Whether it’s your RV, cargo trailer, horse trailer, or flat deck, water damage can be a problem. As most trailers are parked outdoors and are usually covered in snow throughout the winter, when the temperature increases and snow starts to melt, water can start to get into unwanted areas. A few common areas to keep an eye out for are:

Roof and Window Seals

Since the roof of your trailer will have a fair amount of snow on it throughout the winter, when temperatures warm up and snow starts to melt, moisture can penetrate through areas where the sealant may have failed. Make sure you closely inspect the roof, as well as any trim and or fasteners that have been sealed (maintenance tip: do this in the fall before you store your trailer).

Trailer Deck

Checking over the wood on the deck of your trailer is vital as most decks are exposed to the same amount of snow as the roof of a trailer. Prior to using your trailer, check decking boards for water damage and rotting.

Electrical

The electrical system of your trailer can also be affected by moisture. Having open connections and unsealed electrical components is a frequent cause of electrical failure. Check for corrosion inside of connectors and plugs and test your lights to ensure everything is working as it should. (Maintenance tip: always remove the battery of your trailer over the winter months. We suggest that in addition to removing the battery, you place it on a charger and then load test to verify that the battery is in good working condition).

To wrap up, when pulling your trailer out of storage, always keep an eye out for possible water damage. Check the roof and window seals, make sure that the integrity of your trailer deck has been maintained and be aware of moisture-related electrical issues. When it comes to electrical issues, they usually aren’t noticed until you are hooked up to your truck or tow vehicle. If this happens, feel free to contact our service department and we will walk you through possible checks or you can stop by our shop to have one of our technicians check it over.

Contact us at 780-968-5433 or email us at info@alltrailer.ca

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Spring Axles

Spring axles function by using stacked metal leaf springs, either under or over the axle beam, to support the weight of the trailer. Spring axles are available in single, tandem, and tridem configurations. In both tandem and tridem trailers, the leaf springs are connected by an equalizer. The equalizer helps distribute the weight of the trailer more evenly over all the axles. Spring axles are very common on all makes and models of trailers, as they are more cost-effective than torsion.

Click here to see our comparison of the different types of spring axles. 

Torsion Axles

Torsion axles work by using rubber cords or cartridges inside the axle tube to handle suspension travel and shock absorption. Torsion axles do not use leaf springs, but instead the compression of the rubber to supply the suspension support needed. Each wheel works independently from one another. Torsion axles are also bolted or welded directly to the trailer frame, which adds stability and structure to the trailer frame.

So which is better, torsion or spring axles? When it comes to selecting the axles for your trailer, and making the decision between spring and torsion it can be a challenging task. Here are some pros and cons of both axle setups:

Ultimately, the decision between spring and torsion axles comes down to the application. What we have found is that for trailers that tend to be pulled by multiple drivers, with varying loads and across different terrain, spring axles are a good fit as repairs cost less and are easier to perform.

On the other hand, transport companies who keep the same driver with each trailer and travel mostly highways should consider torsion axles to keep annual maintenance cost down.

We hope that this short tutorial has helped broaden your understanding of the spring and torsion axles. If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to give us a call!

Contact us at 780-968-5433 or email us at info@alltrailer.ca

The post Torsion Axles vs Spring Axles, which is better? appeared first on All Trailer Repair.

Towing your trailer in the winter can be a challenging task, especially if your trailer is not serviced properly. During the winter months, you can experience many different road conditions, from slush and snow to black ice. So if you plan to haul your trailer during the winter months, here are some key things to keep in mind to help make it less stressful:

• Service Wheel Bearings

  Regularly servicing wheel bearings is an integral part of ensuring a stress-free haul. We recommend servicing your wheel bearings every year or 12,000 km, whichever comes first. At the very least, wheel bearing failure can cause you to be stranded on the side of the road and at the very worst, could result in an accident.

• Brake Adjustment

  As with all drum brakes, your trailer brakes will need to be adjusted from time to time. When brakes are out of adjustment, they can cause your wheels to lock up. This is due to the brake assembly having to expand further to make contact with the drum surface, in turn, your brakes will jam with less power, causing the brakes to lock up. Brake lockup makes it difficult to keep your truck and trailer in control and can cause your trailer to skid, lose traction, and jackknife.

• Electrical

  During the winter months, many of our customer experience electrical issues. This can be caused by corrosion in electrical connections, to snow and ice buildup. Using properly sealed electrical connections can help to prevent corrosion (see our blog post on types of connections here). With ice and snow build up on exposed wiring, connections can get pulled or ripped apart. Using proper connectors as well as securing wiring that is exposed can help prevent electrical issues.

• Wheels and Tires

  When temperatures drop outside, so does the air pressure in your tires. Always ensure tires and filled to manufacturers suggested rating, as well as torquing the wheel nuts before your next trip.
  If you plan to tow your trailer this winter, would like a piece of mind knowing your trailer is safe and reliable, come in today and ask us about our Service and Inspect Packages for your trailer. We will service your brakes and bearings, as well as run your trailer through a full 40 point inspection.

To book your appointment, contact us at 780-968-5433 or email us at info@alltrailer.ca

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Are you using your trailer throughout the winter? If yes, you might have noticed your hydraulic systems running slower. Whether it’s your hydraulic hoist, jack, or slide out, cold weather can cause issues. With many trailers being manufactured within the US, and not having to deal the temperature change we experience in Alberta, manufacturers use oils in their hydraulic systems that are not designed for our extreme temperatures.

