# Revamping Trailer...HELP!



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Be sure to crawl underneath and check the frame. Also you won't know if the bearings are good or need replacing without a knowledgeable person checking those for you. My used trailer needed one bearing and a brake magnet which added $300 for parts and labor.


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

tufenuf89 said:


> Hey guys!
> I am buying my first horse trailer and I guess with the money I have tucked away, I have to get something a little older... so no shiny brand new trailer for my babies...  oh well gotta start somewhere right!!!
> However, I want/need to look professional and not... the bottom of the barrel of a horse farm. I am located in Central Va and for the right price I do not mind a bit of a drive...Does any one know any good/reasonable places for me to take an older trailer to be "revamped". Have everything checked out, redone if needed... repainted... and de-rusted...also get the cover coat (what ever it's called) to keep rust away!! Guess that's the main jist of it!!!
> Please Help!!!!
> ...


It would cost less to buy something a little nicer than buy something that needs body work, wiring, brakes. tires, floor and who knows what else. You really can't derust a trailer unless you completely replace the steel. Check out horsetrailerworld and keep an eye out for stuff.


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## heartprints62 (Feb 27, 2010)

churumbeque said:


> It would cost less to buy something a little nicer than buy something that needs body work, wiring, brakes. tires, floor and who knows what else. You really can't derust a trailer unless you completely replace the steel. Check out horsetrailerworld and keep an eye out for stuff.


 
Agreed. 

I bought the "needs some TLC" trailer instead of the "lil bit higher priced" one, and ended up spending nearly a grand over the higher priced trailer just to make it decent looking and road safe. Lesson learned the hard way. You get what you pay for, and when you pay low at first, you pay more later.


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## tufenuf89 (Sep 21, 2011)

Thanks ya'll for the advice! I really appreciate it!


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## Red Gate Farm (Aug 28, 2011)

I bought an older trailer and figured I got a deal!

Then I could not find the VIN so had to pay an extra $500.00 for that.

Fix it up inside was another $500.00.

New wiring was $600.00. We thought it was just a short in one light. The second time the police picked us up for it (and I thought it was fixed!) we got the entire trailer looked at and it needed a complete re-wiring.

I'm looking at new tires now. It would have been cheaper in the long run to buy a newer trailer. This one is nickle and diming me to death.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

Buying an older trailer should depend on what you can do yourself. 

Rewiring a trailer should take just an long afternoon and ~ $30 in wire + the cost of lights - maybe another $50. It is one of the most simple jobs you can do.

Bearing, brakes, magnets, etc all depend on how much knowledge you have. 

I've replaced floor boards myself on a couple of trailers for just the cost of the wood.

The biggest thing to consider for me is the rust. That can take a lot to fix and then you need to worry about the frame as well.

If you aren't capable (or have friends who are willing to help you) then I agree that you need to look at a better trailer that doesn't need as much work.

One last thing, tires. Be sure you get trailer tires, not passenger tires, and they can be expensive.


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