Spring is right around the corner and before we know it the summer heat will be upon us! Many of us cannot wait; we know if we go another four weeks locked inside the house we will go crazy. The solution; head south for some warm sunshine and some hot fishing. As a matter of fact if you check the reports page on the website you will see where many folks have been heading to the Mosquito Lagoon area of Florida for some hot Redfish action as well as the occasional opportunity at a Snook.
A couple of weeks ago I wrote an in depth article on boat trailer maintenance and I would hope that before taking a long road trip that you would do a thorough run through on your trailer to ensure that it is ready for the interstate. In addition to your yearly maintenance provided herein are a few recommendations for long trailering trips or to be extra cautious when trailering around town:
-
Spare tire – It is such a simple necessity that it is often overlooked! If you do not have one, buy one and if you have one make sure it is inflated.
-
Lug wrench – Again so simple, but often overlooked. Your tow vehicle may not have the same size lug nuts as the trailer so you had better check.
-
Jack- Is the tow vehicle equipment compatible? Ensure that the jack will go low enough to fit under the trailer spring if there is a blow out, and of course high enough to get the spare on.
-
Spare spring – Ever try to find a spare leaf spring on I-95 at 11 o’clock at night? If you performed your yearly maintenance this should not be an issue. But if you were trying to get by one more year before changing them, you will want to carry along a spare. May as well pack the extra bolts required at the same time, because if the spring snapped due to wear I will guarantee you will ring off the mounting hardware. While you are at it you better make sure you have the spare tools required to do the fix on the roadside.
-
Flashlight- Throw one in the tool box. Working on a trailer on the roadside is tough enough in the daylight, at