Older trailers ?

[Sossigpoker]

Hi
Just started casually looking for a used trailer and have seen several for sale from as long back as 2001 or so.
Can trailers of this age still be safe? How would I even go about checking the condition (if on the surface it looks tidy and OK)?

 

[Tiddlypom]

A well maintained older trailer can be a good buy. My 2006 Ifor 510 classic (owned from new) is in excellent original order. All original panels and parts except that it is on its third set of tyres and has a new rubber grooms door stop. It sailed through its most recent service last year. It tows and runs like new.

If you are a trailer rookie, it might be best to buy from a dealer or get an experienced bod to check it out for you.

 

[meleeka]

I think older trailers are more sturdy and therefore safer than modern ones, provided they are maintained well and inspected often.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Thanks both. Are there any businesses or dealerships etc that I could take a prospective private purchase to be checked over? (No idea how this works )
Just wondering if dealership sales will be much more expensive, that's all.

 

[Bluewaves]

I bought second hand from an IW dealer a few years ago because he had a good reputation and I knew I didn’t have a clue. I’m sure it was more expensive than by buying private but probably not by much.I knew it would be safe though.

mine is a 2002 505 and when it was serviced last month the guy said it would last at least another 20 years.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Ive had a few trailers over the years and the older ones are definitely more sturdy, especially the IW, if you get one that has got an alloy floor etc youll be laughing. Most older ones at this points will have been swapped out by this point anyway. The other good thing is the side panels can be replaced.
If you are going yourself privately. Lift the mats look at the floor , make sure there are no rotten bits, wheels should move freely no wobbles, where the hitch attaches should work freely.
Have a press on the side panels, if there is any swelling or soft parts they may need replacing in the future.
Generally the chassis on an IW last donkeys years .
Finally if I were you, Id give it a pull along by hand so you know yourself how heavy and manoeuvrable it is.

 

[rabatsa]

I got a used Cheval Liberte through a dealer, he serviced it and put new tyres on before selling. I could possibly have bought cheaper privately but then would have had to have it serviced and buy the new tyres myself.

 

[scruffyponies]

There are plenty of Rice boxes still doing good service that were built in the 1970s. Some still have a sound original oak floor! Depends how they were built, stored and used

 

[tristar]

to be sure you really need to get the wheels off and get all the wheel bearings, breaking system and electrics checked

a main dealer would be the best one to rely on, they would be servicing all the time especially if they are selling reviewed second hand trailers, and get any parts needed

 

[Sossigpoker]

to be sure you really need to get the wheels off and get all the wheel bearings, breaking system and electrics checked

a main dealer would be the best one to rely on, they would be servicing all the time especially if they are selling reviewed second hand trailers, and get any parts needed

Thank you I do feel nervous about buying private so will be looking at dealers.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

My first trailer was a simple lead in & back out type. It was painted a horrible matt brown, it was ghastly. The floor was solid, that's the most importanyt thing to check. Don't bother about the rear lights, if they are problomatic you can always fit a light board. These cn be purchased in great condidtion from Market Place etc. We parked it on our driveway & set about making it look better. I bought some blue car paint & some grey car paint & as it was an aluminium construction I bought some etch primer. We sanded of any loose & flaking paint and painted it with etch primer to provide a good key for the top coat. The roof I framework were painted grey & the panels on the sides, ramp etc were painted blue. We used small gloss rollers. The finish was really good & we finished it off by poainting the mudguards black. A mechanic friend sorted out he brakes with somwe adjustments. We used the trailer for 3 years & eventually decided to upgrade by buying a Bateson Deauville at a great price. The original trailer I sold without any problem & wven got back £300 more than we'd paid for it. After a few years getting another horse so we'd got a 16h1" & a 16h3" we sold the Bateson and lost very little & we moved onto lorries & have beewn with lorries upo till now. As long as you are prepared to tidy up an old trailer & it is physically sound you can save you a fortune, good luck & give it a go.

 

[tristar]

or take to main dealer to get serviced. looked at.

 

[tda]

If you look on the IforWilliams website they have a list of dealers, but there will probably be someone local to you who buys and sells. Local horsey fb groups are a good place to find someone like that
I sold my 2007 HB505 recently, I had it fully serviced before I sold it, I could have sold it as it was, but someone would possibly have driven off and put a horse in it. And it wasn't safe before the service.
Mine was one of the first ones with aluminium floor, so anything older than that could be timber.

