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/

Choosing the Best Trailer for Your Needs

Image source: Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales

Farmhands, landscapers, agricultural, small business owners, and consumers at large often find business or life can be improved if they purchase a trailer. The next step is researching different types of trailers, consumers are finding they are overwhelmed at the array of choices.

One way to narrow down the trailer process decision is to start thinking about how you will use the trailer. Do you own a landscape business and know that you’ll be hauling a lot of brush?  Is this a trailer that you think you’ll be bringing to job sites and then closing safely? With you be hauling other vehicles, like an ATM?

Are you thinking you may want to lock up your trailer and not have to think about it or worry about theft, weather damage or another hazard? if that is the case then you’ll need an enclosed trailer which is different from an open application trailer.    

Before choosing a trailer, give some time and thought to how you will use different types of trailers available on the market.

Open Application Trailer:  Sometimes you just need an open application trailer, for hauling things like landscape brush, or perhaps supplies like bags of seed corn or potting soil. If this is the case, you are likely looking for an open trailer. There is a lot of flexibility in it, for example, you can buy optional side wall kits for hauling things like trees and branches, and ramps for loading the ATV.  

Enclosed Trailer:  Enclosed Trailers are widely used for purposes that can range from car haulers, bike trailers, to farm equipment trailers, utility trailers, motorcycle trailers, and more.  Many consumers appreciate enclosed trailers because they provide protection of the cargo, outfitted with track, rings, tie-down, shelving or floor to accommodate any time a cargo that needs hauling.

Special Considerations with an Enclosed Trailer:  Consider how far you will be traveling.  If you are only going a few miles or across town, an enclosed trailer with the standard features will suffice.  However, if you are traveling far, with something special (like a collector item or vintage car) you will want to purchase upgrades, enhancing the safety of the trailer.  Consider a mounted spare tire, stabilizers and tie-downs, and LED tail lights.

Finally, think about weight.  Be mindful of the weight of the trailer and the towing capacity of your vehicle. If you're hauling more than 3,000 pounds, the trailer you purchase should have its own braking system.

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.

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Sources:

http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/machinery/choosing-utility-trailer/

Identifying Trailer Axle Issues

Trailer axle issues can happen over time with wear and tear, hitting a bump, and neglect if things aren’t fixed. When axle problems arise, it’s important to get them repaired immediately or you could potentially take a hit to your budget. Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales are the experts at spotting axle issues and help with trailer maintenance and axle repairs. So how do you identify axle issues?

Usually, the first sign of axle issues starts from unusual wear-and-tear on the trailer's tires. If you’ve gone through a few tires this year, you need the professionals at Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales to identify the axle issue and repair it before having to use more tires again. A misalignment of the axle on the trailer can cause you to buy too many tires in a year from excess tire wear and possible consistent blowouts.

If the axle is misaligned, this can result in many issues including terrible gas mileage, expensive breakdowns, and vibration to the trailer. When the tires are uneven causing alignment issues, this can reduce the stability of the trailer and reduce the ability to maneuver. If this issue isn’t fixed by the professionals or maintained early on, you risk potentially losing tread and experiencing a blowout which is a severe safety concern.

Depending on how often the trailer is used, the axle should be inspected every six to 12 months and realigned to make sure your trailer drives straight without experiencing other issues. If you are looking for an experienced axle repair and maintenance professional, Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales is the expert to help you. We identify and repair:

1. Manufacturing defects
2. Axle damage that may be caused by heavy breaking or an accident
3. Axle misalignments from bumps or potholes in the road
4. Steer-axle adjustment issues
5. Excess tire wear
6. Caster issues causing vibration or steering issues
7. Bent axles & shifted axles
8. Excess camber resulting in tire shoulder wear

And so much more. 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.

Let’s Get Hitched: Different Types of Trailer Hitches

The perfect accessory can make an outfit, and the perfect trailer hitch set up can make your life easier. If you’re new to the world of trailers and trailer hitches, this is a great place to start. Here are a few basic types of trailer hitches, which will help you understand the world of trailers.

