finding a nice, light, old trailer? Where to look

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Jesstickle

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OH has been looking at my friend's old Rice today. It needs a new floor, new electrics and brakes refurb-ing. He has very calmly said yes he can do all that without too much bother, however....

It is pretty heavy and it isn't mine. I don't want to spend money on fixing it as it technically doesn't belong to me ( not that this is a problem now as friend is a good one, but one day I might not want to live near her any more :p )and I can't comfortably tow it with my big saloon. ( could just about tow one on it if he went on a diet!)

Ideally I'd like a nice sinclair as they're supposed to be quite light and nice. As cheap as possible obviously as would rather pay less and get OH to do a fixer-upper. Plus I spent a large chunk of money obtaining the license to tow it! Or something similar which I'm not yet aware of. Please shout if you know of something else which fits the bill!

where is the best place to look. I've trawled ebay, not much happening on preloved. Are there any other places I should be trying?

Sorry, that got very long. I'm getting a bit frustrated at having the 1000 pound license and still not being able to get out!!
 
I had an old rice.. going by the serial number on it rice said it was 1976 :eek:

it was a huge trailer.. could fit 17hh in the easy and one time had 2 horses and a carriage in the front! we had it weighed and it was 750kg. and it was very easy to move by hand.. once hubby got in a pickle and somehow managed to get hitched up trailer weged on his hand.. me and another woman managed to lift trailer off the ball and off the hubby..

ebay, is a good place, and also free ads tend to have a lot.. just watch the floors they are normally wooden .. and also ion the older one the hitch points i think are so dated they are illegal.. some thing to do with the way they lock on to the ball i think..
 
jhoward said:
ebay, is a good place, and also free ads tend to have a lot.. just watch the floors they are normally wooden .. and also ion the older one the hitch points i think are so dated they are illegal.. some thing to do with the way they lock on to the ball i think..
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Doesn't matter about the floor. OH says that is an easy peasy job!

Will look into that hitch business though. That sounds a bit alarming! I won't rule out Rice then. They just seem to vary soo much in weight. Can I ask where the serial number was on it, as maybe Rice could tell me how much it might weigh. As it has no lights and brakes I don't want to take it to the weigh bridge right now!
 
If you want to keep the weight down go for one that is year load & unload, no side ramp. My double pony rice (junior foxhunter) is like this & weighs 520kg. It is about 25 years old & in fab condition (currently in a cosy dry barn).
 
have a look on flea bay at Rice Europa's they're nice and light and actually my 18 hander used to fit in one better than he did most lorries!
 
jesstickle said:
Doesn't matter about the floor. OH says that is an easy peasy job!

Will look into that hitch business though. That sounds a bit alarming! I won't rule out Rice then. They just seem to vary soo much in weight. Can I ask where the serial number was on it, as maybe Rice could tell me how much it might weigh. As it has no lights and brakes I don't want to take it to the weigh bridge right now!
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it was on a plate on the front.. just under the window.

lights and breaks wont make much difference to the weight, floors on average cost 300 hunres plus to do, now a days you can buy all sorts but if you go with wood, theres normally 3 layers including marine ply that is pricey.
 
jhoward said:
it was on a plate on the front.. just under the window.

lights and breaks wont make much difference to the weight, floors on average cost 300 hunres plus to do, now a days you can buy all sorts but if you go with wood, theres normally 3 layers including marine ply that is pricey.
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Ta muchly.

I might (naughtily) be getting my ply at trade price :D
 
jesstickle said:
so far I have found this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....676583&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1156

and this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....235329&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_1156

can anyone identify either of them or guess the weight?

Wocester is too far away to tow without brakes really so am more just looking for info right now :)
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id not touch the 2nd one.. I hate the shape of thoose and very enclosed for hte horses.

the first ... front ramp looks a bit bent.

just a thought.. things like the grooms doors, and front ramp doors are a night mare to find, the new models are all different sizes!

ask if they have the serial plate on it??? rice are very good too if you email them pics etc they should be able to tell you a rough year.
 
I don't want either of them hugely. Just browsing :D

I assumed the ramp on anything that old would be a bit bowed. Are you going to fill me with optimism and tell me I might find something quite nice? :)
 
depends on your budget! when i bought mine i paid 400 quid, it needed tarting up but the basics were there,

the top door on front ramp needed replacing but I couldnt find one so we got metal and done the best we could. the back ramp had to be replaced as it had a rather nasty accident! and the grooms door, i managed to get one off ebay for 15 quid.

the floor then rotted out so i sold it. on ebay said floor neeeded replacing and it sold for 500 quid.

I think if your able to do the tarting up and floor relacing your find something with a decent body. Just be sure the main structures are there, and the chassis (sp) arent rotting out.
 
Basically looking to spend around what you did. There's hope yet then :) I don't think ebay is as good as it used to be for bargains. I'll have to keep an eye on the free ads!
 
Rice Europa, under 750kg unladen weight, carries two 16.2 and if you are just useing it for one horse you can tow with a heavy normal car. When empty its really easy to hitch up and more on your own.
I have owned two of these, the last one I bought off e-bay for £500 pounds in March this year and have used it all summer and this winter for carting straw.
My first one I sold to a friend 10 years ago and apart from a floor and a paint job its still going.
 
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