 

[welshcobabe]

I have just had my Ifor Williams 505 trailer that I had from new in 2003 serviced this morning, and only had the plug and a chain replaced. In the past it has had new brakes but everthing else is solid and the trailer guy said it was in great condition it has been well looked after, seen as I have been the only owner but he said that trailers of this age are sort after now as people want them more than the new models. The new one's do look very nice but he said the ventilation is not as good in them and are not as solid so I wouldnt worry about getting an older trailer just find out the history of it.

 

[Bluewaves]

If you look on the IforWilliams website they have a list of dealers, but there will probably be someone local to you who buys and sells. Local horsey fb groups are a good place to find someone like that
I sold my 2007 HB505 recently, I had it fully serviced before I sold it, I could have sold it as it was, but someone would possibly have driven off and put a horse in it. And it wasn't safe before the service.
Mine was one of the first ones with aluminium floor, so anything older than that could be timber.

Mine is older than that and has an aluminium floor. I think its 2002, but it could be 2003, now that I think about it

 

[Boughtabay]

My 2002 has aluminium floor and is very sturdy I wouldn’t have afforded a newer one. I think the one I had before that was 2000 or possibly slightly earlier and that had an ally floor too!

 

[Tiddlypom]

Ifor had a scheme in which they replaced the original wooden floors for free, I think? Horses had been falling through them and the publicity was not good . I refused to buy a 505 when they first came out because of the rubber bonded wooden floor, as I predicted exactly what went on to happen underneath the rubber as the wood rotted away.

I'd be surprised if any Ifors around still had wooden floors, they would be very old now and need replacing.

 

[Sossigpoker]

I've tried to look for a dealership selling used Bateson trailers but haven't found one yet - only private sales or their website for new trailers. Does anyone know one?

Failing that , would £3000 get me a decent used Ifor Williams from a dealership? I don't need anything fancy , just needs to be safe and In good condition (for one 15.1 cob ).

 

[Birker2020]

Hi
Just started casually looking for a used trailer and have seen several for sale from as long back as 2001 or so.
Can trailers of this age still be safe? How would I even go about checking the condition (if on the surface it looks tidy and OK)?

It's only as safe as the work put into it. My Dad used to service my 1997 trailer every year and would repaint both inside and outside every four or five years.
Dad would take all the wheels off, check the brake discs, grease everything, grease the braking cable and its housing, even replaced the damper for me once. He also bought a load of plywood, tongue and grooved it on the lathe down the shed and laid it down on the floor, its still there now, and looks immaculate inside. Sadly its only used for storage at the moment.

He always looked after the trailer really well. After his death in 2017 I got it repainted by a local mechanic. When some nasty spiteful person on this forum said it was a death trap trailer they clearly did not know my Dad or the hundreds of hours he put into ensuring it was safe and I could take great pride in it.

PHOTOS: before painting after rudt proofung, Dad carrying out work and after with my late horse Bailey whilst parked up at a pub car park after going for a long hack. I used to move the partition across and let her stick her head out to have a nosey whilst I got the car packed and had a quick snack and drink.

Mines got a double floor OP, when it was repainted in 2021 the floor was checked and it was fine, it had a couple of patches of rust but this was above the front ramp and on the roof and was in no way detrimental to the safety of the trailer. It got fixed anyway.

 

[Boughtabay]

I've tried to look for a dealership selling used Bateson trailers but haven't found one yet - only private sales or their website for new trailers. Does anyone know one?

Failing that , would £3000 get me a decent used Ifor Williams from a dealership? I don't need anything fancy , just needs to be safe and In good condition (for one 15.1 cob ).

I bought my 2002 IW last summer when they were like hens teeth under 5k in good nick - I specifically wanted an older model so that the nose of the trailer would be metal not fibreglass. I eventually got one for 3k including delivery to Wales from a dealer up north of England on Facebook (don’t remember who but they’ve been posted on here before I think). The trailer is sound but not exactly pretty - old paintwork and a replacement little door above the front ramp that doesn’t match colour of the rest but it’s clearly been kept indoors and dry it’s whole life as the metalwork is all great underneath so I’m happy!

 

[Widgeon]

I've tried to look for a dealership selling used Bateson trailers but haven't found one yet - only private sales or their website for new trailers. Does anyone know one?

