Putting a Trailer Away for Months: Doing It Properly

Seasonal trailers — hunting, event, agricultural, holiday — spend more time parked than moving. What happens during that time determines what condition it is in next season.

Before it sits

1. 1**Clean it out completely.** Anything organic left inside attracts pests and holds moisture.
2. 2**Clean and dry the interior.** A trailer put away damp stays damp.
3. 3**Wash the exterior** and remove anything corrosive.
4. 4**Check and fix any leak now**, not next season. Six months of water getting in is what ruins floors.
5. 5**Inspect and treat the door seals**, so they do not harden in the sun.
6. 6**Take the battery out** if there is one — breakaway, interior lighting, anything. Store it charged and somewhere temperate.
7. 7**Drain any water system** completely, including low points. Our water tank guide covers why freezing matters even here.
8. 8**Grease the coupler and jack.**
9. 9**Leave the vents open** if security allows, so it can breathe.

Tyres

• Inflate to the correct pressure — a tyre stored soft develops a flat spot and the sidewall suffers.
• Get the weight off them if you can, with jack stands under the frame.
• Cover them, because UV degrades sidewalls and Georgia sun is relentless. This is what ages a stored trailer's tyres more than anything.
• Our tyre care guide covers why age matters more than tread.

Where it sits

• Hard surface rather than grass or dirt, which holds moisture against the underside.
• Level, so nothing pools inside.
• Under cover if possible.
• Away from trees, which drop debris and encourage moisture on the roof.
• Visible, if theft is a concern — our theft prevention guide covers securing a parked trailer.

Pests

A dry enclosed box is exactly what rodents and wasps want. Leaving it completely empty and sealed against entry is most of the answer; check the vents and any gap around the wiring pass-throughs.

Before it moves again

1. 1Tyres — pressure, condition, age, and look for flat spots.
2. 2Bearings — feel for play and roughness. Our bearing guide covers the check.
3. 3Lights, all of them, connected to the truck.
4. 4Brakes and the breakaway battery.
5. 5Coupler, chains, jack.
6. 6Floor, for anything that changed while it sat.
7. 7Interior for pests, moisture or mildew.
8. 8A short shakedown run before a long trip.

Twenty minutes before the first trip of the season beats a roadside failure. Call (800) 281-5084 if you want it checked over.