CHECK YOUR TRAILER'S TYRES

The safety of your trailer largely depends on the state of the tyres. You have to be able to count on your trailer having optimal grip and road-holding in the winter more than at any other time of year. This is why you should check the pressure and profile of the tyres every week. Also inspect the tyres for extraordinary wear and tear, and look for cracks in the tyre walls.

All HAPERT trailers are delivered with M&S tyres, which are safer when there is snow and ice on the roads. With M&S tyres, you will be prepared for every type of weather.

Not sure what the correct tyre pressure is for your trailer, or how you can measure a tyre's profile depth?

READ EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CHECKING YOUR TYRES HERE

Would you prefer to have personal advice about the condition of your tyres? Or do you ask yourself whether it would be a good idea to change your trailer's tyres? Go to your HAPERT dealer.

CHECK WHETHER THE LIGHTING WORKS PROPERLY

Winter days are short and dark. For this reason, checking the lighting on your trailer before you drive off is vitally important. Use the following checklist to make sure your trailer's lighting is in proper working order:

  • Do your trailer's tail and brake lights work properly?
  • Do both indicators work?
  • Is the number plate clearly illuminated?
  • Do the body lights work?

Always keep a set of spare light bulbs and a circuit diagram with the trailer so you can make repairs if the lights stop working while you are out on the road.

CHECK YOUR TIPPER TRAILER'S BATTERY

If you also want to be able to make full use of your tipper trailer during the winter, we advise you to regularly check the condition of the battery and recharge it every day to 12.7 Volt (battery charge 100%). If you do not do this, irreversible sulphation will occur. In other words, the battery plates will harden as a result of deposits of lead sulphate. Ultimately, your trailer's tipping system will no longer work.

ATTENTION: Using the right charger for your trailer type is extremely important. You should also always use a drip charger for your trailer's battery and never a quick charger. For example, HAPERT battery chargers are specifically designed for the batteries fitted in our COBALT tipper trailers. Our battery chargers guarantee maximum performance and service life. After all, you have to be able to rely totally on your trailer during the cold winter months as well.

TRAILER BATTERY WINTER STORAGE

Do you intend to remove your trailer's battery for the winter? Make sure you store it somewhere dry where it will not freeze. Doing this is important to keep self-discharge to a minimum. Because batteries always self-discharge within a few months, it is important for you to remember to check the condition of your trailer's battery periodically. With a battery reading of 12.2 Volt (at least 80% of the charging capacity), the battery has to be connected to a charger that supplies at least 10% of the battery's charging capacity.

For example, a 90ah battery has to be connected to a charger that supplies a minimum of 8A and a maximum of 10A in order to obtain optimal results.

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WINTER WEATHER? ADJUST YOUR DRIVING STYLE

Winter weather can lead to dangerous driving conditions, such as slippery roads caused by rain, snow and frost. Gritting salt, poor visibility and darkness can pose an additional hazard. You should consequently always adjust your speed to the prevailing weather conditions. Also stay a safe distance behind the vehicle in front of you and keep looking as far ahead as you can.

In the winter, you might often have to drive with your trailer on slippery or snow-covered roads. In situations like this, it is always important for you to accelerate slowly, steer smoothly and not brake too abruptly.

CLEAN YOUR TRAILER REGULARLY

If freezing temperatures are likely, gritting salt is spread as a precaution to keep roads safe. We advise you to clean your trailer after it has come into contact with gritting salt. The reason for this is that gritting salt can permanently corrode the galvanised steel used in your trailer's construction. New trailers with a galvanised zinc coating that has not yet fully hardened are particularly susceptible to white spots (white rust) or black spots. These spots do not, however, negatively affect the protective working of the galvanised zinc coating.

The trailer can be simply hosed down with water. You should nevertheless always make sure that the water does not come into contact with the electrical components.

If you hose down your trailer with water outdoors at a sub-zero temperature, it is a good idea not to pull up the lever on the overrun brake. If you do this, there is chance that some of the components in the brake drum will freeze.

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About HAPERT

For 50 years now, HAPERT has been supplying the strongest trailers with a maximum gross weight of up to 3500 kg. Thanks to our tried-and-tested welding technology we guarantee the most durable trailers in Europe. Transportation solutions you can trust blindly. That is what makes us unique in the market.
We deliver to businesses and private individuals, who want to work with the strongest trailers. Our robust trailers are built to deliver maximum performance every day, at the lowest cost per kilometer.