Ball Mounts
Towing vehicles, such as a pickup or SUV, usually come ready with a hitch receiver. A hitch receiver is a square opening under the back bumper of your vehicle that allows a ball mount to slide right in and be secured with a locking pin. Your ball mount needs to match the class of your hitch, which should reflect how much weight you plan to pull. There are five classes, broken down as follows:

• Class I: 2,000 lbs
• Class II: 3,500 lbs
• Class III: 5,000 lbs
• Class IV: 10,000 lbs
• Class V: Anything > 10,000 lbs

Hitch Ball
A hitch ball is a trailer accessory that fits into the ball mount. The shank of the hitch ball comes in different diameters, so it's important to match the hitch ball to both the diameter of the ball mount and the coupler on the front of your trailer. Many trailer retailers sell packages with different sized hitch balls, allowing you to be able to tow a variety of different trailers.

Couplers
Couplers are the part that attaches to the front of your trailer. Couplers are similar to ball mounts in that they’re rated based on their weight capacity. There are two types of couplers: an A-frame and a straight-tongue. In both designs, a cup will be placed over your hitch ball, and a spring-loaded latch will secure the two pieces together. Since the opening of the coupler will need to fit over the hitch ball, you’ll need to make sure they’re the same diameter.

While there are many more different types of trailer accessories, these three are a great place to start when trying to understand the basics of hauling a trailer. If you want to learn more about trailer hitches, please don’t hesitate to reach out to any of us here at Terry’s Auto Body and Trailer Sales. We’d love to help you learn more, so give us a call at 641-985-2536, or visit our website.

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References

https://www.uhaul.com/Articles/Tips/119/Select-A-Hitch-Guide/

https://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/equipment/hitch-accessories/10-most-popular-hitch-accessories3.htm

3 Tips for Towing in the Winter

Winter is a beautiful time of year with fresh powder of snow, Christmas songs, hot chocolate, and heated seats in your car to keep you cozy while driving. Enjoying long winter drives and seeing trees covered in snow can be beautiful but can turn dangerous with icy roads or heavy snow hitting your windshield. If you are traveling far with a trailer this winter, keep you and your family safe with some planning and preparation. These winter towing tips will help you and your trailer arrive safe and on time at your destination.

Regular Maintenance Check

Before you begin your long drive, it’s important to make sure your trailer is up-to-date on its maintenance checks. Part of maintenance checks should be checking the battery. Cold temperatures may cause old batteries to die. If your battery is a few years old, consider replacing it. Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales offers brake repairs, new wheel and tire replacements, bearing and seal replacements and more. By having a regular maintenance check, it’s an efficient way to ensure breakdowns won’t happen and you remain safe on your drive.

Install Trailer Brakes

Towing in snow can be extremely dangerous if you are not equipped with the right equipment. If your trailer is equipped with a trailer brake controller, adjust it to provide less braking power in the snow. By doing so, it will help prevent the trailer tires from locking up, sliding, and potentially jackknifing. If your trailer is not equipped with trailer brake controllers, Terry's Auto Body & Trailer Sales can install a set of trailer brakes. By installing brakes, it helps distribute brake force between your vehicle and the trailer and you are less likely to fishtail or slide.

Avoid Cruise Control

Cruise control is wonderful when driving long distance but avoid using cruise control while towing in the winter. When allowing your vehicle to control the throttle, you become less engaged with driving and less likely to react quickly and safely when a dangerous situation arises. The cruise control system also isn’t able to detect when the weather gets bad and how snow covered the road is which may result in accelerating or downshifting at the wrong time and potentially destabilizing the trailer.

If you are driving a trailer this winter in the snow, 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.

How to Teach Someone How To Tow a Trailer

When you imagine learning how to drive, we would have to assume that a nervous teenager who has no experience behind the wheel instantly comes to mind. Things that seem so routine and mundane to you, such as using the turn signal or changing lanes, seem like insurmountable tasks to a new driver. But after careful instruction and testing, soon, that timid teenager understands the rules of the road and can safely and seamlessly operate a vehicle.

