Fall Horse Trailer Maintenance

As the leaves change and temperatures drop, it's time to give your horse trailer some TLC. Regular maintenance is crucial to ensure your trailer remains safe, functional, and in top condition. Here's a quick checklist to help you prepare your horse trailer for the upcoming fall season:

Tires & Brakes:

• Check Tire Pressure
• Inspect Brakes

Cleaning:

• Deep Clean
• Protect the Exterior

Lubrication:

• Moving Parts

Structure & Electrical:

• Electrical Inspection
• Structural Check

Prepping for Storage:

• Covering
• Battery & Water

Want more expert advice on horse trailer maintenance? Tune in to the episode below for a comprehensive guide.

Host (Brad): Welcome to the Double D Trailers Podcast! Today we are discussing horse trailer maintenance. Fall is upon us, bringing cooler weather and sunshine—not as much rain and heat as we had to deal with during the summer months. It's a great time to address trailer maintenance. Most of us enjoy trail riding either in the spring or the fall. Personally, I prefer staying home during the depths of winter and summer, as it's often too hot or too cold for comfort. So, now is a good time to take a step back before your riding season kicks in and make sure that you’ve covered everything on your trailer to ensure your trips are safe and that your trailer maintains its longevity and resale value.

[00:01:00]
I like to do maintenance twice a year. A lot of folks use their trailer for an entire year and only do an inspection once a year, but I prefer to maintain it during the winter months when it's not in use. I make sure it’s waxed and stored under a cover to protect it from sunlight, the elements, and snow (depending on where you live). The same goes for summer months—when the sun's baking down, the trailer just sits there deteriorating. It’s really nice to have a cover over it, and you can buy a cover for a gooseneck trailer on Amazon for about $300. It’s certainly worth the investment.

[00:02:00]
Let’s jump into tires and brakes—this is a common topic, and we’ve touched on it a few times. Tires themselves rarely wear out due to mileage. I see a lot of clients looking at trailers advertised as having "brand new tread" and "looks like it’s never been used." The tread is important, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. Most of us don't travel 50,000 miles a year with our horse trailers—it's only a few thousand miles per year. By the time the tread wears out, many years have passed, so it’s crucial to check the manufacturing date of your tires.

If you don't know how to decipher the date code, you can just Google "how to decipher date code on a tire," and it will tell you the year and month the tire was made. Keep in mind that many tires are made overseas. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as they meet the specific brand’s specifications, like Goodyear or Firestone. You’ll want to focus on when the tire went into service, not just when it was manufactured. Freight across the ocean, time in a warehouse, sitting at the factory—these all happen before it’s put into use.

[00:03:45]
We recommend changing tires every five years. Tires typically age out rather than wear out. Even if they look good, sunlight, heat, cold, and exposure to the elements break down the rubber over time. If you’ve had a trailer for many years and never changed the tires, definitely do it. It could save you a lot of headaches—like being stuck on the side of the road with a blown tire that has shredded the fender and damaged the side of your trailer. Always check tire pressures as well, because operating a tire that’s overinflated or underinflated can cause excessive heat buildup, weakening the sidewall and leading to a blowout.

[00:05:00]
As for the running gear of the trailer, I always recommend taking your trailer to a repair shop. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a horse trailer shop—a utility trailer, flatbed, or cargo trailer repair shop can service the running gear as well. RV centers are also fantastic if you can get on their schedule. The summer months are a good time to do this before the rush in the fall when everyone else is also trying to get maintenance done. The early bird gets the worm, so always think ahead.

A service tech will pull the wheel, inspect the brakes, the lining, the pads, the springs, the magnets—all the components that make up the braking system. They’ll also repack bearings and make sure everything is in good shape. Bearings can be a major issue if they go out, potentially leading to significant damage like a wheel assembly popping off during transit.

[00:06:30]
Fall is a great time to deep clean your trailer before rides are in full swing. If you have a trailer with a wood or aluminum floor covered by rubber mats, pull those mats back, hose the trailer out, and make sure the floor dries completely. Aluminum floors, in particular, need frequent cleaning, as horse urine and waste can oxidize the aluminum, causing a white rust. I've seen trailers with holes in the aluminum floor due to lack of cleaning. As long as you keep it clean and dry, life is good.

[00:07:30]
I also recommend applying a coat of wax to the exterior twice a year—in the winter before spring rides, and again before fall rides. This helps protect the paint from sunlight, which, while great for riding, is not a friend to your trailer’s exterior. Checking the structure of your trailer is important too—lay underneath it, look at the welds, and ensure there aren’t any broken welds or areas where rust might have started.

[00:08:15]
Lubrication is another area that many folks neglect, but it’s one of the more important things—particularly when it comes to ease of use. Trailers have many rubber and petroleum-based components—drop-down windows, sliding windows, door seals, hinges, etc. Rubber expands in hot weather and contracts in cold, so seals may pop out or stop doing their job properly. Press all rubber components back in place and lubricate any moving parts—drop-down windows, latches, hinges, and keyholes. For keyholes, dip the key in Vaseline and work it in and out to lubricate it properly.

If it’s a back door, check for grease fittings (zerks) on the hinges. If there are none, spray them thoroughly with penetrating oil or WD-40. For dividers, lubricate the hinges and latches. Slam latches often have springs inside, and debris can cause them to bind up, so keep those clean and lubricated as well.

[00:10:15]
Check your trailer’s electrical system too. Make sure all the lights are functioning—running lights, clearance lights, etc. If you have an auxiliary battery system, make sure the battery is charged. Batteries tend to lose power over time if not used, and letting them run completely dead reduces their lifespan. A battery tender can help keep them charged when not in use.

[00:11:15]
If you have a living quarter trailer, I’d suggest taking it to an RV center at the start of the season. Have them inspect the roof to ensure it doesn’t need resealing. Even if it doesn’t leak now, it could in the future. Roofs are typically sealed with a petroleum-based product, and sunlight degrades these over time. If you have a roof-mounted air conditioner, it also has a rubber gasket that needs changing every three to four years. Don’t wait until it leaks—preventive maintenance saves a lot of hassle.

[00:12:15]
Living quarter components that often need attention are the slide-out mechanism, refrigerators, and hot water systems. Slides need to be lubricated and serviced. Fridges and hot water systems often have burners that get dusty, causing ignition issues. If you’re preparing for winter storage, remember water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit, so you need to get all the water out of the system to avoid cracked lines. Use RV antifreeze or drain all the water and leave the faucets open.

[00:13:30]
That’s all I can think of for now. If you have more questions or need feedback, feel free to reach out to us. I’d be happy to answer them. Thanks so much for tuning in!

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