| This afternoon while greasing wheel
bearings and checking tires and brakes, it occurred to me that
trailer safety
is often neglected. The
important safety issues are NOT WHAT BRAND OR TYPE OF TRAILER
IS PURCHASED, but how the rig is set up, driven, and most importantly
how it is maintained.
I am going to try to list set up issues, maintenance
issues and driving. If
anyone sees some I have missed, please chime in. While I was
an industrial chemist, mostly doing mechanical engineering, I am
not an expert on trailers.
Set-Up Issues
1. Does the tow vehicle have the proper towing capacity as listed
by the manufacturer of the vehicle? This is definitely a case
of bigger is better. If you tow a 4000 lb trailer with a vehicle
that can tow 8000 lbs., it will be safer and easier to drive. In
addition total GVW (gross vehicle weight) and allowable axle loading
(for gooseneck trailers) must be maintained. If you are confused,
a dealer can look at the stickers and/or the VIN and tell you what
they are.
2. Does the tow vehicle have a proper hitch? I do not like
any hitch that is also a bumper, even if it is stamped with
the appropriate
weight.
3. If a tag along trailer, does it need a weight distribution
hitch? Those torsion bars transfer some trailer weight to the
front wheels
and improve handling.
4. Have the brake controller and lights been properly installed.
Most horse trailers have electric brakes, if the controller
is missing, or not properly installed the brakes do not work.
5. Is the breakaway battery charged and properly maintained?
These are required by federal law, but it is not required that
they be automatically charged as you go down the road. They require
either special wiring and an electronic charger unit to recharge
as you drive, or they must be periodically recharged with a special
120v plug in charger. I'd be willing to bet that a majority of trailers
that do not have factory installed living quarter trailers,
have a breakaway battery that would not apply the brakes if
it were needed.
6. Are the safety chains properly installed
and used? Two chains, crossed, and not hooked to the hitch
ball are required by law.
Maintenance Issues
1. Tire pressure. If a tire is under-inflated,
it has a much-increased chance of blowing out. Tire pressures should
be checked every
trip or every month whatever comes first. If in doubt, inflate
to the max listed on the sidewalls. Any handling issues are minor
compared to a blow out. Same with truck tires. It is no fun to
have a truck tire blow at 75 mph in ND on the freeway, trust
me. If a tire does blow, the proper response is crucial.
a) Keep a firm death grip on the wheel. It will try to whip around,
especially if a front tire blows. b) Resist the temptation to
apply the brakes. If you jam on the brakes you will go into the
ditch. c) When you have basic steering control, slowly let off
on the gas. Let the vehicle slow. As it slows you may cautiously
apply brakes, but do it carefully. d) When the speed is very
slow (say 5-15 mph) carefully pull off onto the shoulder and
stop as far from traffic as possible. e) If you are on a bridge
or other area where it is not safe to stop, you probably can
slowly drive to a safe area. Remember the tire and rim
is most likely ruined any way by now.
2. Tire life. If you don't use your trailer much, the tires will
most likely rot before the tread wears out. Inspect every spring
for cracks, tread separation, and ply separation. If in doubt,
have them professionally inspected, or replace every 4 or 5 years.
Tires kept out of direct sunlight when not in use will last longer
3. Records. I can never remember when I
did what to which trailer. I put labels on the backside of tack
doors. When I do anything
I write it down. Looking at the labels was what reminded
me that I was a year over due on wheel bearing greasing.
4. Wheel bearings. Wheel bearings must be greased periodically.
I do it every second spring. At the same time the brakes can be
inspected. Note: It is not the miles, it is the time. If
a trailer is only used one time a year, the wheel bearings must
be inspected each year!
5. Brakes. Brakes wear out. This is mostly
a matter of miles and the type of driving. I have found that every
2 years when the bearings
are greased is often enough for my usage. Note if the linings are
quite worn, but serviceable you may have to inspect them more frequently
if you want to get the longest use on a set of linings. At least
every year you should verify that all the brakes work. It is hard
to feel if one wheel just stops working. A quick test, but no substitute
for detailed inspection, is to jack up the wheel, give it a good
spin. It should spin freely with no grinding noises. While it is
spinning, have a helper actuate the brake controller. The wheel
should stop. If there is a loud clunk sound, the brakes need adjusting
as a minimum. It is not unusual to find that one electric brake,
due to an electrical problem, has packed it in.
6. Lights. Every time you go verify that the running lights, turn
signals and brake lights work. If the lights don't work you run
a very increased risk of being hit from behind. The Missoulian
has had 2 photos this year of horse trailers hit from behind. It
is not pretty. The hitting vehicle goes up and into the trailer,
crushing the horses against the front.
7. Floor. Trailer floors are usually covered by mats and ignored
until a problem develops. We have all heard of people who have
had a horse grind its leg off when a floor gave way. Remove and
clean under mats. If the floor is wood, do the screwdriver test
for rot. Water repelling wood preservatives also help. If the floor
is Aluminum, consider spray on bed liner to protect from horse
piss. At the minimum remove mats, rinse and dry after each use. There
are low/no maintenance (plastic) trailer floors available now as
original equipment.
8. Springs. If your trailer has metal springs,
they may have grease fittings. If the grease fittings are not greased
often enough (say 2 or 3 times a year), they will "freeze" and
you will not be able to get grease into them. Then you will
not grease them. Eventually, they will no longer move, and a spring
will break. Not good. If you are lucky, the trailer will list to
one side. If you are not lucky the axle will come off while you
are on the freeway. If your trailer has this type of axle,
and you get the springs fixed so the grease goes in easily, it
only takes 5-10 minutes to grease them. Any mechanic can show you
how. It is easy.
9. Ball wear. Trailer balls have worn enough
to allow the coupler to hop off. The same thing for couplers. Replace
when needed. There is controversy about greasing the trailer
ball. Some say it stops wear, others point out that if sand
and dirt get into the grease, you have created a grinding medium.
Take your pick, but do inspect.
Driving Issues
1. No horse rig stops as fast as a car or truck. Drive accordingly.
2. No horse rig corners as well as a car or truck. Drive accordingly.
3. Ice and snow are special problems. Stay
home, or put chains on all four trailer tires. I have a friend
who almost lost his
trailer and horses over the edge of a MT mountain road after
a hunting season snowstorm. He had chains for the truck, but
the trailer did not and it just slowly slipped off of the road.
What
did I miss?
This is my second version of this "advice". I have incorporated
several kind hints from those who read it. If you know of
something I missed, please send me a short email. I am anxious
to learn more. Ed
ed@sisuwest.us |
