Speedracer29

My new outboard arrived at the dealer today. (Santa apparently farms out his freight transport). Taking the boat there tomorrow to get it rigged, high is expected to be 18*...Besides washing EVERYTHING so it doesn't end up looking like one of them Florida scrap heaps (kidding), anything out of the ordinary I need to obsess about?

Too Stroked

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.

class6

Are the roads snow covered/ wet and salted or just cold and salt dust? If it's just cold no big deal. Do they use real salt or magnesium chloride up there.

Speedracer29

Waiting isn't really an option... scored a smoking deal on the motor and dealer is itching to put it on, plus I'm tentatively heading south beginning of February. Can't do that with the crank bearing laying in the bottom cowl on the current motor.
My trailer is an aluminum bolt together, and all the steel hardware is galv or stainless (except rotors). Still leary, but I gotta do it. Roads were dry today, but still plenty of salt crust. It'll be there for a week for rigging, and I have a hot water coin wash about a mile from the house.

Michigan uses rock salt, mag chloride, and CMA. Depends on where you're at. Here, it's mostly rock salt.

Too Stroked

I wish you lots of luck. The best advice I can offer since you're going to do it is to dump a ton of WD-40 on every single steel component (no matter what finish is on it) after the pressure wash.

Speedracer29

I have a bottle of Salt-Away and 2 cans of Fluid Film. One can before it hits pavement, one for when it gets home after the Salt-Away.

Wally

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't be too worried about it....ive towed an all steel trailer to Florida twice in two different years in the winter....each time leaving IL for FL i was going through falling snow with salt trucks on the roads....all i did was spray the trailer down with a silicone spray before leaving here and before getting into Indiana on the way back at one of the truck stops....never had any out of the ordinary rust issues....but then again i was always good at keeping the gear clean before putting it away....
I think you have it covered with the salt away and fluid film....just make sure your tires are properly inflated and hubs greased...lights working and brakes on the trailer are 100% and get-er-done!

Too Stroked

Better yet!

BigSilverCat

Hauling in the snow? Been there done that.

actually tomorrow afternoon I'm leaving Missouri and hauling my cat out to Salt Lake City Utah, I'm sure going over the mountains is really going to suck, the black trailer will probably look light grey by the time I get there. I have pretty much coated everything with wd40 and when I get there I will go to one of the blue beacon truck washes and wash everything to get the salt off and then wd40 again.

Speedracer29

Well your boat's waaay nicer than mine, and you don't sound worried, so now I feel better with my choice.