Luckily, this issue can be fixed by using an hydraulic oil that is designed for cold weather. For example, Chevron has a winter rated hydraulic oil line that ran operate down to -50 Deg C, and can still be using in summer months. We don’t recommend ignoring a sluggish hydraulic system and using oil that is not rated for our temperatures. Running your hydraulics without the correct fluid can cause excessive wear and even failure. Avoid a costly repair bill and just use proper hydraulic oil.

If you are having issues with your hydraulics with the cold weather, feel free to give us a call we can discuss options to help keep you moving.

To book your appointment, contact us at 780-968-5433 or email us at info@alltrailer.ca

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One thing we check when a trailer is in our shop is how the tires are wearing and if the type of wear is consistent. If we see irregular tire wear, diagnosing the problem is usually pretty easy depending on the wear pattern. Here are the most common types of tire wear:

The most common tire wear pattern we see is side wear, typically occurring on the inside of the tire, closest to the frame.

This type of tire wear happens for a number of reasons:

1. The alignment of the trailer is toed out. “Toe out” can be caused from overloading or many years of service, which causes the tires to want to turn out with the pressure on the pavement.
2. Damage to an axle from hitting a curb or pothole (all to common on our rough Canadian roads!).
3. Loss of camber. New trailers axles have what is called positive camber. When there is no weight on the trailer, the tops of the tires will be learning outward (positive camber). When weight is applied to the trailer, the axles will flex causing the tires to lean inwards, creating zero camber. Overtime and especially when overloading, your trailer loses this positive camber which results in side wear on the tires.

If your trailer is showing irregular tire wear and you’re not sure why (or you know why and you need the problem fixed!), schedule your trailer in for an alignment check. We will diagnose the problem and recommend the best repair going forward.

A standard alignment check consists of:

• Checking & Adjusting Tire Pressure
• Measuring Camber & Toe
• Measuring Axle Tracking
• Checking Suspension Play
• Checking Bearing Adjustment
• Check Frame for Cracks or Breaks

To book your appointment, contact us at 780-968-5433 or email us at info@alltrailer.ca

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Happy Canada Day! We hope that you’ll be spending the day with family and friends, celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday! If this weekend takes you out of town, we wanted to pass on this free pre-trip inspection sheet that comes in handy before getting on the road. To get your copy, click here.

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Okay, we are going to put it out there right off the go – we strongly support the use of channel frames on trailers. Now let us tell you why…

We have had countless trailers come through our shop fabricated using tubing frames. We’ve even built a couple of trailers using this style of frame as well. But we learned our lesson quickly that building a trailer frame out of tubing only creates problems – problems that stem from the fact that tubing frames hold moisture inside of the tube itself. We call this the red zone.

The red zone isn’t protected with paint like the outside of the frame is. What this means is that while the outside looks great, it’s hard to tell what’s happening on the inside, potentially resulting in unexpected failures. This problem is also hard to prevent from happening as tubing inspections can be more time consuming. Drilling pilot/test holes is a common way to verify if the tubing is rusting excessively on the inside.

The alternative to using tubing frame, and the option we recommend if you are in the market for a trailer, is a channel frame. When a channel beam is painted, it is 100% covered and cannot rust from the inside out as with tubing. Furthermore, visual inspections of channel beams are easy and fast to perform, resulting in quick diagnosis of any potential issues.

If you unsure about any of this, simply take a look at heavy duty trucks and trailers. It is an industry standard to use either channel or I-beam frames for strength and reliability. Why isn’t that knowledge industry standard in the utility trailer market? Perhaps one day it will be. But until then, we think it’s important for you to have the knowledge so that you can make informed decisions.

Do you have questions about tubing versus channel frames? Give us a call at 780-968-5433 or send us an email here and we’d be happy to answer your questions. 

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We understand the confusion that trailer wiring can cause – especially if done incorrectly. Over the years we have found that the easiest trailer wiring option is a sealed wiring harness. The benefits of sealed wiring harnesses include:

• Elimination of connections which can corrode and fail
• Colour coded for easy identification
• Very cost effective versus manually wiring all connections
• Convenient due to a plug-and-go system

There are a number of sealed wiring harness options, depending on your needs:

1. Full Trailer Harnesses: custom designed to fit your truck or trailer, these sealed systems install quickly and easily. There is no need for cumbersome and leak prone junction boxes or splice connectors. Separable pieces are joined with molded connectors that plug together for a tight seal.
2. Repair Harnesses: partial systems are available as well. For example, we carry tail light harnesses and electric brake harnesses.

Do you have questions about sealed wiring harnesses? Give us a call at 780-968-5433 or send us an email here and we’d be happy to answer your questions. 

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So what’s the solution?

We like to use a type of connection called called a heat shrink connector. The heat shrink connector is individually protected from corrosion, contaminants, and current leakage. When heat is applied to the installed terminal, the heat shrink connector shrinks to form a protective shell over the connection, while the adhesive-sealant lining flows to fill all voids and fuse the insulation of the terminal and wire together.

We always use heat shrink connections for exterior repairs, electrical brakes, and clearance lights. While heat shrink connections are more expensive than open connections, they are more reliable and fast to install.

Multi-Wired Connectors

To replace multiple wire connections when you’re using open unsealed connectors, we have multi-wire sealed connectors. The in-line button connector enables you to put two wires in one end, and a single wire of the same gauge in the other end.

Do you have questions about the different kinds of wire connectors? Give us a call at 780-968-5433 or send us an email here and we’d be happy to answer your questions. 

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