Keeping Your Boat Trailer From Rotting into the Sea

Park on a flat surface, chock the wheels, and get the trailer up on stands if you're doing a full bearing check. If it's just a wash-down, make sure you're somewhere the salty runoff won't kill your missus's prize roses.

Walk around with a torch. Look for 'rust bleeding' around bolts and check the underside of the winch post. This is where I usually find the first signs of trouble.

Take off any light boards or tie-downs that might be in the way of a thorough cleaning. If you've got those carpeted bunks, get ready to spend extra time on them.

Start by hosing down the entire trailer with a dedicated salt neutraliser. I reckon skip the fancy foam cannons for this and just use the mixer bottle that comes with the product. Focus on the inside of the C-channel or box frame. Salt hides in there and eats from the inside out.

If you have carpeted bunks, they are salt magnets. I learned this the hard way on an old Quintrex trailer, the carpet stays wet and salty against the frame, causing it to rot. Pressure wash them until the water runs clear.

Pop the caps on your Bearing Buddies. If the grease looks like milky coffee, water has got in. You'll need to repacking them. If it's just low, pump in fresh marine grease until the piston just starts to move. Don't overfill it or you'll blow the rear seal.

If you've got disc brakes, hose the calipers out thoroughly. Check the pad thickness. If the slide pins are sticking, your brakes will drag, heat up, and eventually weld themselves shut on the highway.

This is an old detailer's trick. Take a small hammer and lightly tap the frame in suspect areas. A solid 'clink' is good. A dull 'thud' means you've got internal rot. If the hammer goes through, well, at least you found out now and not at the ramp.

Even 'waterproof' LEDs fail. Check your plug for green corrosion. I always chuck a bit of dielectric grease or even a quick spray of WD-40 in the plug to keep the moisture out.

Check the pressures, including the spare! Trailer tyres usually rot from UV before the tread wears out. Look for 'alligatoring' cracks in the sidewalls. If they're more than 5-6 years old, I'd replace them regardless of how they look.

Leaf springs are the first thing to go. Once they're dry, I spray mine liberally with Lanolin. It smells like a wet sheep, but it's the best barrier against salt spray I've ever found. Don't bother with paint; it just traps the rust underneath.

Grease the gears on your winch. People forget this until the handle snaps off in their hand while pulling a two-tonne boat up. Check the strap for fraying, the Aussie sun kills nylon quickly.

Give the whole frame a light misting of a protectant. Some blokes use fish oil, but honestly, it stinks for weeks and attracts every bit of red dust in the shire. Stick to a modern lanolin-based spray.