Going to look at a trailer - any tips?

[Foxy girl]

I saw a trailer on ebay the other day which didn't sell but I've contacted the seller and am hoping to go see it this week. It's a refurbed Rice/Sinclair type and has new electrics and floor BUT what should I be looking for when I go see it? Any tips?

Also, it is rear unload only - do you think this is an issue?

Thank you!

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

When you go to see it take someone with you who is a bit of a mechanic, they can check out the brakes & mechanics of the trailer. They are pretty basic but you need to know what you are looking at.

Don't accept anything they say to you unless you can see it with your own eyes. Check that the floor is indeed new. I wouldn't entertain having a trailer where a new floor has been laid over the top of the old rotten one. It's a lazy practice & still leaves the floor incorrectly rebuilt. Plug the electric into a car & check they all work properly. Check the steel sides of the trailer are not rotten where they meet the floor. Check all doors & ramp open squarely & hinges are not corroded. If the ttrailer has been repainted look carefully at all edges, corners & seams as paint can cover a multitude of problems.

Check tyres are not cracked. When a trailer has been parked up unused for a long time the walls of the tyres are attacked by sunlight & they start to perish, the walls crack & they would need replacing.

There are loads of trailers out there & there are bargains. I bought an old one a while ago for £500. I refurbed it, painted it etc, used it for 3 seasons & then sold it on Horsemart for £800 & the buyer was really happy with it. Good Luck with your purchase.

 

[Foxy girl]

Thank you - that's great advice (I'm going to print it out as my checklist!). My OH is coming with me, he's pretty good at spotting stuff but as neither of us have bought anything like this before I thought I should gen up a bit.

Thanks again