Frequency of Maintenance: If you maintain your trailer correctly you should easily be able to enjoy it for 20 to 25 years. Do routine checks both before and after trips. Yearly inspections should be done on the following: Doors, frame, body, suspension, latches and fasteners, trim, wheel bearings, brakes, lights and wiring, floor, breakaway brake, and tires. Also be sure to apply a coat of wax or do an acid wash to help protect the exterior. Don’t forget to take care of annual registration and licensing.

Tire Pressure: It is extremely important to maintain the correct tire inflation pressure in order to maximize the tire life. Tires lose pressure during winter storage. Be sure to check the pressure while the tires are cold, before using the trailer. It is not a good idea to release air from hot tires. Also, be sure to balance and rotate tires yearly, or about every 5000 – 7000 miles. Check axle alignment if tire wear is uneven.

Wheel Nut Torque: Maintaining proper wheel-mounting torque on your trailer axle is of the utmost priority. This prevents broken studs, loose wheels, and separation of wheels from your axle. The torque should be routinely checked. This needs to be done prior to the first use; after each wheel removal; after the first 10 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles, and intermittently thereafter.

Brake Adjustments: You should have the brakes on your new trailer inspected at 200 miles, and then every 3000 miles after that. Squeaky brakes can mean dust accumulation or that the brake pads have worn thin, and the rivets may have scored the drums. To correct this, you will need to have the scored drums machined to restore a smooth surface, or if scoring is too deep they will need to be replaced.

Brake Synchronization: Before synchronizing brakes, please read instructions completely. The shortest trailer stopping distances happen when wheels approach lockup. Lockup leads to poor control of your vehicle, and should of course be avoided. After making many hard stops from 20 mph on a sand and gravel free, dry, paved road you may need to make an adjustment. If the brakes lock and slide, you will need to decrease the gain setting on the controller. The gain setting will need to be slightly increased if they do not slide. The controller should be adjusted just to the point of impending brake lockup.

Suspension: Your trailer’s suspension should be checked at lease once a year, after about every 4000 miles. Make sure to check the bushings where the shackles are pinned to the spring ends and the frame. The springs and shackles should be greased. When fasteners are replaced they should be torqued. Axle bolts should be tightened twice a year. Shock absorbers should be checked and replaced as needed.

Jacks: The jacks on your trailer should be routinely lubricated. This will give them a much longer life. You need to apply lightweight oil to the jack handle, and the gears need to be greased. With an enclosed jack, you will have to remove the top to expose the gears in order to do this.

Using the Jack:

Remember these few tips when operating the jack of your trailer.

1. The jack must be in the “up” position before pulling the trailer away.
2. Crank the jack to its shortest length to minimize stress and bending on the jack.
3. When turning the jack up or down, chock the trailer wheels to minimize rolling.
4. Remove any foot plates or casters before hauling the trailer.

Floor: When trying to minimize the adverse effects of urine and manure (which are natural), you will want to treat the floor with preventative measures. Lakota horse trailers come with a resilient mat that has “life” to absorb road vibrations. Make sure to clean the mats and aluminum decking regularly and allow the decking and mat to dry before placing it back in trailer. Replace mats if they become excessively worn.

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