-maintenance/

What to Remember When Towing Your Trailer

If you have ever gone through the process of towing your trailer before, you’ll know it’s not as simple as it might initially sound. If this is something that you have never done before, then this may seem like an intimidating task to accomplish. Whether this is your first time or your 100th time towing your trailer, it always helps to have a firm understanding of the steps involved to get you and your equipment to your destination safely. Failing to comprehend the risks associated with taking these best practices seriously could mean disastrous consequences for you and others on the road.

Here are a few crucial safety tips you must keep in mind when towing your trailer:

Prepare Properly, Buy Carefully

The key to safely towing your trailer starts when you purchase it; make sure your tow vehicle can properly and safely haul your loads. This means you have to know the trailer-towing weight ability of your vehicle and the gross combined weight rating (incorporating the tow vehicle, passengers, cargo, and the trailer).

Pick the Correct Hitch

Looking at the gross trailer weight and the trailer’s overall weight is the best way to choose from either a fifth-wheel hitch or a tongue hitch. While the fifth-wheel hitch mounts in the pickup bed, the tongue trailer is less prone to sway problems.

Buy Proper Trailer Brakes

This is a separate braking system for trailers that weigh more than 1,500 pounds when loaded. Get to know the two types of trailer brakes and choose which one is best suited for your needs. Electronically controlled brakes provide both automatic and manual control for trailer brakes, while surge brakes automatically applied when you slow the tow vehicle.

If you are a beginner or at towing trailers or if you need a refresher in the mechanics, following these safety tips is the best way to get the job done in a secure and timely manner. For more information on how to properly tow a trailer, trust your friends and experts at Terry’s Auto Body and Trailer Sales -we’d be honored to assist you however we can. Call us at 641-985-2536 or visit our location on Highway 9 in Riceville.

Inspecting Your Trailer Before a Road Trip: What to Look For

The last thing you want on your scenic road trip to your vacation destination is car problems. A flat tire, mechanical issues or even a burnt out light bulb can mean hours or even days of lost vacation time. Like all vehicles, It’s important to check up on your car’s maintenance and the preventive care you could be doing before a road trip.

1. First things first, check your tires for splitting, flation, and dry rot. And of course, use your own judgement if your tires will be able to make the trip or not.

2. If your trailer has brakes, get a brake inspection beforehand so your trailer can stop safely.You don’t want a locked wheel bearing!

3. Along with your car lights, make sure your trailer’s lights are working. No lights could wind up in a costly ticket!

4.  Whatever vehicle you choose to tow your trailer, make sure it has enough strength and power. The ball on the hitch needs to be the right size. In case your ball hitch fails, double check that chains are able to catch to the trailer. Packing your trailer could change that, but it’s also important to remember equal weight distribution when comes to packing.

In the end, it’s a whole lot of double checking, but it's necessary when it comes to having a stress free road trip!

Since 1986, Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales has been servicing vehicles and trailers across northeast Iowa and southeastern Minnesota. We offer a variety of trailers and parts for all of your auto needs! With our wide trailer part selection and repair experts, we can get your trailer into tip top condition before your road trip!

Located off Highway 9 in Riceville, we are proud to offer trailers and parts from name brands including PJ Trailers, American Hauler, RoadRunner Manufacturing and Zimmerman Trailers. Stop into Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales and choose from our selection of dump trailers, utility trailers, tilt trailers, car haulers, cargo trailers, snowmobile trailers, car trailers, and truck beds. Our shop also services a range of trailer needs including brake repair, wiring, wheel replacement, axle replacement and much more. With a large selection of trailer parts, we can supply you with brakes, lights, seals, trailer plugs, tarp kits, tires and batteries to keep your trailer up-to-date. If you’re ready to improve your trailer or vehicle, contact the professionals at Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales! For more information, visit www.ricevilletrailers.com or call 641-985-2536.

