Keeping Your Boat Trailer From Rotting Away in the Aussie Sun (Feb 2026)

Don't try to maintain a trailer on a slope. It's dangerous and makes checking levels impossible.

Even if it's hitched to the car, chuck some bricks or chocks under the wheels so the thing can't move.

It's much easier to inspect the rollers and bunks if the boat isn't sitting on them. If you can't, just be extra careful around the weight points.

Get the loose dust and salt off so you can actually see what you're working on. Use a salt-neutraliser if it's been in the drink recently.

Nothing worse than being halfway through a messy grease job and realising your rags are inside. Get everything laid out on a drop sheet.

Go over every inch of the galvanised steel. Look for any bubbling or brown streaks. If you find rust, wire brush it back to bare metal and hit it with cold gal spray immediately.

Jack up one side (use stands!). Spin the wheel. It should be silent. If it rumbles or grinds, your bearings are shot. Wiggle the wheel top to bottom; any play means they need tightening or replacing.

Pump fresh marine grease into your Bearing Buddies until the piston moves out slightly. Don't overfill it or you'll blow the rear seal and get grease all over your brakes.

If you've got mechanical disc brakes, check the pad thickness. If they're under 2mm, chuck 'em. Spray the callipers with a bit of Lanolin (but keep it off the pads and rotors!).

Leaf springs are the first thing to rot. Brush off any loose rust and soak them in Lanolin spray. Honestly, I reckon Lanolin is the only thing that actually stays on through a boat ramp dunking.

Look for 'spider webbing' cracks in the sidewalls. The Aussie sun destroys rubber. If the tyres are more than 5-6 years old, they're a ticking time bomb, regardless of how much tread is left.

Plug it into the car and check every light. If one is flickering, it's usually a bad ground. Clean the plug pins with a wire brush and apply dielectric grease.

Unroll the whole winch strap. Look for frays or UV damage. If it's a cable, grease it. Oil the winch gears so they spin freely without that horrible screeching sound.

Make sure the rollers actually roll. If they're flat-spotted or cracked, they'll mar your boat's hull. Give the pins a squirt of silicone spray.

Grease the hitch ball and check the spring in the coupling. Ensure your safety chains aren't dragging and the shackles are 'rated' (look for the yellow or red pin).

Stick your hose into the drainage holes of the box section. Keep running it until the water comes out clear. Salt sits inside these tubes and eats them from the inside out.

Check wheel nut torque (usually 100-120Nm for most trailers) and ensure your number plate is still legible and not hanging off by a zip tie.