Mastering the art of driving a typical automobile is one thing. Driving that automobile with a trailer towed behind it is an entirely different situation. Whether you are dealing a 16-year-old who just got their driver's license, or a lifelong friend who has plenty of years experience behind the wheel, here are a few things to keep in mind when teaching someone how to tow a trailer:

Do Your Research

Before you and your student get behind the wheel with a trailer in tow, you’ll want to consult the vehicle’s owner’s manual. This will have information on how much weight the given car can successfully haul. While some regularly sized sedans can haul up to 2,000 pounds, large trucks and SUVs can tow considerably more weight.  

Understand the Difficulty

Emphasize to your student that driving with a trailer is very difficult and is a task that should always be taken seriously. Safety should never be compromised. A new driver should practice pulling in and out of a driveway and navigating quiet back roads before attempting to drive in heavy traffic while pulling a trailer.

Check the Equipment

Make sure that the trailer is properly attached before hitting the road. Check the safety chains, lights, and license plate.

Know how to Navigate the Road

Because your vehicle is now close to double its regular length, you will have to take turns significantly wider to avoid hitting curbs, other cars, or running off of the road. It’s also best to keep a safe distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead of you when towing a trailer.

Terry’s Auto Body and Trailer Sales prides itself on providing exemplary customer services, we take every measure to ensure you are satisfied with all your trailer needs and will do whatever it takes to earn your business and remain lifelong clients. Terry’s Auto Body has been serving the  Riceville and McIntire area for over 30-years. We pride ourselves on being large enough to provide professionalism and reliability, yet small enough to provide personalized service. To discover more about how we can serve your needs please visit our website or call us at 641-985-2536 today. Like us on Facebook to stay up-to-date on current events, tips, and specials.  

Why You Should Cover Your Trailer or RV

As the cooler weather gets closer and closer, it also is a sign that RV and trailer season is sadly coming to an end. With rain, snow, and often sleet on their way, you should think about how you’re going to protect your RV or trailer over the winter season. Here are a few reasons you need to cover your trailer this winter.

UV Rays

If you don’t cover your trailer or RV, you’re going to notice UV damage in certain spots on your trailer. These rays beat down on your the exterior of your RV, and the heat buildup that accumulates on the surface can cause seal damage. Not only can the sun damage the seals on your trailer, but they can also fade the paint and graphics, and will also cause your trim to deteriorate and crack. This damage will cause annoying setbacks, and delay your summer trips due to repairs that could have easily been prevented.

Leaks

Cold winter weather is one of the biggest causes of leaks and water damage inside your trailer. In most cases, a leak in your RV or trailer can be worse than a leak in your home, mainly because leaks can go weeks and even months without being detected. If a leak isn’t detected quickly, you can end up with rotted wood trusses and frames, and you’ll also see mold and bacteria flourishing in the dark and damp places you can’t see. Leaks can cause a real dent in your wallet because many different aspects of your trailer, such as the floor or roof, are much harder and more expensive to fix than those that are in your home.

Interior Temperatures

Covering your trailer is one way to keep the interior temperatures of your trailer cooler. If you’re not doing this, temps can rise and cause real damage, especially if it’s humid. The water vapor in the air can cling to the floor, windows, and even seeps further into your camper between joints. This can cause structural damage and a real headache for you and your family.

If you want to start covering your trailer, but aren’t sure where to start, stop by Terry’s Auto Body & Trailer Sales. We sell tarp kits that can help protect your trailer or RV even in the worst weather conditions. Give us a call at 641-985-2536, or visit our website to learn more about the services and products we offer.

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References

https://www.tripsavvy.com/covering-your-camper-trailer-2912595

https://www.campingworld.com/blog/rv-basics/why-should-you-cover-your-rv/

https://www.heavydutytarps.net/travel-trailer-covers

https://www.coltonrv.com/rv-humidity-problems-serious-damage/