One of the most overlooked problems with a trailer stored outside, particularly in snow country, is the deck itself.

Whether it is wood or steel it needs to be protected. Wood will absorb moisture and the freeze/thaw process will significantly shorten it's life. Likewise a steel deck will always have little spaces that water can seep inot, the freeze/thaw cycle will force these apart leaving a place for sand and dirt to collect, this will hold moisture and accelerate the rusting process.

The simplest way to prevent any of this is to make a 2x4" and plywood 'tent' over the deck and drape a tarp over that to keep it reasonably water-proof.

It sounds like a bit of overkill but we started doing it a few years back and there is now a BIG difference between our trailers that are out all winter working and the ones stored out of the weather.

The tarp comes down far enough to cover the tires so thats a bonus, we also back them up onto scraps of pressure-treated 2x8" to keep the tires out of contact with the frozen ground.

Best of luck.

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