Frozen brakes, bad tires and broken lights. A few tips from a trailer expert.
Fall is here, darkness is beginning to fall and temperatures are dropping. This means that you should also inspect your trailer in order to be able to get there safely. Frozen brakes, bad tires and broken lights. These are just some of the things you need to do in the coming months. Here are some tips from a trailer expert.
Make sure you have alright lights
The short days means it is very important to check that the light and reflections are okay.
– It is important for your safety and that of other people to be visible in the dark. In modern cars, a notification often appears on the dashboard if one of the bulbs is damaged or if there is one accident lights. Regardless of the warning or not, I recommend everyone walk around to check that all the lights are working and the reflections are intact, says Kim Brandsnes, trailer expert at Ifor Williams Norway.
Stop lights are more difficult to check if you are alone.
"A simple trick is to pull up against a wall to see if the brake lights work when you press the brake pedal," Brandsnes says.
It continues: Use a wet cloth to clean off road dust that settles over time on the headlights and trailer lenses. If they are damaged or worn, replace them.
This is how the trailer should be parked in winter. A few tips from a trailer expert.
Many people are likely to be irritated by frozen brakes and wheels that get stuck after prolonged parking during the winter.
- A small tip to prevent the brakes from locking or freezing up is to use wheel stops instead of the trailer parking brake. For example, you can use stone or firewood that you place in front of and behind the wheels of the trailer when parking. If you reverse to park, you drive one meter forward again to release the brake on the trailer ramp. The expert says the brakes often jam in combination with cold, damp and heat.
He also advises everyone to do a brake service in a trailer workshop with brake line inspection, drains and coating to ensure a reliable and safe trailer through the winter.
These are the requirements for winter tires on trailers
Every winter there are many accidents involving cars with trailers. It is important for the driver that the tires for the vehicle and trailer are in good condition and suitable for driving in all seasons.
– There is no sharp turn until you lose traction on it winter roads. With bad tires, it's easy to lose control, which can have serious consequences, Brandsnes continues.
If you drive with a trailer in winter, the same requirement is for the tread depth of the trailer tires as for the vehicle.
In winter, from November 1 to the first Sunday after the second day of Easter, inclusive, the minimum tread depth is a requirement of 3 millimeters and applies where the tire is most worn. Brandsnes recommends sticking well above that. For Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, the requirement applies from October 16 to April 30 inclusive.
If it is necessary to ensure adequate traction, the trailer must have winter tires with or without studs, chain or similar - also outside of different periods. It is also important to know that tires must have the M + S mark.
Have you considered using studded tires on a trailer?
Most people ride with all-season tires on a trailer all year round. In the right winter conditions, the difference between all-season tires and those with studs is large.
– One thing is braking distance, another is stability. Directional stability improves noticeably during winter driving when the trailer is equipped with studded tires instead of regular all-season tires. This means double safety, shorter braking distances and larger margins against trailer skidding. Customize speed and driving to the conditions, concludes Brandsnes.
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Photo: Ifor Williams Norway
