Louisiana Boat Trailers now Exempt from Inspection

A new Louisiana bill has been passed exempting boat trailers from the requirement of periodic and annual inspection of motor vehicles by the DMV. House Bill 347 is sponsored by Rep. Austin J. Bado, who says the boat trailer exemption, which was signed by Gov. Bobby Jindal, will take effect August 1.He claims that the stripping of boat trailers from the list is no major inconvenience to government books anyway, so they opted to strike it out from the outset.

Before you heave a sigh of relief, however, you need to remember two things. First: the bill exempts only boat trailers and not other types of trailers, so if you own an ATV or utility trailer, you still need to have that rig inspected. Second: though you won’t need to take your boat trailer for inspection anymore, know that it doesn’t spare you from the responsibility of taking care of your trailer yourself.

When you’re on the road, highway safety is always top priority, and ensuring that your boat trailer is always in good condition is a crucial investment toward this goal. If you plan on taking your boat for fishing this summer, have your trailer inspected by a professional mechanic first, and replace any worn items immediately with brand-new, top-quality trailer parts.

Driving a Boat Onto a Trailer: A Few Points

There are two ways to load a boat onto a trailer from the water: by winch and by driving through the trailer ramp. While both are acceptable methods, there's a lot to be said about driving your boat onto the trailer. For the record, it's not as easy as you think.

Good Aim

You need to aim for the trailer dead center for the driving method to work. It's hard enough to do this in still water; doing it against a fierce current is a nightmare. In the latter's case, boat owners often set up their trailers facing the current so that the boat can be guided safely onto the trailer. Strong winds can also mess up your aim.

Good Rollers

Well-maintained rollers will keep the boat firm and steady as it drives onto the trailer. Otherwise, the boat will simply slide off once you attempt to load it. If you don't check your rollers regularly, resort to the winch method instead. It will save you time, fuel, and the trouble of tantrums from other irate boaters.

Not for Beginners

Driving onto the trailer takes masterful control of the throttle and steering. If this is your first time owning a boat, it's better to get a feel for loading and unloading by the basics. Use a good winch to assist you in launching and retrieving your boat.

Boat Trailer Parts for Efficient Weight Balance

Balance is one of the most important factors in efficient hauling, especially for heavy equipment like boats. Even if the trailer can carry the boat’s weight, it takes efficient weight distribution to keep the vessel from rocking back and forth and getting dislodged from the trailer.

Quality boat trailer axles work by finding stability in numbers. The more axles installed, the less load one axle has to carry throughout the length of the trip. To do this, your boat trailer needs to allow a spread tandem system that puts the axles almost equidistant from each other. Before that, however, here’s a review of how spread tandem axles work.

Stability in Numbers

Widely used in the trucking industry, a spread tandem system features at least two axles that allow better weight distribution. In simple terms, this means that one axle doesn’t have to bear the full weight of the cargo. Spreading the axles far enough also contributes to the distribution; two axles too close together may succumb under the sheer, concentrated weight.

Axle Weight

When shopping for boat trailer axles, you may notice numbers preceding the type of axle listed. This refers to the gross weight the axle can support. Although the axle market provides axles that can support as much as 27,500 lbs, boat trailers only need a maximum of 6,000-lb axles.

A Guide to Choosing Utility Trailer Parts and Accessories: On Safety

Be it for safety or simply as part of emergency preparedness, having a toolbox for your trailer is always a smart idea; you just never know when you’ll need it. You can buy utility trailer kits from distributors like Champion Trailers; when you do, make sure that it has everything you need for a quick trailer fix.

Aside from these safety components, consider also the quality of the parts and accessories you’re about to buy to add to your trailer’s longevity.

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The Importance of the Wheel Hub: A Historical View

Since its invention thousands of years ago, the wheel has helped civilization advance to far greater heights. It didn't matter that the first wheels were made out of stone; mankind finally found a way to transport goods much easier. Unfortunately, the wheel means just half the job done. With a hollow core, how can it be put to use for carts and other vehicles?

The answer lies in the other half of the machine: the axle. By designing a fixed platform where the wheel can freely turn, early civilizations came up with the first modes of transportation like the chariot. The need to continuously lay down rollers, like what the ancient Egyptians did when they were building the Pyramids, was eliminated.

The key in keeping the wheel and axle tandem working lies somewhere in the middle: the wheel hub. Early wheel-and-axle machines incorporated the wheel hub as part of the wheel, but today's wheel hubs are separate, allowing easy tire and axle replacements. Even the individual parts of the wheel hub can also be replaced: lug nuts, washers, bearings, you name it.

As long as the wheel hub is there, the wheel and axle will continue working together, hauling your boat or taking you where you need to go. 

