What this maintenance form is for
Shown above is a look and service form for a recreation boat trailer pre-ramp. Download as a CSV or PDF after filling it on screen, or print a blank copy to fill out by hand. It covers one trailer, including the plate, VIN, GVWR, what boat it carries, and how many miles or hours if you keep track of that. It then covers the coupler and hitch, wiring and lights, tires, wheels and hubs, rollers and winch, bunks, brakes, jack, and frame. There are Done, Due and N/A service rows. Lights and wheels and hubs has OK, Defect, and N/A. Answers remain visible only in this tab. Next person gets a blank form.
You can use it during storage, seasonal prep, after a salt launch, before a highway tow to the ramp, or any time. Use it for trailer PM, not vessel pre-departure checks. It is not a Pass/Fail inspection sticker, but an owner record. From the trailer's VIN certification plate and its owner's manual, copy bearing-adjust miles, grease method, lug torque and pressures. Load Rite, Karavan, and ShoreLand'r do not publish a single mile number, and there is no federal boat-trailer maintenance interval to copy into the header.
NHTSA TireWise (tread, damage, cold monthly pressure incl. spare) / Tire row
What it is not
- It is not a commercial motor vehicle trailer inspection and not a trailer inspection checklist written to 49 CFR 396. That published CMV walk is what this form is not. Do not treat recreational bunk, winch, and Bearing Buddy rows as a CDL skills sheet.
- It is not a boat hull, outboard, or vessel-safety exam. Life jackets, navigation lights, fire extinguishers, and drain plugs belong on a boating pre-departure list. The Coast Guard guide reminds you not to forget drain plugs. Those items are not trailer hardware.
- It is not a light-vehicle tire inspection checklist for a car that uses a door-jamb placard as the only set point. Boat-trailer OEM manuals tell you to use this trailer's VIN plate and, for ST tires, the sidewall maximum. Keep car and trailer methods separate.
- It is not a running multi-visit vehicle maintenance log with dated shop lines for a car or fleet truck. Use one copy per visit. Attach invoices to your own file.
- It is not a substitute for the OEM procedure or a licensed inspection. If the manual and this template disagree, the manual wins.
How to fill each block
See the "Brake when required" and "Lighting and brake when required" rows. Note that state DMV rules differs. CA's Recreational Vehicles and Trailers Handbook is cited here but isn't national law. At the bunk station, follow OEM ramp practices. For Load Rite, do not step on the frame and stand aside when winching. The USCG Boater's Guide only covers boat equipment (vessel pre-departure checks, PFDs, and drain plugs), which is not the same than trailer preventative maintenance.
Visit, trailer, boat. Enter the date of the last visit, service, or pre-ramp. Enter the trailer’s VIN. Enter the plate number. GVWR. Enter the trailer make and model. Foil cert. The information is on the plate on the trailer frame (Load Rite puts it on the left frame). Enter your boat name, as this will be tied to the hull for correct winch and bunk height. You can also include miles or hours. Select visit type. Water. Hub style. Does it have brake? If yes, surge, electric, none. Is the trailer 80 inches or wider? Did you open the manual for this VIN? Answer yes or no. Do not enter a next due mile number in this federal header.
Use chains, a coupler, and a hitch. Ball must match the size of the coupler. Examples from Load Rite are 1-7/8 in, 2 in and 2-5/16 in. Never mix sizes. Fit pin, lock latch, seat ball. With a Karavan, pull up and down without play. Cross both tow chains under the tongue for separated hitch points (Karavan, Load Rite). Hook bow safety chain through bow eye. ShoreLand'r and Load Rite treat the bow safety chain as the backup if the winch fails. Attach breakaway cable on brake trailers.
The OEM band is not the federal percentage of tongue weight. Karavan says the tongue weight should be 5 to 10 percent of the loaded weight to keep it level (for example, 100 to 200 lb for a 2,000 lb load). Load Rite Trailers 101 mentions 5 to 7 percent of GVWR for some models. Fishtails if tongue weight too light. Marking a loose coupler is defect-level work. This is true even though this station uses the Done / Due rule: don’t tow till Done.
Wiring and lights. Walk it. Mark N/A, Defect, or OK. Use a helper to prove tails, stops, both turns, plate lamp, markers, and reflectors. Karavan: Federal and state regs require side, tail, stop, turn and marker lamps on trailers; those over 80 inches must have identification and clearance lamps as well. California DMV requires plate, brake, tail, and reflector lamps; signals if tow-vehicle lamps are obscured; and clearance lamps for vehicles over 80 inches. Other states vary. Verify that ground is solid white. Karavan says a poor ground will cause the tails to blink. Boat-trailer lamps get wet. Karavan: Unplug the tongue harness when backing into a spot unless it has waterproof tails. A submerged bulb can burn out. Their lamps are sealed. Here’s the VIN to follow.
Check the tires, wheels, and hubs. Condition of walk plus hub: OK, Defect, or N/A. Check all tires (including spare) at least once per month when cold (not driven at least 3 hours). Look for cracks, objects, uneven wear. Keep valve caps on. Replace when tread depth reaches 2/32 in. Replace earlier if less than 1/4 in remains. ShoreLand'r winter tips suggests replacing sooner. Use the stricter of this manufacturer and NHTSA.
