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Trailer - Flash Freeze


signfan

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Anybody got any tricks to stop all the moving parts on your trailer from succumbing to flash freeze events?  Drove to the lake in the rain Friday night.  Luckily the last 20 miles we hit a white out and cottage country was spared from the rain getting snow instead.  Went out today to load up and everything is frozen.  Jack won't turn, clamshell front access door handle won't turn.  The access door itself was frozen shut.  Trailer coupler was froze when I went to unhook tonight at home.  Even the light connection didnt want to pull out of the truck.  The flip up hard tonneau cover was frozen to the rear window in the truck which really surprised me.  Just a lovely mess.  An hour with a heat gun and I won, but what a pain.  Would something like fluid film repel the water in the areas that are prone to this?  Looks like a repeat event is coming this week unfortunately.  Man I hate our weather some weeks.

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Been struggling with this as well. It's hard to find something that works perfect.  I've resorted to hot water to get things opened and de thawed. Last March in Kapuskasing after driving up in thunderstorms until Cochrane, and blizzard conditions from SRF to Kapuskasing,  our 2020 PR147 was frozen rock solid. It was quiet the chore next am getting the sleds out..I've been looking for something to put on the rubber seals around the door, but no luck. Every thing has its good and bad points.  Any suggestions out there like @signfan said?.  

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Carry a small torch with you. Our weather is a biotch!

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I just put windshield washer fluid in a spray bottle. Spray it around door seals and it won’t freeze. If frozen can spray it at door seals wait 15 mins and it will usually open. Clamshell can pour it around bottom of trailer and it will eat up ice too. Best thing to do is open doors often when traveling.,every rest stop open doors. 

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For the rubber seals on the ramp door we use a spray wax. 

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clear silicone spray helps quite a bit with rubber seals, latches etc. 

mother nature often remains the victor though. 

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31 minutes ago, Willy said:

clear silicone spray helps quite a bit with rubber seals, latches etc. 

mother nature often remains the victor though. 

forgot to add why I like it. Monday mornings. lol. 

no mess and doesn't distort rubber like other oil sprays will. works great on car door seals. 

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Yep, silicone spray….not perfect but helps with frozen seals. 
When the other parts freeze, not sure….maybe deicer in a large bulk size, washer fluid might be a good alternative though. 

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I use silicone grease or vaseline on seals and WD40 on locks and hinges.

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10 hours ago, Steve F6 said:

For the rubber seals on the ramp door we use a spray wax. 

I use furniture polish like Pledge or a store brand. 
Seems to help on all the rubber seals. 
If already frozen, a waist basket of hot water and repeat. 
leave open until re-frozen or dried. 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 2/13/2022 at 11:11 PM, Turbo Doo said:

Been struggling with this as well. It's hard to find something that works perfect.  I've resorted to hot water to get things opened and de thawed. Last March in Kapuskasing after driving up in thunderstorms until Cochrane, and blizzard conditions from SRF to Kapuskasing,  our 2020 PR147 was frozen rock solid. It was quiet the chore next am getting the sleds out..I've been looking for something to put on the rubber seals around the door, but no luck. Every thing has its good and bad points.  Any suggestions out there like @signfan said?.  

Jig a loo spray on the rubbers. 

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Great topic. I have experienced this situation as everyone else. I remember we had an issue at work with one of our propane dispensers that was covered in ice. Tech came in and sprayed some stuff on the ice and it disappeared almost immediately. He said it was alcohol he sprayed on the area. Maybe some isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle would work? He had a big spray bottle...like a litre bottle but the ice disappeared immediately and the mechanism that was stuck was now free.  Might be worth a try to see if works on stuck areas and in a spray bottle its easy to apply and you get decent use from the amount of product you have. I know usually isopropyl alcohol is expensive if you have to buy it retail. Better deal if you can get it wholesale.  

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I watched the video Gary did and did our trailer as he suggested, no freezing issues at all this winter with rear or side door at all.

 

 

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1 hour ago, Nunz said:

I watched the video Gary did and did our trailer as he suggested, no freezing issues at all this winter with rear or side door at all.

 

 

Funny enough no issues this year either. 
 

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