What to Know About Towing a Trailer

Trailers come in handy for moving, heavy-work jobs, and leisure activities that require towing a boat, recreational gear, ATVs, bikes, or even a second vehicle. Towing a trailer takes practice, but luckily, part of it boils down to simple mathematical calculations and a few basic safety steps. While some aspects of towing may take trial and error to master, such as backing up and making a turn, others such as finding the right weight and hitch for your vehicle, as well as placing and securing the load strategically, will help avoid some of the most common problems on the road.  

Finding the Right Weight and Hitch 

Your vehicle’s towing capacity can be found in the owner’s manual. You will need to identify two different weight specifications for your vehicle:

• GTW (gross trailer weight): how much trailer weight your vehicle can tow, including the weight of the trailer’s contents when loaded.
• Tongue weight: the amount of stability provided in the hitch, which determines the class of hitch to be installed on the vehicle, as well as where the center of gravity in your trailer will lie. Swaying trailers result from insufficient tongue weight.   

After you position and secure your load will be the best time to check your trailer’s weight using the nearest truck scale or gravel lot. 

Positioning and Securing Load

Distribute the load evenly throughout the trailer so that it stays balanced, with a stable center of gravity. Fasten every object down, using tarps, bungee cords, and ties. Don’t forget moveable items like drawers. Even if you don’t think it will move, in all likelihood, it can, whether due to shifts in weight, wind, or stops. If an object flies from the trailer and causes damage to another vehicle, you can be held responsible.

Brake Light and Tire Checks

Check your trailer’s brake lights and tires before you drive, and whenever you make stops. An underinflated trailer tire quickly builds up too much heat. Turn on your vehicle’s emergency flashers and walk to the back of the trailer to make sure the brake lights are working.

Maneuvering in Traffic

Making turns, parking, changing lanes, and backing up all become more challenging with the extra weight and length of the trailer in tow. Practicing in an empty parking lot before towing the trailer in traffic can help you handle the vehicle better the first time on the road. Stay calm if you make too narrow of a turn, and have a passenger who can get out and spot you during backups and tight turns. For more trailer driving tips, visit here. 

Conveniently located on E. Main St/Highway 9, Terry's Autobody has been selling and servicing vehicles and trailers since 1986 in Riceville, Iowa. Please visit our site or call (641) 985-2536 to learn more about us! 

Prepare For The Road With DOT Trailer Regulations

Before you hit the road with your trailer in tow, there are a number of regulations you must follow for your trailer to be road ready.  Driving a vehicle with a trailer hitched behind you is a very different experience than driving a car alone.  The extra weight and added length makes controlling and handling much more difficult.  For this reason, driving with a trailer requires extra attention to detail, a heightened sense of safety and fully functioning gear.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and Motor Vehicle Enforcement (MVE) have regulations in place for the safety of you and those around you.  Before you start driving, make sure you are prepared with the right equipment and vehicle adjustments. 

Hitch:  A trailer hitch attaches directly to a tow vehicle providing the connection between the vehicle and the trailer.  As a key component of towing, the hitch should be tightly fastened to the rear axle of the towing vehicle.  A properly loaded trailer should have about 15% of the total trailer weight on the hitch.  If you have too much weight on the hitch, the trailer will be more likely to sway back and forth while you are pulling it.

Trailer Control:  Whenever possible, you should use the smallest and lightest trailer to carry your load.  The heavier your trailer, the more time you will need to effectively stop.  It’s also important to note that the faster you go, the less control you will have over your trailer.

Equipment:  When towing another vehicle, there is required equipment needed to ensure safety.  If your trailer and load weighs more than 3,000 pounds, it must have brakes on all axles.  Safety chains must also be used to connect the trailer to the towing vehicle.  In addition, there must be efficient lighting.  Clearance lights must be mounted on the widest part of the trailer, reflectors should be in the front, rear lights must be red, and a white light must illuminate the license plate.

Whether you need a trailer to haul your cargo or parts to fix your malfunctioning trailer, Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales offers a wide range of items from name brands including PJ Trailers, American Hauler, RR RoadRunner Manufacturing and Zimmerman Trailers.  For all of your trailer needs, contact the professionals at Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales by calling 641-985-2536.