Annoyed at my LoadRite boat trailer

[Donald]

Once you make the repair, might I suggest Locknlube. It's a collet style coupler that is easy on, and easy off, but doesn't leak. I bought two.

The trailer itself is not light. I am pretty sure driving and braking a few times exercises the surge brakes.

The beauty of having a 3/4 ton pickup as a towing vehicle with everything to do with the brakes heavy, and heavy duty is the truck and trailer will stop properly even if surge brakes are not working 100%.

And backing up will certainly activate the surge brakes.

 

[LouC]

My trailer only gets used from 2-4 times a year, but what I do every month or so is jack up each tire and spin it and actuate the actuator to keep the wheel cylinders from seizing and also that knocks off what little rust might be inside the drum. The type of actuator I have can be cycled with a screwdriver so it's very easy. This way I can verify that the brakes are actually working and not dragging before towing the boat. I do also keep spare backing plates in the garage so if there's a problem I can just replace the whole works and just bleed the brakes and adjust the shoes and go!
I have actually gotten very good service from surge drum brakes (galvanized with stainless springs, aluminum wheel cylinders and zinc coated drums) using it this way. For the rest I spray all the fittings, springs etc with Fluid Film or similar 2x a year. That has kept it about as rust free as I can expect for a salt water trailer kept outside 300 ft from salt water!

 

[The motor guy]

My trailer only gets used from 2-4 times a year, but what I do every month or so is jack up each tire and spin it and actuate the actuator to keep the wheel cylinders from seizing and also that knocks off what little rust might be inside the drum. The type of actuator I have can be cycled with a screwdriver so it's very easy. This way I can verify that the brakes are actually working and not dragging before towing the boat. I do also keep spare backing plates in the garage so if there's a problem I can just replace the whole works and just bleed the brakes and adjust the shoes and go!
I have actually gotten very good service from surge drum brakes (galvanized with stainless springs, aluminum wheel cylinders and zinc coated drums) using it this way. For the rest I spray all the fittings, springs etc with Fluid Film or similar 2x a year. That has kept it about as rust free as I can expect for a salt water trailer kept outside 300 ft from salt water!

I dont see you knocked off rust, but it will keep things from seizing.

 

[LouC]

I mean the light coating of rust that may form inside the brake drum on the friction surface. I have someone spin the wheel while I work the actuator.
Also forgot to mention, I think it helps to bleed the brakes and flush the system about every 3 years, to get any moisture out, which prolongs the life of the master cylinder, and wheel cylinders or calipers. The brake actuator on my trailer was installed 21 years ago and still works fine!
With disc brakes what I'd do to keep them from seizing is to coat the dust boots for the piston with disc brake grease, these are not water proof as some might think and can allow calcium deposits to build up and cause the disc brakes to start hanging up. And, grease the slide pins of course.

 

[Donald]

I mean the light coating of rust that may form inside the brake drum on the friction surface. I have someone spin the wheel while I work the actuator.
Also forgot to mention, I think it helps to bleed the brakes and flush the system about every 3 years, to get any moisture out, which prolongs the life of the master cylinder, and wheel cylinders or calipers. The brake actuator on my trailer was installed 21 years ago and still works fine!
With disc brakes what I'd do to keep them from seizing is to coat the dust boots for the piston with disc brake grease, these are not water proof as some might think and can allow calcium deposits to build up and cause the disc brakes to start hanging up. And, grease the slide pins of course.

Mine is an odd situation but at this point I have no plans to use the trailer to launch the board. So calipers never get wet besides rain.

 

[LouC]

Mine is an odd situation but at this point I have no plans to use the trailer to launch the board. So calipers never get wet besides rain.

Well then you'll have much less to worry about with the trailer vs actually launching it where in many cases the wheels are totally submerged. It's a challenge to keep the brakes working but no brakes is just not a good idea, safety wise, lability wise, etc. I know many do that but I wouldn't. I have 2 sets of spare backing plates brand new in my garage, so no reason to not have working brakes.