Maintaining a Trailer for Farm and Road

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7 Jul 2026

Maintaining a Trailer for Farm and Road

Why a Trailer Earns Its Keep — and Its Check-Up

A trailer is one of the hardest-working pieces of kit on a smallholding. It carries feed, fencing, firewood, livestock bedding, muck, machinery and the occasional trip to the tip. Yet because it sits idle between jobs, faults can develop quietly: a tyre loses pressure, a bulb corrodes, a floorboard softens. A few minutes before each journey is far better than a breakdown on a narrow lane or a failed roadside check.

The Ten-Minute Pre-Trip Walkaround

Before you hitch up, walk around the trailer with a torch and a tyre gauge. Do it in daylight if you can, and never skip it because you are in a hurry. These checks catch most problems before they become expensive.

Coupling and jockey wheel: check the coupling head for wear, rust and a positive latch. Wind the jockey wheel down, grease the thread and make sure it swings clear when raised.
Breakaway cable: if the trailer has brakes, the breakaway cable must be clipped to a solid point on the towbar, not looped over the ball. Check for fraying and replace if damaged.
Lights: test indicators, brake lights, tail lights, fog light, reverse light and number plate light. If you are alone, use a wall, a phone camera or a reflective surface.
Tyres: look for cuts, bulges, embedded stones and sidewall cracking. Check pressures when cold and top up to the figure for the load you are carrying.
Floor and ramps: walk on the floor and look for soft spots, lifted edges or rot. Check ramp hinges and tailgate catches.
Load security: ropes, straps and ratchets should be rated and in good condition. Loads must not move, overhang dangerously or exceed the trailer’s gross weight.

If anything fails, fix it before you move. A missing bulb or a soft floorboard is not a small matter when you are on a public road.

Lights, Plugs and Wiring: Small Faults, Big Trouble

Lighting faults are the most common reason trailers get stopped or fail a roadside check. Water, vibration and cheap connectors all take their toll. Modern trailers often use a 13-pin plug, while older ones may have 7-pin. Whichever you have, keep the plug clean and dry, and use a little dielectric grease on the pins.

Check the earth connection first. A poor earth makes lights behave strangely: indicators can flash together or dim when another light comes on.
Inspect the cable where it enters the plug and where it runs along the drawbar. Look for chafing, splits and exposed wire.
Clean lenses and replace cracked ones. Water inside a lens will corrode the bulb holder.
Carry spare bulbs, a spare plug and a small test light or multimeter. A trailer board can get you home if a rear light fails, but it must be secure and legal.
Check reflectors and marker lights. They are cheap to replace and easy to forget.

Brakes, Bearings and Tyres: The Hidden Workhorses

If your trailer is over 750kg, it should have overrun brakes. These work automatically when the tow vehicle slows, but they need maintenance. Adjust the brakes, check the cables and inspect the drums and shoes at least once a year, or more often if you tow heavy loads.

Breakaway cable: test that it pulls the brakes on and that the cable is not frayed.
Handbrake: it should hold the trailer on a slope when loaded. Adjust if it travels too far.
Bearings: jack each wheel, spin it and listen for roughness. Check for play by holding the tyre at top and bottom and rocking it. Grease or replace bearings as needed.
Tyres: check pressures when cold, look for uneven wear and check the load index and speed rating. Trailer tyres often age out before they wear out, so replace any over ten years old or with cracked sidewalls.

Floorboards, Ramps and the Load Bed

The floor carries the load, and it is often the first thing to fail. Wooden floors can rot from underneath, especially if the trailer is parked on grass or used for muck. Aluminium or steel floors can corrode, and chequer plate can hide soft spots.

Walk the full length of the floor. Mark soft spots and press with a screwdriver. If it sinks easily, replace the board.
Check crossmembers and chassis rails for rust. Surface rust is normal; flaking rust and holes are not.
Tighten floor bolts and replace any that are missing or corroded.
Check ramp hinges, tailgate latches and side pins. A ramp that drops on the road is dangerous.
For livestock trailers, check the internal gate, partitions and non-slip surfaces.

Barn Storage and Long-Term Care

Good storage prevents most trailer problems. Park under cover if you can, or at least on hard standing with the drawbar slightly raised and the wheels chocked. Leave the handbrake off for long periods to avoid seizing the brake shoes, and use chocks instead.

Wash off mud and muck after use, especially around the chassis and brakes.
Grease the coupling, jockey wheel and brake linkages regularly.
Check tyre pressures monthly, even if the trailer has not moved.
Keep a small log book of repairs, tyre pressures and brake adjustments. It helps you spot patterns and plan maintenance.
Before winter, give the trailer a full service and check lights, brakes and floor. Cold, wet weather finds every weakness.

A trailer that is looked after will repay you with years of reliable service. It will also keep you legal, safe and moving — whether you are hauling straw across a field or taking a load down a busy A-road. Ten minutes before each trip is a small price to pay.

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5 Comments

Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

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Reply
- John Abraham says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
  
  I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
  Reply
  - Robert Sonnysays Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am
    
    I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
    Reply
Robert Sonny says Jul 21, 2024 at 10:00am

I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system
Reply

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