Offshoreonly.com - Winter towing....

Offshoreonly.com (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/)

- General Boating Discussion (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/general-boating-discussion-51/)

- - Winter towing.... (https://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/general-boating-discussion/351515-winter-towing.html)

The weather looks great in salt lake. Why you bringing to sal lake?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Too Stroked (Post 4601766)

Based on (extensive) previous experience, I'd be real careful about towing in the winter - especially if there's any salt on the roads. Every single steel trailer I've ever seen that was towed in the winter with salt involved ended up corroding and dying and early death. And don't think Aluminum trailers are exempt either because they have many steel components attached to them. Yes, you can try washing the salt off, but (again, based on experience) I've never seen anybody who has really been successful at getting it all off. I say that because those trailers also corroded faster than similar trailers that were never towed in the winter.

If it were me, I'd either wait until a day when the roads were clear, or wait until spring. It's just not worth it if you value your trailer. Notice that I didn't say anything about the boat and motor. That's because the components and finishes used on them seem to be much more corrosion resistant than what is found on trailers. Just my 2 cents.

nearly every equipment, landscaping, construction, utility and car hauler trailer is steel, I've never seen the warning at the trailer dealer saying do not use in the winter.

Had to tow a new boat back to the factory in the snow in December and back home in the snow in January. The high the day I brought it home was exactly 33 degrees. I looked like a fool to my neighbors outside in my driveway hand washing every inch of my new steel trailer but I didn't care. Trailer was fine.

It`s fine man, actually salt is good for the trailer and even better for the boat , just ask any salt boater .

:daz:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unlimited jd (Post 4601832)

nearly every equipment, landscaping, construction, utility and car hauler trailer is steel, I've never seen the warning at the trailer dealer saying do not use in the winter.

Absolutely. I’ve got to agree with you there. So we’ll just throw away my 35 years of experience in the marine business. Oh, and then there’s the very personal experience where an unscrupulous member here who was supposed to be storing my boat (on a galvanized steel trailer) towed it 20+ miles in the snow & salt without telling me. (He lost his lease on the storage building.) When I found out, he assured me that there hadn’t been any snow or salt and everything had been washed down anyway. When I picked it up in the spring, every single plated steel fastener, bracket, piece of hardware, etc. had rusted solid. Over the next few years, I was forced to replace all of that stuff at considerable cost. The trailer has never been the same since. And some of the other (painted) steel trailers he towed ended up in considerably worse shape. Yea, don’t worry.

Show me a 10yr old steel snowmobile trailer that's not rotted and we'll see it was used for storage only and never moved. But, it is probably starting to rust good just sitting outside.

Best thing ever in sled industry was aluminum trailers. Just have to keep up on the steel axle housings.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unlimited jd (Post 4601832)

nearly every equipment, landscaping, construction, utility and car hauler trailer is steel, I've never seen the warning at the trailer dealer saying do not use in the winter.

Yup, and around here they all turn into rotted messes too...unlessnot used during winter, which many arent...but still rust and rot..just slower without salt.

I guess it depends on the quality of steel, My heavy tags and lowboys are still holding up well. I travel on crappy salty roads and go to the truck wash every 4 to 6 weeks. I have 1 trailer with over 600000 miles on it in 10 years. Most of the others are 300K plus.
Just wash it when your done, Its not like you are dipping it in salt to off load which Kills a trailer

after the boat and trailer get rinsed off i put the lawn sprinkler under the axles and let it go back and forth about 1/2 hour.
better than nothing and better than crawling under there.

Don't trim the drive up any further than you have to.

Lots of discussion about steel trailers when he's already stated he has an aluminum trailer. My aluminum trailer with stainless and galvanized hardware has been dunked in salt water a hundred times over the last 10 years. Does it look brand new? Hell no, but there isn't massive structural damage - my issue is the cheap brakes are rotted away, but the trailer and fasteners are fine. I wouldn't worry.....