Trailers, just like any other piece of machinery, eventually break down. They are, after all, put through quite a workout every time they are used. Broken roads, steep hills, and heavy loads take their toll. And if not taken care of, they will fall apart even faster. Taking good care of your equipment and checking for the most typically occurring damage or breakdowns can help keep your trailer in tip-top condition.
We took the time to talk to a number of individuals who haul trailers for a living and got some useful results. Let’s take a look at a handful of the most typical problems that happen with the vehicles that we tow behind our vehicles.
Predicting the Future
Before we look at the most breakdowns or issues with trailers, let’s take a look at what we can do to head these problems off right from the start. The future of a trailer can be predicted by taking a close, hard look at its age, the mileage it has traveled, whether or not regularly scheduled maintenance has been completed, etc. But not everyone knows what to look for. You may consider having regularly scheduled maintenance done on your trailer by a professional at a qualified service center.
Some of the things that a professional will look at are locks, doors, ceilings, walls, chassis damage, electrical circuits, tires, air pressure, the air system, brakes, and more. (These items apply to specific trailers, but you get the idea.)
Maintain Your Trailer
Particularly if you use your trailer for a living, when it’s down, there is no money coming in. Preventative maintenance, predictive maintenance, and regular maintenance all go hand-in-hand and are an essential part of owning a trailer. If, that is, you always want it up and running as much as possible. Just like your car has regularly scheduled maintenance needs, so does your trailer.
Most Typically Needed Trailer Repairs
As suggested earlier, there are certain areas of trailers that break down on a more frequent basis than do others. Again, some of these apply to specific types of trailers, but it’s a good place to start:
- The repair or replacement of doors – i.e., curtain repairs, rolling doors, etc.
- EBS diagnostics with repair of brakes – i.e. brake drum replacement, pad replacement, etc.
- Tire repair or replacement – i.e. retreading tires, regrooving, etc.
- Maintenance and repairs of the refrigerator group.
- Liftgate repairs – i.e. installation and maintenance.
- Electrical equipment replacement or repair – i.e. waterproof box, socket, lamp, lights, etc.
- Technical inspection (preparation and pass) – tailgate control, preventative visits, etc.
- Suspension and rolling gear repair or replacement – i.e. suspension valve, cushion suspension, etc.
- Pneumatic element repair or replacement – i.e., air hoses, brake hand valves, etc.
- Body component repair or replacement – i.e. cyclist protection bumpers, wing flaps, bumpers, etc.
At Mickey Genuine Parts, we not only sell new and used trailers, but we are capable of running maintenance checks on them as well. There are numerous Mickey certified service centers located throughout the United States, for your convenience. If you would like to know more about our trailers, or schedule work by one of our seasoned professionals, contact Mickey Genuine Parts today.