Two Tips To Keep Your Cargo Trailer Road Ready
Posted on: 16 April 2015
A cargo trailer is a very versatile piece of storage equipment. Whether you want to use your cargo trailer to move furniture or simply store gear for a vacation, your cargo trailer can help meet your needs. Make certain you don't forget the importance of maintaining your cargo trailer. After all, anything with moving parts deserves some care and attention every now and then. Here are two important things you can do to keep your cargo trailer in great condition.
Payload Inspection
It doesn't matter if you're making a journey across town or across the country with your cargo trailer, it's important that you always inspect the payload. Completing this process involves you ensuring that the contents inside the trailer are evenly distributed. For example, don't have the bulk of the weight at the front of the trailer and have only very light weight objects towards the back of the trailer.
Failing to evenly disperse the weight can lead to a hazard known as fishtailing, when the trailer sways dangerously behind the towing vehicle. This isn't just a safety issue, but this also puts extra wear on the trailer. When inspecting the load, you want to ensure that you have the same amount of weight in each area of the trailer. If you are hauling an item that is excessively heavy, consider placing it in the middle of the trailer just over the axle.
Lug Nut Inspection
Another component of maintaining your cargo trailer involves inspecting the lug nuts on the trailer. This is a very important task as the lug nuts help keep the trailer connected. In terms of inspecting your lug nuts, you want to check the torque. With regular use, the tension in the lug nut housing can start to weaken, causing the nuts to also loosen. Use a lug nut torque to test out this feature. Your trailer's owner's manual should provide you detail as to exactly where on the scale the torque should be.
As a general rule of thumb, consider looking over this area at least two to three times a year. However, should you use your cargo trailer frequently, you might want to perform an inspection more regularly. Additionally, should you hear a creaking noise, you should check your lug nuts right away.
Keeping your cargo trailer in good condition begins with you. Make certain you are making cargo trailer maintenance a priority.
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