Month: March 2026

Spring is an important time for many seasonal businesses, and countless pieces of agricultural and equestrian equipment and trailers will be taken out of hibernation and tested, ready for a return to work.

However, spring is also a vital month for classic car enthusiasts, as spring is the point where a beautiful vintage machine can finally escape hibernation, be loaded into a suitable trailer and taken to a meetup, a track day or a beautifully winding country road.

We can help you choose the perfect trailer for your pride and joy; as an official supplier of Ifor Williams trailers, we have the expertise to advise you on which trailer will best take care of your car whilst towing it from place to place. 

As well as storing the car itself, larger trailers such as our Transporta range will also be able to pack vital pieces of equipment to ensure that your car is ready to drive as soon as you arrive at your destination.

To find out more about what to pack, it is important to know how winter affects classic cars and what you need to check as soon as they come out of storage.

 

Why Do Classic Cars Hibernate In Winter?

Cars tend to be hard-wearing, but older cars benefit from a period of hibernation during the coldest parts of the year for the same reasons ploughs, agricultural trailers and other seasonal equipment benefit from long-term storage.

Classic cars tend to be difficult to drive on icy roads; the salt used to grit roads can cause considerable damage to a car’s finish and underside, which can be more expensive to fix than an equivalent new car, and there are often fewer opportunities to truly enjoy a sports car at its best.

Storing a car properly over the winter months protects it, but any car that is left dormant for months at a time may not work as soon as the weather improves.

 

What Do You Need To Bring Your Classic Car Out Of Hibernation?

If you operate a business focused on your classic cars, such as a track day experience provider or providing repair services for classic car meetups, or even if you regularly travel to events, it may be worth investing in an Ifor Williams Workshop-in-a-Box trailer to ensure you have all of your tools to hand.

However, it is possible to set up a personal toolkit that will fit in your trailer or the back of your towing vehicle that has everything you need to bring your classic car back and test it whilst on the road.

Air Compressor

The first step to ensuring your car is ready for the road is checking the tyres, as the change of seasons can affect the pressure of the air within them. If they need pumping up, the easiest and best option is a portable air compressor running off a small generator.

Trickle Charger

A trickle charger is a slow battery charger designed to bring a flat battery back to life or prevent a battery from losing considerable amounts of charge in the first place.

A multimeter to check the battery’s voltage and a set of jump leads are also good to have in your trailer or towing vehicle.

Spare Car Fluids

As well as fuel, having oil, coolant and brake fluid to hand allows you to replenish any lost fluids that have either leaked out or have gradually disappeared over time.

Ideally, fluids should be replenished and changed before the car is put into hibernation, but the second-best time to do so is before you turn on the ignition for the first time after hibernation.

Basic Tools

Whilst a workshop is more ideal for fixing any issues you may have, there is more than enough room for a toolbox filled with spanners, wrenches and basic power tools to get you going.

 

What Else Should You Do Before Your First Classic Car Drive Of The Year?

As well as having basic tools to hand to fix any issues, it is best to have your trailer to hand for your first few drives in your classic car, to ensure that you have the tools to repair anything you can fix by yourself.

As well as this, here are some top tips to make your first classic drive memorable for all the right reasons:

• Do a visual inspection to make sure nothing obviously looks wrong.
• Clean your car thoroughly to remove any dirt and grime build-up.
• Plan your first drive on a fun stretch of road, but close enough to home if you have any issues. If you are travelling further, make sure you have a place to park your towing vehicle and trailer securely.
• Have fun and enjoy networking with other classic car enthusiasts.

Spring has arrived with a prominent flourish, and for many agricultural businesses, it is the most dramatic period of change each year and when they need to prepare the most. Much of the winter, for many businesses, is about preparing for spring.

This means a lot of spring cleaning, preparing equipment, taking stock and getting ready to hit the ground running as soon as the environmental conditions allow you, but it also means taking the opportunity to ensure that all of your equipment is fit for purpose.

With our expertise in supplying and servicing Ifor Williams trailers, we are perfectly ready to help you get ready for spring, however your needs manifest.

With that in mind, here are the biggest reasons why spring is the perfect time to service your trailer, as well as a checklist of everything you need to get checked before you start.

 

Why Do Businesses Service Their Trailers In Spring?

Aside from being connected to other types of spring cleaning and typically being the start of the agricultural year, spring is the point when all of the wear, tear and adjustments made to prepare your equipment for the rigours of winter are no longer necessary.

If Your Trailer Was Used In Winter

If your trailer does not take a break for winter, then all of the steps you took to winterise your trailer will need to be tweaked or undone. The higher-grip snow tyres, inflation levels and suspension adjustments may be necessary in winter, but could make your trailer difficult to control in summer.

As well as this, the unique challenges of snow, salty roads and the corrosive slush that results can cause damage to exposed wiring and metal parts of your trailer, particularly if there are scrapes or gaps in your galvanisation.

If Your Trailer Was In Storage This Winter

If your trailer was put away for the winter, then you need to check that the extended time out of use has not caused issues to emerge or exacerbated existing problems.

Trailers tend to work best when they are being used and actively maintained, and periods where they languish in a garage or shed can cause seals to develop gaps, bearings to break, hoses to crack due to the effects of freezing weather on rubber, tyres to deflate due to the air temperature inside and other moving components to seize up.

A robust service and inspection at the start of spring before it is called into action can save you a lot of money and time on expensive and extensive repairs in the summer.

 

What Should Be Part Of Your Trailer Servicing Checklist?

If you get in touch with us, we can provide a tailored, bespoke servicing of your trailer based not only on the particularities of the Ifor Williams model you are using but also based on the needs of your particular business.

However, there are some general checks we will make, and you will be able to organise yourself to ensure that your trailer is ready to go this spring ahead of any inspection.

Here are just some of the most important checks to make.

Tyres

The tyres of your trailer are often the easiest part of your trailer to fix but can significantly affect the handling characteristics of your trailer and can cause potentially dangerous breakdowns if not spotted.

Here are some of the aspects of your tyres to check:

• Tyre Pressure – Changing air temperature can affect the pressure of your tyres, and the changing of the seasons can often leave them underinflated, building up unnecessary heat and risking early failure.
• Tread Depth – Check the depth of the tread across the entire tyre and make sure they are legal and safe to run. Legally, they need a depth of at least 1.6mm across the entire circumference.
• Wear Patterns – Uneven wear patterns may suggest an issue with wheel bearing, alignment or improper inflation.
• Tyre Damage – Check for cuts, bulges, cracks or anything which might signify damage or degradation.

 

Wheel Bearing

Wheel bearings are key to supporting your trailer’s load whilst travelling at typical road-going speed, and issues with the bearings can lead to seizure, separations and even fires.

• Noise or Play in the Wheels – Any unusual noise when spinning the wheel could be a sign of worn bearings.
• Bearing Seals – If there is any oil or grease leaking from the wheels, that could be a sign of contamination.

Brakes

Make sure that the brakes work, the components are not excessively worn, and the wiring has no issues, cuts or corrosion. Brakes that do not consistently function could create the risk of serious accidents.

Lights And Electrical Systems

Test all of the lights to ensure that your trailer is legal to use. This is particularly important after winter, as the electrical systems are one of the most common failures of a trailer kept in hibernation.

Frame, Structure And Connections

Test the frame and the hitching structure to ensure there are no fundamental structural issues that could potentially cause your trailer to malfunction whilst on the move.

Suspension System

The suspension is key to ensuring your trailer is stable whilst in operation. Even if your suspension system is functioning, it may need adjustment for the different road and off-road conditions found in spring.