Copy cold pressure from this trailer's certification plate. Load Rite and Karavan also tell their owners to run ST tires at that plate value and the sidewall maximum. Don't make up a psi. Load Rite wants only ST replacement and no mixing of bias and radial on one axle.
Lug torque is a chart, not one number. A chart. 5 wheels. Steel band 12 and 13 in. are different (Karavan 50 to 75, Load Rite 60 to 75). Karavan: retorque within 50 miles, clean dry threads. Load Rite: check lug before every use.
Adjust the bearings after the first 75 miles, then annually. Grease NLGI #2 after each dunk into warm water. Inspect hubs annually. Karavan won't provide a 10-launch or 500-mile pack rule because use varies. Their pre-tow list says to pack at least twice a year and before storage. Adjust after the first 50 miles. ShoreLand'r packs once a year; Bearing Buddy piston is about 1/8 in from seated. OEM miles don't agree for a reason. No federal mile interval for boat-trailer PM. Marking grease rows is not applicable for touchless hubs. Don't pry cap off. Load Rite does not recommend retrofitting Bearing Buddies if you have the originals.
The main parts are the winch, rollers, and bunks. ShoreLand'r: Clean rollers. Keep bunk carpet sand-free. Load Rite: Set main bunks as wide as possible without sitting on strakes. Set target bunks snug but not overloaded, which they say is about 200 lb on target bunks. Adjust these with the boat off the trailer. ShoreLand'r: Pay out the winch strap all the way. Inspect it for frays and cuts. Rewind it evenly. Lubricate the gears according to the winch maker's list. Winch is not a tie-down. Karavan: Add stern straps and bow chain (BIA-approved). Load Rite: Do not step on trailer frame while loading or launching. Stand to one side when winching. Karavan: Inspect the chain, strap, bunks, and rollers. A good time to do this is after launch when the trailer is empty.
What varies
Check the frame, tongue jack, and brakes. Mark N/A for rows if no brakes on trailer. Prove they are working prior to towing. For Load Rite hydraulic surge systems, use DOT 3 in the actuator. Mark row N/A for electric brakes. Wet brakes don't operate as well immediately after launch (Load Rite). Rinse with water, including winch, coupler and brakes, after launching in saltwater. Dry before storage (ShoreLand'r). Don't store wet. Retract the tongue jack fully. Never roll a loaded trailer on the dolly wheels (Load Rite). Don't exceed GVWR. If there are cracks in the frame, take it to a dealer.
Sign-off and defects. What was done? What's still open? Is it safe to tow? Don't sign safe-to-tow with a Defect or Due for a brake row, hub, tire, lamp or coupler. This OEM does not come from a guessed number of miles on the federal odometer or a next service date.
First-adjust miles and bearing pack vary among brands, and even among hub options within a brand. Karavan's 50-mile first check isn't Load Rite's 75. Twice-a-year before-tow line isn't once a year for ShoreLand'r. And don't expect Karavan to print a 10-launch or 500-mile use guideline in their own manual because it varies too much. A Bearing Buddy or Sure Lube hub maintains those grease grooves where a sealed "touchless" hub skips them.
The lamp list includes what the manufacturer equipped it with plus the state DMV rules. An example is the handbook from California. Brake note is "most states, 3,000 lb GVWR" by Karavan. ShoreLand'r includes standard brakes on trailers with a GVWR of 3,000 lb and up. There is no national boat-trailer PM statute. Clearance lamps are required on trailers wider than 80 inches. Bunk style boat trailers can mount them differently. California mentions a mid-side clearance option for rear-launch boat trailers.
To find tire set points, owners should check their boat-trailer manuals, the sidewall maximum (ST), and the trailer certification plate. On a passenger-vehicle, the DOT directs the driver to the door-jamb placard. For this VIN, follow the trailer maker. Regarding tread, we could cross check ShoreLand'r's 1/4 in suggestion against NHTSA's 2/32 in / wear-bar floor as the consumer safety number. For this trailer, use the stricter of the two.
After you finish
The jurisdiction is the United States. Lighting, brakes, and safety chains may vary if you tow across state lines. The Coast Guard does not certificate recreational boat-trailer PM. Their Boater's Guide, however, still applies once you launch your boat.
Want a copy? Download a filled PDF or CSV if you want a copy that leaves this tab. Want a blank PDF for the ramp clipboard? Download it here. Nothing gets saved on the server. When the next visitor comes along they see empty fields. Save a copy along with any strap or grease receipts plus the photo of the VIN plate and owner's manual. If you also keep highway miles on a tow vehicle, that goes on a vehicle log, not mixed up in this trailer sheet.
A date in sign-off is still required for Due or Defect. Don’t assume that because a driver has signed something, it’s good to go. There might be a loose coupler, a worn out tire down to wear bars, a noisy hub, or a missing lamp that should be lit.
Not a substitute for the OEM or a licensed inspection
This is a record keeping template. This is not legal advice. It is not an inspection by a 49 CFR 396 inspector or a Coast Guard vessel exam. It is not a replacement for a dealer procedure or this trailer’s owner’s manual. Don’t use an example from another maker, like a 75-mile, 50-mile, once a year, or twice a year check, as your pass/fail standard for a different VIN. Stop if a brake, hub, tire, lamp, or coupler isn't safe, and consult a qualified shop or the OEM. Form is above this article. Below the form is a preview of the printable pdf.