I originally put irrigation hoses thru the chassis, The idea was just connect the hose and have it spray put inside.
Worked ok, not fantasic, but ok.
Then got a petrol water blaster...  far faster  and more effective.... Soap up and go for it.
Do the whole boat.. clears do from a distance, fine on carpets bilges , even upholstery.
I think what helps even more is simple maintenance after the boat has more or less drip dried... Marine CRC  or lanolin based aerosols.. quick spray around wheel nuts, rollers, electrics, winch etc .. and include boat stuff.
Steering, trim, bimini domes ...
And every 4 or 5 trips, a liberal spray around the trailer with fisholene...including inside rails  wheel hubs etc.

I think there is more to keeping a trailer long lasting than just wash down....and the 'extra' is only minutes by the time one picks up a aerosol can walks around few squirts and put back on the shelf.
More "working hard at being lazy" sort of thing

Tzer I used to use one of those saltaway units, they were ideal because you could quickly spray the trailer straight after launching the boat. The negative was they didn't last that long.

If you really want to get serious and you do a lot of beach launches...block up trailor ends with rags and fill with waste oil on a decline. Paint outside of trailor also then drive down a dusty road until thoroughly coated...then pull out rags and drain...works a treat but trailor looks ****e....But no more rinsing-Winning

Catchelot wrote: Tzer wrote: Thanks guys, I am pretty fussy when it comes to keeping boat & trailer clean but just looking at a more easier (lazy) way of dealing with trailer, brakes as well as underneath of hull. Craig silly suggestion but also a lazy one, do you have any fresh water rivers/lakes where you can drop the trailer in the water for a few minutes. A mate in rotorua does this on the way home after an outing from whakatane drops it in a lake, job done...

Short answer Al is no. I forgot to mention that although the trailer is alloy but i still like the idea of having some sort of wash down. As fisherman we all tend to over look the care of the trailer until its to late.

My only concern is water blaster spray getting where it shouldn't and detergent washing out lube, but point taken about washing salt away - it sounds like you go around afterwards and lubricate anyway?

When using a 3000lb water blaster one uses some common sence .. I dont use saltaway... but foam up with CT18 detergent.
Yes I grease motor , steering etc every 2 or 3rd trip out, plus basic stuff above.. basically cause its easier to give things a light spray than fix a bloody broken wheel stud on the side of the road cause its corroded up if have a puncture


dealing with trailer, brakes as well as underneath of hull.

Is yours ally or glass?.... If glass a 10% soln of straight rust kill (phosphoric acid)  in water... moisten a rag and wipe on... moisten not wet... phosphoric acid... any acid and galv/ zinc, magnesuim, ally dont mix well

*rusty hole

The major damage is done when the trailer is parked after launching, setting up a system where you can quickly spray the trailer with saltaway would be the best.

does the fisholene get dirt struck to it?. If I remember where I used it on my car doors many years ago it would become a tacky mess instead of r hole I must admit

Many years ago.. The modern fisholene has de natured fish oil.. doesnt smell and a lot of the colour gone. I have used it for 40 over yrs, and made it when it was batched in NZ... pre non flammable days.
I have experimented with different treatments over the last 5 yrs as surface rust appears... rust kill, quality zinc epoxy etc.
The best to date is the above plus a regular light coat of fisholene....and where that fails, clean back to good steel, POR 15... quality epoxy galv, and occasional fisholene.

Fisholene costs money.. cheaper than repairs or new trailer and a can will last a good hitting those suspetable spots.

After the trailer has dropped off the boat, the water evaporates, leaving salt deposits.. the salt its self is not a problem.. it is when it is wet electrolysis take place....damp in high humidity weather....So get rid of the salts when home is essential...and to get those salt deposits off surfaces and in nicks and crannies, box sections is the secret.
Even with products like salt away, spray on soak, rinse off , I would still get a little fine salt deposits on boat surface.....hit with good blast of  fresh water, nothing .....

Problem is that the trailer hubs are really hot when they are dropped into the fresh water and they will inevitably suck some water in as they instantly cool.

Correct, which is why boat trailers have double seals in the rear and 'buddies' that maintain positive pressure in the hubs IF maintained and used correctly... how many actually re pump the buddies with a grease gun with a QUALITY marine BEARING grease on a regular basis?

As to filling channels with oil... yep that 'idea ' has been around for decades, and more... in the last 1/2 century I have only heard of ppl doing but never actually seen or know someone who has a trailer like that....
Back in the day, spraying the tractors, farm vehicles with a mixture of waste oil and a little turps (thins enough to enable to spray it.. wonder how I know that) was common....but drop a trailer in at a ramp and watch the oil slick spread out, and mess up the hulls of other boats around, let alone the environmental damage...

If one uses a hand pump up sprayer, puts the nozzle on the end off a stick with a reasonable hard wall tube so can extend down the insides of channels and regular spray fisholene... would be the way to go...
or on a brand new trailer or very well washed, do the same with POR 15 3 good coats.

I think alloy trailers are a 'different kettle of fish' rather than rust....stress and cracking due to the nature of the alloy, espec at welds and alloys used.

Brakes, keel rollers, wheel nuts, winches, winch bearings, electical connectors, hitches , back side of hubs etc...wash off well, spray  marine crc/ lanoline or similar  and DO NOT leave the hand brake on... and ideally if leaving parked up for winter... chock up so weight off the tyres... old school .. one used to see caravans chocked up.. espec with old cross ply tyres ...but also bearings last far longer if not left loaded in the same place.
A set of the same identical  bearings (eg classic HQ holden/ classic chevy) in a car will last out a good 50,000 miles....a loaded trailer parked up a lot, couple yrs at most and very low mileage. And Korean / Aussie or USA made bearings.. NOT chinese.. and carefull with USA packed bearings...often they are packed in the USA, box made in the US but bearing stamped made in china.

I'm mystified as to why your hubs are heating up that much.

widerange wrote: I'm mystified as to why your hubs are heating up that much. In my experience properly lubed bearings don't get that hot. Maybe if the hubs on your trailer are that hot the brakes are dragging?