Things You'll Need
- Pressure treated lumber boards
- Nuts and bolts, to fit thickness of lumber
- Knife
- Hammer
- Screwdrivers
- Crowbar
- Measuring tape
- Saw
- Drill
- Wrenches
- Jack
- Tires suitable for trailers
- Heavy rubber mats
Instructions
Check the floor boards for rotted wood, and replace the floor if necessary. Press into various areas of the wood floor with a knife or screwdriver, especially around the bolts; if it sinks into the wood easily, you have found dry rot. Take a hammer, screwdriver or crowbar and pry up the floorboards. The new floorboards should be pressure-treated, waterproof quality lumber. Measure twice, cut once. The new boards should be bolted down so that they do not bounce and flip up during travel. Measure and mark where the bolts will be in the new lumber, drill holes, and use heavy nuts and bolts.
Inspect the hitch. The safety chains should be strong with no broken links. Check for major rust or other issues -- such as loose bolts -- with the coupler and jack. Replace the entire hitch if needed. Otherwise, you can purchase individual parts, such as the safety chains, from hardware stores. A professional body shop or trailer and RV shop should be able to assist you with the replacement and repair of your trailer hitch.
Replace the tires. Make sure you put tires specifically for trailers back on. Do not use tires for cars. Tires have different load-bearing capacities. The individual weight rating of each of the tires, when added all together, should be equal to or slightly greater than the gross vehicle weight rating of the trailer, according to an article at The Horse. Wheel bearings should also be replaced.
Replace the wiring. Depending on the type of trailer and your own electrical skills, you may need a professional to replace any wiring that has been damaged. Take your truck and trailer to a professional to have the electric brakes installed or repaired. Make sure you have working brake lights, turn lights, emergency lights and running lights on your trailer.