Trailer Noises

[HangOutdoors]

Maybe I wasn't paying attention before, but now since I was listening to the new tires with everything off in the car on the way home from the office, the trailer makes a lot of creaking noises going over bumps and manhole covers. A lot more than I can remember. I did lubricate the springs and the spring bolts, sprayed silicone, on them when I had the wheels off last weekend.

Is everyone's shorelandr' trailer sound like that? Has anyone done anything or used different lubricants that help?

 

[blueturtle]

My 21 trailer creaks a ridiculous amount. I spray my springs with crc 656 but it doesn’t help much. I don’t hear it with the windows closed.

 

[Crob83]

Yes, I usually have my windows up and don't hear it. When my windows are down it is super loud. I never realized it

 

[Mesa50]

Mine is really creaky as well. I spray it with everything possible, and it still squeaks.

 

[Txbred]

Mine does, especially backing up.

 

[sunbyrned]

My 2012 trailer has a grease zerk fitting at the springs behind the wheel. It’s hard to see but it’s there. I pointed this out a few years ago and nobody really realized it was there. Maybe look for it. Maybe things changed since then but thought I would mention it here. I can send pics tomorrow if you like.

 

[dgfreeze]

All tandem axle spring suspension trailers are notoriously creaky. Nothing necessarily wrong with it. As @sunbyrned mentioned, you can get “wet” bolts for the suspension, and keeping them greased will help. On a normal tandem axle trailer, there are 7 bolts on each side, and self locking nuts to allow you to correctly tension each one. Going around and re-torquing them might help also, but if they’re rusty, good luck. Just remember, they need to be just “loose” enough to allow the suspension to “walk”. Don’t just crank them down.

 

[Sean R]

My 2012 trailer has a grease zerk fitting at the springs behind the wheel. It’s hard to see but it’s there. I pointed this out a few years ago and nobody really realized it was there. Maybe look for it. Maybe things changed since then but thought I would mention it here. I can send pics tomorrow if you like.

I pump some grease in those zerks every time I do mantaince and sprayed every thing down with silicone and my trailor still squeals like a pig.

 

[suke]

My 2020 trailer squeaks like crazy. I don't hear it when I have the windows up, but put them down and it sounds like a POS. LOL! Like others have mentioned especially backing up. On the highway I can really hear it and it's generally smooth.

 

[HangOutdoors]

Sounds like it is the norm. Even the kid said, after I came back tonight from filling up the boat, "dude what's wrong with trailer sounds like it is about to fall apart..."

Was hoping there is a way to mitigate some of it. I guess windows up and radio on

 

[CarolinaJet]

My 2021 trailer squeaks too. Like crazy. I also tried silicone spray but made no difference. I’m glad I’m not the only one!

 

[HangOutdoors]

Wonder if soaking the leaf springs and bolts, movement points in a penetrating oil would help? I know it didn't sound like this the when I got it. But don't remember when it did.

 

[Adrian @ JB Solutions]

My buddies 2020 trailer sounds like it falls off the hitch every time you hit a bump in the road. It’s normal. It gets worse with loose hitches and SUVs

 

[dzeppos]

Completely normal. I had my shorelander tandem trailer for five years (brand new hntilbi sold it). - maintained meticulously - it’s the leaf springs. I switched to a galvanized custom torsion axle trailer - completely silent - but it’s because it doesn’t have leaf springs. Your trailer is acting normal.

 

[WV Hillbilly]

+1 on the torsion bar suspension. Replaced my 2021 Shorelandr single axle with a tandem aluminum with torsion bars. No rattles or squeaks, wish I could say the same for my 2018 tandem toy hauler.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Mine not only squeaks, there are pops and bangs when making a tight turn around. Then there is the slop associated with the surge brakes. Driving down the road I don’t hear it. The only thing I’ve done so far is to grease the zero at the center point of the leaf spring rocker.

I had thought about getting some wet bolts as @dgfreeze mentioned.. It has been my experience that trailers come with some sort of polymer bushings for the spring bolts and these don’t last long. You can get bronze bushings to replace the polymer ones, this is what I did on my toy hauler, the only caveat is that you do have to keep up on the greasing.

 

[Babin Farms]

@HangOutdoors All of the trailers I've ever owned with leaf spring suspensions have made a lot of noise. From a single axle 3,000#, to a 20k# gooseneck flatbed, they all pop, creak, squeak, rattle and sometimes sound like they're falling apart but always check out fine when I inspect them. I wouldn't worry about it if you have checked everything over and just chalk it up to your nerves & the upcoming trip.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

@HangOutdoors All of the trailers I've ever owned with leaf spring suspensions have made a lot of noise. From a single axle 3,000#, to a 20k# gooseneck flatbed, they all pop, creak, squeak, rattle and sometimes sound like they're falling apart but always check out fine when I inspect them. I wouldn't worry about it if you have checked everything over and just chalk it up to your nerves & the upcoming trip.

Kinda like when I was racing off road races and on the second loop you start hearing all kinds of weird noises yiu never heard before..and wondering if you were going to make it to the finish.

I just put on a set of Michelin LTX tires on my truck that replaced the stock Goodyear wranglers (crappy tires IMHO) and now I can hear more engine / drivetrain noise as the Goodyears were a lot noisier.

 

[tabbibus]

0h God thank you all. I was freaking out with all the creaks pops and bangs. I feel a bit better now. Trailering always stresses me out

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

0h God thank you all. I was freaking out with all the creaks pops and bangs. I feel a bit better now. Trailering always stresses me out

FWIW, I’ve towed a fair number of RV trailers in my life, never a boat trailer up till now, and the RV trailers rarely made a noise. The boat trailer is a cacophony of sounds….