When to Repairing Your Boat Trailer or Invest in a New One.

Imagine this. Your taking your boat out of the water and taking it home after a long day at the lake. You're tired, sunburnt, and dehydrated. Then BOOM. You hear your boat trailer scraping the ground while you sludge to a stop. Expecting the worst, you get out to see that one of your boat trailer axles had broken apart from the hub. You're stuck.

Some boat trailer parts have shelf lives. It's important to know when to buy a new trailer or simply repair the part. We'll tell you how.

Common Situations

The most common critical issues that we see are due to the consumables. Consumables are parts that are intended to be replaced over time, such as tires, leaf springs, and brake pads. These consumables are sometimes put low on the priority list when it comes to boating maintenance, since the boat is the star of the show, but should certainly be addressed at least annually.

Tires should be replaced every 3-5 years due to dry rot. Since trailer tires are meant to hold up heavy weight, the sidewalls are stronger than normal truck tires. While this is good for that purpose, it makes them vulnerable to dry rot. The good news is that most trailer tires are less expensive than normal truck tires so flipping them out is doable.

A failure usually consists of having to change a tire on the side of the road or getting a tow truck to pick up your boat. Not the worst thing in the world but also not fun.

Leaf springs often rust quickly and since they are only coated with paint, will degrade over time. You'll know when to change them out when the leaves start pulling away from each other or they become straightened out. Leaf springs are pretty inexpensive but can be a bear to change out. If they are shifting, it might be an axle alignment issues that needs to be addressed soon.

A failure of leaf springs is more serious as the axle will be disconnected on one side to the trailer.

Brake pads and rotors are often overlooked since they don't get too much normal usage. If you are in salt water and you tend to not rinse off your trailer (we've all been there), salt can get in behind the caliper's piston and degrade the braking power quickly. Brake pads for boat trailers often do not have the sound clip that squeals like automotive brake pads do.

A failure of brake pads or rotors can make for a painful stopping situation but since it is likely that you have another set of brakes, you'll likely get home in one piece.

Rust vs. Corrosion

Some rust is purely cosmetic such as when rotors or leaf springs rust up after they've been sitting out in the rain for a while. Rust, while unsightly, is not truly dangerous by itself.

What can be dangerous is when that rust starts degrading the underlying metal, or corroding the metal, by creating pits, grooves, and eventually holes in the metals.

The corrosion of an axle or a steel structural tube can be very expensive to replace and will typically leave the owner with having to not only buy a new trailer but will leave them with a near unsellable trailer, since it would be more of a liability to sell it than anything else.

Painted Steel, Galvanized Steel, and Aluminum

Boat trailers are often made with one of three types of materials, each with their own positives and drawbacks. When it comes to longevity and corrosion, aluminum wins, followed by galvanized steel, then in distant third is painted steel.

Painted steel looks very sleek and stylish for a while but if it is around salt water a lot, any dings or scrapes increase the chances of rust and then corrosion. In our experience, these are the first to go.

Galvanized steel is much more durable, especially when it is hot-dipped galvanized. Manufacturers such as Dexter Axle include a special coating that resists rust for much longer than other galvanized steel. Just like any other steel, it will eventually rust and have corrosion spots that will need to be addressed.

Aluminum, on the other hand, does not rust. Also, the way that it corrodes is different than with steel. A thin layer of white spots is how it aluminum corrodes and when that layer is on there, it creates a protective layer stopping any further corrosion, making aluminum the top choice for saltwater usage.

When to Bite the Bullet

It all comes down to the numbers and your future plans for your boat.

When it comes to replacing axles and structural steel, the price can get high quickly. A new 6,000 lbs axle with torsion springs will run you between $1,200-$1,600. Add another $1000 to get it installed and aligned. A new steel tubing, bent to match the corroded piece will likely cost a few thousand dollars for manufacturing and installation. That is if that is the only problem to address. If you get new suspension parts, you will likely need to replace other parts as well like the spindles, hubs, equalizers, shackles, etc, and those add up quickly.

You also need to consider how long you plan on owning your current boat. If you see yourself upgrading your boat soon, it may not be worthwhile to do a major overhaul. You can sell the boat to a buyer that may have their own trailer or they may just want to keep it in the water.

If you're concerned about how your trailer looks, you could always get the rust remediated and the trailer painted. This will make the trailer look better but, again, would have a shelf life.

A new trailer would have all new components, under warranty, that would last many years longer than a refurbished trailer, so if you plan on keeping your boat and trailering your boat, it may be better to buy a new trailer.

A boat trailer needs to look good but it also needs to do it's job. If your boat trailer has major issues to address, it would be wise to check with a marine mechanic or trailer specialist before you make any big fixes.