How To Inspect A Car Trailer Before Purchasing

Car trailers are used for transporting items over long distances. Both commercial and private businesses use trailers. It’s essential to ensure the trailers are roadworthy. Imagine the damage caused if your trailer isn’t secured correctly. You’ll be liable if there are any damages to property or persons.

When purchasing a car trailer, you should ensure all parts are perfectly fitted and in good condition. Inspecting the trailer also reduces potential instances when transporting goods over long distances. It’d help to take the car trailer out for a test drive before purchasing it. This enables you to test the performance. You can also detect any faults before they lead to an accident.

It’s recommended to inspect the following parts:

1. Tires

The tires must be inflated, and the pressure must be appropriately gauged. When tires aren’t inflated properly, they wear out quickly and affect driving quality. Make sure they don’t have any tears in them. Holes prevent them from keeping the air inside, which makes them deflate faster. Check the threading of the tires and ensure they have a good grip. The tire tread helps give you support on any surface you are driving on. For example, you need extra grip driving over snow or muddy roads.

Ensure the wheel nuts are complete and not broken or bent. This prevents the wheels from coming off when driving. Safe driving is essential, as making it to the final destination and delivering your goods are vital for business. Confirm that the trailer is appropriate for the vehicle you have. Have a spare tire on hand. A spare tire is valuable when one tire develops a fault during a journey. You can replace the faulty one and continue on your way.

2. Brakes

Usually, the tow vehicle is responsible for stopping the trailer. But as an extra precaution, it’s necessary to ensure the trailer has good brakes. The trailer brakes prevent the car trailer from contacting the towing vehicle whenever it applies its brakes. Bad brakes will put much pressure on the towing vehicle and require you to make repairs constantly. If the trailer uses electric brakes, ensure that the batteries are fully charged and engage properly when activated.

Inspect the brake wires. Check for any cuts or breakage. Confirm the response time of the brakes. The time between hitting the brakes and the car stopping should be short. This is important for driver and pedestrian safety. Check the space between the brake pad and the floor of the car. There should be enough space for the vehicle to come to a complete halt.

3. Trailer Lights

Make sure the turn signals and the brake light are working correctly. It’s necessary, as the police would stop your vehicle if the lights weren’t working correctly or if only one was functioning.

The lights help guide other drivers around you. They help prevent collisions and accidents. Clean the light lenses and ensure the bulb reaches its full voltage. Dust on the lens would reduce visibility and give the light a dull shine. The lights assist you when you’re driving and help you see correctly. You’ll see obstacles quickly and be able to react to the things around you. Responding quickly prevents accidents and keeps your goods in good condition.

4. Trailer Plugs

This is the connection that connects the car trailer to the towing vehicle. You should ensure that it’s not broken or bent and connects properly. Confirming the links are correctly made prevents the trailer from coming loose at any point during the journey. Lubricate the connection points to stop them from becoming stiff. The lubricant allows them to turn correctly and make the necessary movements you need them to make on the road.

Ensure none of the mechanisms is broken or has cracks, preventing the car trailer from detaching or breaking off during your journey. Being aware of this is essential, as safe driving is critical. The trailer detaching from the tow vehicle can lead to the destruction of property or loss of life. You’ll be held liable if an insurance agency files a claim against you.

5. Axle And Suspension

The axle and suspension are the parts under the car trailer that holds the tire. It’d be best to guarantee the axles are adequately connected to the tires. Check whether the nuts and bolts are complete. Test if they come off with ease. The ease with which they come off shows you how durable they are. Also, ensure the suspension turns appropriately and doesn’t make any sounds when turning. Any odd sounds are an indication that something is broken, and this can spell disaster when you’re driving.

Check to see that no liquid is coming out of the suspension. The hydraulic fluid is responsible for lubricating the suspension and making it move properly. Any leaks show that there’s a break in the hydraulic line. Observe the response time of the steering to see how the wheels turn. A slight wheel turn should prevent the car trailer from swerving from side to side. This is a sign something is wrong with the connection and will lead to an accident.

6. Loading Gear

Inspect the loading gear and ensure all parts are correctly connected. The loading gear is what you use to load the goods you want to carry on the trailer. It’s essential to check the weight the gear can handle. Check for any breaks, damages, or debts. This indicates that something is wrong, and it can lead to the payload falling off. Ensure the payload can turn properly. How the loading gear turns affect the car. You can’t move the vehicle forward if the loading gear gets stuck.

Make sure that the connectors on the load are correctly fitted. The connectors hold what’s being transported in place. A proper connection stops the load from dropping during transportation.

Last Words

Inspecting a car trailer is necessary to ensure all parts work correctly. Safety is vital when you’re transporting goods. Ensure that everything is fitted perfectly. Check for breakages or dents. You don’t want to be fined or arrested if the vehicle malfunctions or is involved in an accident. On your test drive, check the brakes and steering reaction times. This gives you an idea of how the car trailer moves on the freeway.