# Trailer condition



## Pumphrey (Dec 14, 2020)

I live in CA and just bought my first used horse trailer. I paid $4300.00 Trailers go really fast here lately. It is a 2004 and looks like a Circle J -2 horse but there is no name on it. There is some rust on the lip around the undercarriage that holds the floor boards and the steel pipes running across to support the boards. The hitch also gets stuck when I try to get it off my car. I am wondering how serious an issue the rust is? The person I took with me who knows about horses said that the rust is pretty common. Any advice? I do plan on taking it to a trailer repair shop for an estimate for $325.00and to have them go over it to see what all is wrong with it. I am just afraid now I made a mistake.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Don't panic unless you get bad news...get the evaluation done and then work some magic for a trusty safe trailer to use.

The hitch mechanism may just be needing some grease...
We use marine grade wheel bearing grease on the ball so less friction = less wear and a not squeaky sound when hooked together.
Some white lithium also used in the lock part of the hitch since some have ...





















Either of these can be seen on BP horse trailers.
Both hitches though need lube to slide on completely and easily and to work correctly and not bind.
If the hitch is worn, easy enough to purchase a new one and have a professional welding shop cut and replace it with a replacement...
If it opens or closes, quality lube in a can can make old and binding work again...be generous applying and wipe off the excess.
🐴...


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## Pumphrey (Dec 14, 2020)

horselovinguy said:


> Don't panic unless you get bad news...get the evaluation done and then work some magic for a trusty safe trailer to use.
> 
> 
> horselovinguy said:
> ...


Thank you. I just talked to another trailer place that said they would inspect it for free but that rust will keep coming back and 


horselovinguy said:


> Don't panic unless you get bad news...get the evaluation done and then work some magic for a trusty safe trailer to use.
> 
> The hitch mechanism may just be needing some grease...
> We use marine grade wheel bearing grease on the ball so less friction = less wear and a not squeaky sound when hooked together.
> ...


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Steel trailers rust...at the age of yours its steel and going to have rust.
The secret to managing it is the rust must be removed, as in cut out and replaced with fresh, virgin metal...then it needs to be prepared and painted carefully and with attention to the details of really getting into seams, weld areas...
Once it is painted and the paint has cured and aged, washing inside after every use and outside as needed, allowing to dry thoroughly and at least once a year, every year or possibly bi-yearly it is waxed well will keep the trailer looking better and added protection against rusting to occur.
Under carriage needs attention to and would not hurt to undercoat it as urine and feces drain through the floor and can contaminate the frame starting problems in another area..
Even those who have steel frame with aluminum skin have rust...
Today, everyone is after aluminum thinking maintenance free, but that too is false.
All trailers require maintaining of the paint and sub-structure {frame} or rot can and does happen, yes even to aluminum floors. Aluminum pits and gets holes in it same as steel can and does.
Horse feces and urine are very caustic....caustic is what when left on surfaces destroys the finish which steals the protection for the metal and allows the beginning of rust to occur.

So, do the work of preserving the trailer. 
Do it right, do it thoroughly and you will have this trailer for many years to come to enjoy. 
🐴....


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## Pumphrey (Dec 14, 2020)

Pumphrey said:


> Thank you. I just talked to another trailer place that said they would inspect it for free but that rust will keep coming back and


Thanks so much for the link!


horselovinguy said:


> Steel trailers rust...at the age of yours its steel and going to have rust.
> The secret to managing it is the rust must be removed, as in cut out and replaced with fresh, virgin metal...then it needs to be prepared and painted carefully and with attention to the details of really getting into seams, weld areas...
> Once it is painted and the paint has cured and aged, washing inside after every use and outside as needed, allowing to dry thoroughly and at least once a year, every year or possibly bi-yearly it is waxed well will keep the trailer looking better and added protection against rusting to occur.
> Under carriage needs attention to and would not hurt to undercoat it as urine and feces drain through the floor and can contaminate the frame starting problems in another area..
> ...


THank you. I would do that but I just found out after taking it to a trailer repair shop that the frame is rusted out. The guy who looked at it told me I should get my money back. I called the seller and of course he said no. Don't know what to do now.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

See if the frame can be replaced and or shored up with rectangular tubing....it will not be cheap, but...it would allow you to have the trailer to use...
As far as what else can you do....depends upon what was on the bill of sale...
If the sale was contingent of a good inspection report...go to court if he won't honor his contract, signature and word.
If the sale was "as is"...no return, no refund when sold...IDK.
I would say advertise as a landscapers trailer but when the frame is junk...not sure its worth anything.
I'm so sorry. 
🐴....


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## lb27312 (Aug 25, 2018)

@Pumphrey - Oh man I'm sorry to hear that! And that he won't take it back.... I agree with HLG to maybe have someone give you a price on the frame being shored up...


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Hi Pumphrey

Rust on the trailer can be inconsequential, or a disaster, depending on where it is, and how deep the rust penetrates the steel. An easy way to check is to get an icepick or the like, and scratch thru the rust until you see silver steel. If you can scratch down to steel relatively easily, it's just "surface rust", and of no particular concern. If you have to dig deeper than a millimeter or so, it might well be an issue, if you can't scratch down to steel, or if you (gasp) dig right thru w/o hitting solidity, you are in for trouble. Rust in the trailer "skin" or the framework that supports it, in doors, door-sills, or window frames, is of way less concern than rust in the main frame or in the cross-pieces that support the floor boards.
Before you take it in for service, get underneath with a flashlight and look it over, paying particular attention to the main frame, the load-bearing crossmembers, the axle/axle mounting points, and the leaf springs/shackles if so equipped.
If you aren't real familiar with the appearance of rust on steel, start off by finding an old rusty something-or-another and scratch away at it in a few places. You can generally get a pretty good idea of how bad the rust is via a visual inspection once you have a reference to compare. Scratch-test the worst looking spots on your trailer as a priority. And also check the floor boards while you are underneath.
If you _do_ find deep rust in the frame, it can be very difficult/expensive to mitigate; you generally have to cut entire sections out and replace them with new steel. And things simply never rust in just one spot. This is time-consuming, requires a skilled welder/fabricator, the steel tubing and channels involved are expensive, and often you will be money ahead by abandoning the trailer to entropy and getting an un-rusty one.
Should you find yourself in this unhappy plight, do slide underneath with your flashlight and ice pick _before_ closing the deal on a replacement unit.
Oh dear; the page reloaded, and I see you already have had bad news. I'm Sorry. Well, the above still applies . . .
Steve


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

Yea, try what George said, and I want to add as a fellow Californian, that severe rust is not that common here. Unless of course the trailer was not well cared for. I would suggest having someone else look at it, you did not say whether the guy who looked at it was someone you could trust. Get another opinion before you decide. 

If this trailer is junk, I'm really sorry. It is a sellers market right now, horse trailers along with everything else.


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