# Get a used trailer? Or fix the old one?



## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

My trailer has 2 main issues:

The brakes have rusted out and need to be replaced. It is estimated to cost $800 to fix this issue.

The second issue is that both back doors are rusted out on the bottom. Not only is the metal rusting out, but the wood inside the back doors has rotted- this affects maybe the bottom 12 inches. If the horse were to kick the doors, the horse's hoof could go right through. I haven't had it in to the repair shop for an estimate, but the guy gave me a guesstimate over the phone that this would cost between $600 and $1700 to fix.

This leaves me with a final bill of $1400 (on the low end), to 2500 (on the high end). 

The floor is in good condition- the boards don't need to be replaced, and as far as I can tell the metal underneath the boards is holding up well. 

My parents think I should spend the $800 on the brakes, use the trailer another 6 months or year and sell it as-is. Or I could look for a used one now, and sell it without fixing anything. 

If I fix the brakes, do you think I could get any money by selling it? The trailer is a 1999 model. The floor is solid, and it was just repainted last year. Not terribly rusty. The wood side-boards inside the trailer were replaced last year as well. Or should I just sell it as-is and not bother doing any repairs?


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## PrivatePilot (Dec 7, 2009)

Are you handy, have a reasonable assortment of tools, and don't mind getting dirty? 

Trailer brakes are not particularly complicated for those with moderate skill, and an entire new backing plate assembly with new shoes, magnet, and all necessary hardware can be purchased for less than $50 Per wheel. So as you can see, your $800 quote is quite the stretch – most of it is labor, and I might suggest at whatever shop you have got the quote from has significantly inflated it as even at $100 per hour for labor (which in itself is high unless it's a very high end place) there is not six hours worth of work to do this job – a competent tech could do all four wheels in two, perhaps three hours tops. 

So, you may want to reconsider where you get your work done. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself, if you have a friend who is handy with mechanical skills and car repairs you might just be able to buy the parts yourself and have him do the job for 100 bucks in your driveway. Total cost $300. 

The rear gate, well, welders are skilled trade guys and it's not cheap, but I'd take lots of photos, details of what you need done, and get a few quotes from different shops. Never go with the 1st quite until you see if it's realistic. A guy giving you quote over the phone without even seeing it screams unprofessional to me and the guy that gave you those numbers was just throwing jello at the wall. Without photos or actually seeing that trailer he's just guessing. 

But, even if you're in for $600 to repair the doors (and that sounds realistic, perhaps even high to me if all it needs is some new metal sheeting and some wood replacement), at $1000 investment....IMHO, if you're happy with the trailer otherwise and its structurally sound, keep what you have vs going through the hassle of getting a new one just because of a few minor issues. 

Just make sure it's indeed structurally sound. The frame needs a thorough inspection (by eye, not another phone call special) by a competent (and honest) person familiar with things mechanical. Again, your friendly neighborhood mechanic/friend will be able to help, but a good inspection involves getting under the trailer and checking out all the beams and welds, not just eyeballing it from the sides.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## churumbeque (Dec 20, 2009)

I would like to see pictures of trailer before commenting but I would have a hard time spending that much on the trailer you describe. And yes repairs can be done for much less by someone handy. If it is as rusty as you say I am betting there are more hidden issues. I just rehabbed an 89 and replaced all the wood in walls. It only had about an inch of rust at bottom of doors. It was.


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