Failing that , would £3000 get me a decent used Ifor Williams from a dealership? I don't need anything fancy , just needs to be safe and In good condition (for one 15.1 cob ).

Not sure where you are but look up URO Trailers (near York) on FB, they have all sorts of IWs in at sensible prices. Everything is serviced and refurbed before sale, if necessarily. I bought a 401 from them a few years ago and I think I paid under £3K. They seem to have some solid older doubles in for less than £3K at the moment. They're really nice people too - if you're not on Orkney or the furthest tip of Cornwall it's probably worth giving them a call.

 

[Sossigpoker]

Not sure where you are but look up URO Trailers (near York) on FB, they have all sorts of IWs in at sensible prices. Everything is serviced and refurbed before sale, if necessarily. I bought a 401 from them a few years ago and I think I paid under £3K. They seem to have some solid older doubles in for less than £3K at the moment. They're really nice people too - if you're not on Orkney or the furthest tip of Cornwall it's probably worth giving them a call.

Unfortunately I'm in the south West so probably wouldn't be my first call but thanks for the recommendation. I did go up there to view a horse so it's not impossible!

 

[honetpot]

My Rice Europa I bought in 1984 secondhand,sold in 1994 to a friend, its had a new floor, been painted, had the brakes checked, and now as its stored outside needs another new floor. It's basic technology that works, and as long as there are no major failures due to rust, it should go one for ever, probably why they went out of business.
My present Rice Europa, is perhaps a little more modern, it has plastic mudguards, it cost me £500 in about 2008, when I sold my lorry. Never had a IW, I do not like the grooms door, but there are plenty of old ones about.

 

[Annagain]

Unfortunately I'm in the south West so probably wouldn't be my first call but thanks for the recommendation. I did go up there to view a horse so it's not impossible!

I'm sure there are places closer to home for you but if it's not too far, I can highly recommend Harvest Choice in South Wales. Justin, who runs the place, is excellent, thoroughly decent and very trustworthy. He services EVERYBODY's trailer locally and I've never heard anyone with a bad word to say about him. He also hires trailers out and sells them on once they're a few years old and buys older trailers, completely overhauls them and sells them. Even if he doesn't have one for sale that suits he'll know of one he's serviced that's for sale or will happily come to do a pre-purchase check for you on a private sale.

He tells me that the 505/510 between 2005 and 2007 are the best trailers IW have ever made, especially the Classics as they have extras on them including the bigger, locking jockey doors. Find a well looked after one of that age and you won't go far wrong.

 

[mustardsmum]

Not sure where in the SE you are but Tomes Trailers in Wimborne, Dorset have an excellent reputation if you anywhere near there?

 

[Sossigpoker]

Thank you both , Wimborne and South Wales are doable. Good to have recommendations.

 

[Landcruiser]

I've bought privately for both my trailers, and have replaced wooden floors on both of them. If it's a good make and looks in reasonable nick, there are bargains to be had. For instance, my first one was a 20+ yr old IW with a wooden floor with some rot. It cost me £800 in about 2007, and another grand to do the floor and repair a panel. I eventually easily sold it for £1200 after many years of use. My current trailer I paid £1500 (Wessex Clubman) a few yrs ago. I had the floor done last yr (about a grand). It's a superb trailer. I have a local IW main dealer and have my trailers checked and serviced with them. You'd pay a LOT more buying from a dealer though, and still only have a limited warranty.

 

[nagblagger]

I don't like the modern ones as the front ramp is on the 'wrong side', in an emergency you would have to offload into traffic.I have a ancient but solid rice Beaufort treble.Like others have said regular maintenance is the key, not how old it is.

 

[Annagain]

If you look on the IforWilliams website they have a list of dealers, but there will probably be someone local to you who buys and sells. Local horsey fb groups are a good place to find someone like that
I sold my 2007 HB505 recently, I had it fully serviced before I sold it, I could have sold it as it was, but someone would possibly have driven off and put a horse in it. And it wasn't safe before the service.
Mine was one of the first ones with aluminium floor, so anything older than that could be timber.

IW switched to aluminium floors in the late 90s. I had a '99 505 that had an aluminium floor. I only changed it as my (then) new horse didn't fit on it. I bought a new 510 in 2005 (also with an aluminium floor) and still have it. It's been well looked after and is still in great nick. I bought it for £3,600 brand new and I think I'd still get £3000 for it now. Prices are pretty high at the moment.

 

[PeterNatt]

Take a look art this: