Trailer maintenance, Safety

Hi everyone couple questions to the women/men hauling trailers. Last year on the hiway I had a bearing erupte on the hiway was not fun at all, it was a Sunday at 7pm everything was closed so i had to get a tow company to haul my trailer with boat on it to there shop to fix the problem. I had to go back next day and pick it up 2hours away from Toronto...that week I did the other bearings to make sure it dosent happen again but I didn't do the hub...now this past Sunday I had a tire blow, they didn't look like they were That bad shape. While changing the tire I noticed the Hub is pretty rusty. My question is how often do you change hubs/bearings? Also my springs/axile is all rusty also...how do check for defects on a axile/spindle/ hubs / bearings...what are things I need todo to keep my trailer safe as possible...I have a 1997 shorlander Should I be changing my axils/spindle/springs also because there rusty?? I know it needs constant grease on bearings.

Thanks

Wow .. Sounds expensive... Might be cheaper to get a new trailer...
Good luck..

Bearing buddies help ensure the bearings always have grease in them. Not sure about your other questions.

Meant to add a picture.

Bearing Buddy works great for me top up grease every few months

Check the spring and shackles to make sure there are no cracks and they aren't rotted

I bought my boat/motor/trailer package used in 2006. It is a 2000 model. The Shorelander trailer came with bearing buddies and I give them a shot of grease at the end of the season and several times throughout the season.


Also, when I get home from a trip with the boat/trailer, I always put a finger tip on each of the trailer hubs to see how warm/hot they are. They are always warm, but if they were hot, I would know I have a problem. As far as I know, still the original bearings.

Also, at the end of the season, I jack up the trailer and spin the wheels by hand to see how easily they turn and to check for any "wobble" which would indicate excessive wear.

SDC

The bearing buddies I have and I was greasing them, guy I bought from told me to grease them...I don't think that was the problem. It was the actual hub or bearings in hub that were just to worn...when I changed the bearings in the other hub they were all rusty which heats up and erupts...I guess every couple years I'm just gonna change hub/bearings keep it a smooth rid...

#1, tires of any kind have a lifespan of about 5-7 years whether you use them or not, they may look good but they deteriorate from UV/ozone exposure. I've seen some tires on boat trailers dating about 20+ years, rotted, cracked you can see the inner cord and some guys just say "oh they're fine" just going down the road to the local lake. Blow out a tire, loose control and crash into someone or worse. Is it worth it?
#2, bearing maintenance, regardless of those bearing buddies should be done annually at the end of the season so you don't have any moisture in the hubs rusting and freezing over the winter. Learn how to do it, it's not rocket science. Personally I don't like bearing buddies, they fill the hub with grease to the point that it doesn't warm and actually lube the bearings. My bearings are 21 years old so if you do proper maintenance there's no need to change them. But, do what you want. Do cars and trucks have bearing buddies?
#3, I jack my trailer up and block the frame, axle hanging with tires off the ground, no flat spotting that way.
#4, if you travel off the beaten path, get yourself a spare hub, complete with bearings, seal, cotter pin, have it in a sealed container that goes with the boat, all the time. You have a quick fix when you're miles from help.
#5, check every nut and bolt on the trailer, spring bolts, attachment bolts, frame bolts, "stuff" loosens over time.

Iv learned how to change the bearings them, but what do you do for maintenance so I don't have to change them? And your #3 I dont understand you jack up your trailer when it's just in your driveway so your wheels don't touch?

#1, remove wheels, take the hubs off, remove the rear seal, take out both bearings, wash in kerosene. dry and re grease with water resistant grease. Make sure to pay attention which bearing came out of the back side and the front side. Replace the seal with a double lipped version, much better at keeping water out.
#3, yes at the end of the season, usually november to april.

K got it...thanks for everyone's responses...now I have to go buy 2 more new tires change the older one and have another spare....spending money never stops! Is there sports more expensive than fishing??????????!!!

BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand. Annually..

Picked up a set of fully loaded hubs with bearing buddies from standard axle in London Ont for $19ea. For that price ill keep a few for spares, and always have a spare tire/rim bolted to whatever trailer i am towing.

Jeez, ya stole them, can't even buy good bearings for that.