Winter brings snowmobile season. But, is your snowmobile trailer ready to go? If it’s been sitting in storage, you’ll want to make sure it’s clean and in good condition before heading out. Pace American Trailers recommends you take the following basic steps before you hit the trails.
- Take your snowmobile trailer out of storage and wash/detail it with car or RV soap. Look over the trailer for any rust spots on the surface or undercarriage, making sure to clean them off with fine sandpaper or steel wool. Then, spray the area and areas around it with an anti-corrosion agent like Corrosion Block. This will stop the corrosion from spreading and provide protection from harmful road salt.
- Inspect taillights, hubs, and other main components for damage and wear. Ideally, you should do this before putting the trailer away for the off-season, but now is the time to see if there’s anything you overlooked, and have it repaired or replaced.
- Check the suspension and brakes for wear. Lubricate the moving brake parts with a brake lubricant recommended by the manufacturer.
- Check the trailer’s lighting. Rust, wear and tear, and animals that like to chew can all damage wires. Have a friend or relative check to see if the lights are working as you turn on the emergency flashers, brake lights, and turn signals.
- Check and lubricate your lift springs, tongue jack, ball hitch parts, and safety chains. Replace or repair where needed. Also, check and grease trailer joints and axles with a product recommended for trailers.
- With an enclosed snowmobile trailer, be sure to see if the top roof vents are clear and operate properly. Also, do the ramp and latches function as they should?
- Make sure the wheel bearings and axle hubs are properly lubricated, replacing any worn bearings. If you don’t want to do this job yourself, your Pace American Trailer dealer will be able to help you.
- Check for wear on the tires and replace them if necessary. Also, make sure they’re inflated properly, according to your owner’s manual.
- Check your tie-downs and any other devices you have for holding your snowmobiles in place.
Now that your trailer is ready to go, be sure your snowmobiles are in top form by doing the following (making sure you follow the instructions in their separate owner’s manual):
- Give it a wash, removing dirt, dust, leaves, and salt. Use an upholstery cleaner for the seats.
- Inspect the skis and track for wear, rubbing, and missing pieces. Adjust the tension and make sure bolts are tightened.
- Check bearings, belts, clutch, and main engine features. Change the shocks, if necessary. This should be done once a year, or every 1,000 miles.
- Flush out the fuel tank, if you did not use a stabilizer. Drain out your tank and add high-quality gas as recommended by the manufacturer.
- Top off fuels and change chaincase oil if you didn’t do this before storing your machine.
Finally, before you head out to the snow trails, pack for an emergency. Bring a set of dry clothes, something you can use to start a fire, work gloves, packaged energy food like granola bars, and first-aid supplies.
If you have any questions about enclosed snowmobile trailers, maintenance, and/or options, your local Pace American dealer will be happy to help you.
