Winter is coming. If you're a sledhead like we are, that's not a dire warning - it's a promise of months of adventures ahead! It's also a great time to start prepping for your upcoming season. Get ready to run through your winter adventure readiness checklist and give your aluminum snowmobile trailer a little bit of elbow grease before the temperature drops and the leaves begin to fall - the first snow won't be far behind, and your aluminum snowmobile trailer will be ready to roll! 

Your Total Winter Readiness Checklist for Aluminum Snowmobile Trailers 

Pull your trailer out of storage. It’s time to reunite with your aluminum snowmobile trailer - unless, of course, you’ve been using it this summer to move other gear! If you’re running a seasonal accessory rotation, now’s the time to dust off your track mats and ski tie-down bars and grab your tools. Wash your trailer to make sure any salt, dirt, or mud buildup from last season is gone. A clean trailer is easier to inspect and looks better on the road. With your trailer accessible, clean, and dry, it’s time to run through the rest of the checklist!

Inspect the trailer frame & floor. Your aluminum snow trailer is built with water resistant decking and a fully welded frame, so it’s made to last, but wear and tear are inevitable. During your seasonal inspection, check the floor deck and see how it’s holding up. Look under the trailer at the floor joist welds. Repair any cracked welds, and replace the deck floor if the deck is rotting or soft.

Inspect the tires. Check the tread and sidewalls for wear and damage, and replace the tires if they’re too worn. (If you’re unsure how to tell, check out Tire Rack’s informative guide on determining when it’s time for new tires.) If your trailer tires are ready for another season, check the air pressure and inflate them if needed. When the air temperature drops, air molecules contract, becoming denser and moving more slowly - so tire pressure decreases, leading to slouchy-looking tires and a warning light on your dashboard. Keep a tire gauge and quarters, or a compressor, handy for winter tire top-offs. You could also consider using nitrogen to minimize tire pressure variation throughout winter. 

Grease the wheel bearings. To do this, you’ll need a jack, hand tools, and grease. Remove the wheel and take apart the wheel hub so you can access the bearings. Next, clean the bearings and repack them with new grease before reassembling the hub and replacing the wheel.

Inspect the brakes. Give your trailer brakes a thorough examination, checking for wear, rust, or debris. Lubricate the moving brake parts if needed, and use fine-grit sandpaper to remove any rust.

Examine & grease the locking bar hinges. Your locking bars are an important part of trailer security, and creaky, squeaky hinges don’t work well and wear out faster than they should. Give all door hinges, latches, and locks a good examination and repair or replace any damaged or missing parts while you’re at it. 

Check the ramp(s). Open and close the spring-assisted ramp door if your trailer has one; check the ramp for any wear and tear or damage just like you did with the trailer floor and frame, so you can make any repairs before hitting the trails. If you’re hauling an open tilting sled trailer, check the tilt system to make sure everything is working correctly. 

Connect the trailer. Inspect the hitch and safety chains and make sure they’re working correctly, so you can make any needed adjustments before your first snowmobile trip. Connect the trailer to your tow vehicle and continue with your inspection. 

Check the lights. With the trailer hooked up so you can see what’s going on, check all the trailer lights. Do a full walk-around of your trailer to check all brake lights, turn signals, and marker lights. Replace any bulbs that have burned out so your trailer is always visible and road legal. Check any interior or exterior accessory lights at this time, too. 

Add seasonal accessories. This one is optional, because some of you are out there with fully equipped sled trailers that wait their turn in the trailer rotation, and we love that for you! But if you’re a one-trailer person with multi-purpose hauling needs, changing your accessory kit on a seasonal basis is a worthwhile investment. Consider installing sled-friendly accessories like ski guides and track mats to help protect your trailer floor against wear and tear from snowmobile ski carbides and track picks. Ski guides make loading and unloading easier, too!

Prepare your emergency kit. Winter weather and road conditions can change in an instant. To be prepared for emergencies, plan space in your aluminum sled trailer for a few key supplies, like: a spare tire that’s in good condition and fully inflated (keep it safely mounted on your trailer wall with an ALCOM spare tire mount), tire pressure gauge, tools for changing a tire, wheel chocks, extra gloves, a tarp and broom or shovel. You may also want to invest in a portable jump starter with an air pump attachment for a more complete DIY roadside assistance kit.

Still Need an Aluminum Snowmobile Trailer? 

ALCOM has the aluminum open and enclosed snowmobile trailers for every tow vehicle, budget, and sled setup. We have options: pick your interior and exterior lighting options, interior storage upgrades, and sled-specific tie-down features. We have capacity: with multiple manufacturing sites across the USA, we're always building the trailers our customers want and need. And, we have dealers: our North American dealer network is spread from coast to coast and ready to help connect you with the perfect all-aluminum snowmobile trailer for years of fun!

Learn more about essential snowmobile trailer accessories; check out our brand sites below to learn more about the open aluminum snowmobile trailers and enclosed aluminum snowmobile trailers we build. Then user our Dealer Locator tool to find your local ALCOM dealer -- and get ready for your best sled hauler ever!