A Look at Trailer Disc Brake Systems

Despite the prevalence of drum brake and electric brake kits, many boating trailers still use the tried and tested disc brake system, which can also be found in most automobiles. Thanks to its simplicity, the disc brake is also the easiest to maintain or replace. This is why most trailer brake parts sold nowadays are actually components of the disc system.

Despite their simplicity, maintaining or replacing disc brakes and disc brake parts still need some skills. Disc brakes typically have three main parts: the caliper, the brake pads, and the rotor. The caliper slows the vehicle down to a halt by pressing the brake pads against the rotor, which is directly connected to the wheel. Since it holds the rest of the brake parts together, the caliper can be considered as the main component of a disc brake system. In fact, if a broken disc brake system needs to be repaired, the caliper is usually replaced altogether for safety reasons.

In addition to this, disc brakes in boat trailers also rely on brake fluid, much like in any other vehicle. Therefore, the brake lines of a disc brake system needs to be inspected thoroughly in any brake repair or maintenance job, to see if there is sufficient brake fluid. 

Visit your Trailer Parts Store before taking your Boat off your Yard

Throughout the drive to the lake or river, or wherever you choose to dip your boat into, make sure to keep adjusting the trailer coupler, bow safety chain, trailer-lights plug, trailer safety chains, bow-winch strap, and transom straps. Take note of any part that you might think is faulty and be sure to have them replaced.

For optimum safety, everything from your boat trailer’s bearings to the trusty trailer wheel hubs should be in good working condition. Always remember the importance of maintaining your equipment before you leave for a long tow.

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Trailer Parts News—Inspection Exemption Now a Reality for Trailers

When you’re on the road, highway safety is always top priority, and ensuring that your boat trailer is always in good condition is a crucial investment toward this goal. If you plan on taking your boat for fishing this summer, have your trailer inspected by a professional mechanic first, and replace any worn items immediately with brand-new, top-quality trailer parts.

Having trouble finding good quality parts for your trailer? Don’t worry—online sellers like Champion Trailers have got you covered. These well-respected businesses can supply you with everything you need, including first-class trailer brake parts, axles, axle spindles, bearings, bearing kits, hubs and drums, and many more.

http://blog.championtrailers.com/trailer-parts-news-inspection-exemption-now-reality-trailers/

Know Your Boat Trailer Winch

At the front of the boat trailer is a winch system that helps load and unload a boat. Obviously, boats are too heavy to be pushed or shoved off, even by a host of strong men. A winch is needed to do this job, pulling with a rating of as much as 2,500 lbs or even higher.

Winch systems come in different variants, and may be classified according to three major components: gear system, crank type, and drum type.

Gear System

Typical gear systems include the single and two-speed gear. The single-speed gear is simple to use—crank and go—and has a load rating of between 400 and 2,100 lbs. The two-speed gear can switch between low and high-speed cranking. The low-speed configuration allows greater loads--between 1,600 and 3,700 lbs--to be pulled with ease.

Crank Type

The standard hand crank is the most versatile type of cranking system for winches. It can work with most gear systems in loading and unloading a boat. A ratchet crank is more portable, but is not recommended for anything other than incline pulling.

Drum Type

The single and split reels are two known drum types. The single reel focuses the pulling power on one line, requiring a sturdy winch strap. A split reel, on the other hand, allows pulling from two directions. 

Boat Trailer Inspections in Louisiana

It only takes a loose screw or faulty bar to send a trailer with your 1,000-pound boat careening toward disaster. Due to this risk, the Louisiana Department of Fisheries and Wildlife conducts inspections on trailers at boat launches across the state. These inspections aren't a new campaign; they've always been there.

Section 1304, Title 32 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes grants authorities the power to inspect not just boat trailers but also the vehicles towing them. Over the years, however, enforcement has been irregular, and many trailer owners are now unfamiliar with such requirement.

The requirement exists, nonetheless, and trailer owners must make sure their units pass legal scrutiny. Some of the components inspectors will look at include the brakes, trailer lights, and connection length. For example, trailer brakes must be installed on trailers with a gross weight of 3,000 lbs. Trailers weighing 3,001 to 5,000 lbs. must have brakes on at least one axle.  

Trailer lights are also important, and trailers at least six feet long must have an array of safety lamps and reflectors installed around them. The taillight must be able to emit light bright enough to reach 1,000 feet, useful in night driving. As far as connections go, the trailer's connection to the tow vehicle must not exceed 15 feet.

Boat Trailer Axles—Care, Loading Tips, & What to Do In Case of Failure

You’ve spent thousands of dollars and put in so many hours to customize your boat just the way you want it, and now you’re going to load it onto your double-axle trailer and take it somewhere you can show it off. Although loading a boat onto a trailer appears pretty straightforward, it’s easy to make a disastrous mistake if you don’t go about it the right way. Trails.com offers the following tips on how to properly load your boat—or any other large equipment for that matter—onto your double-axle trailer.

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