Second hand trailers

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coen

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Can anyone recommend the best place to look for second hand trailers?

I do not mind which make but I have heard good things about the Rice trailers (also like the look of them).
I would like one big enough for two 16.2 horses and I have a budget of £1500.
 
There are loads of places you can look for trailers. Obviously there is ebay, where you will find all makes & at varying prices. There are the various horsey websites, Horsequest, horse & hound, horsemart, horse select. There are your local papers, free papers, you will even find them in Auto Trader.

No one place is any better than any other, but ebay will probably have the greatest number but as with buying any used item you need to have a look at it & check that it is in good order.

You mention Rice trailers, they are great trailers but they are quite heavy so consider that when looking because the weight of trailer plus the weight of 2 x 16h 2" horses may be too heavy for your towing vehicle. Consider Bateson, they are lighter, the build quality is good & the headroom in all of their trailers will take up to 17h horses.

Good Luck in your search :)
 
I understand that not everyone can afford a lorry but after last year I wouldn't tow a trailer again if you paid me.

I felt that towing two very large hunters in a Ifor Williams hunter trailer was unsafe, as I thought the combined weight was too much for the Grand Cherokee that was towing it. However my employer insisted that it was fine and asked me to move them with it. What the boss wants, the boss gets!

So there I was, pootling along the A30 in Cornwall at 50 mph when I came over the brow of a hill and started to get trailer sway. I didn't brake, I didn't deviate, I didn't panic but the boys started swaying in the back and making everything ten times worse. It all ended with the trailer jacknifing and us facing the wrong way in the fast lane! The boys were fine, just cuts and bruises (well done Ifor Williams!) but the partition was just twisted metal between them and the trailer a write off. Extracting them was fun....!

I have been driving horses in lorries for nearly fifteen years now and never had a problem. You can keep a trailer, in my opinion, they're great for ponies and short distances but that's it!

It's worth mentioning that my Boss has now bought me a lovely shiny new Iveco to drive her many expensive horses around!!!
 
Ok great thanks for the advice, I will mainly be using it to transport my horse 16.1 but I would like capacity for two for occasions when I may pick up and friend.

I just had a quick look on ebay but some seem very old. Is £1500 feasible for a good trailer?
 
I would love a box instead and I agree about the safety element as I would not travel long distances with him in a trailer but unfortunately the expense of a box is too much at the moment.
Mainly due to me living near upminster which is in the emmissions zone.
This would mean a very expensive box along with individual tax and insurance.
Horrible story please all involved were ok
 
Just to give you an idea on cost, I sold my IW 505 back to the dealer I bought it from for £1800 and he said he would be selling it on for £2k, it was 9 years old.
 
The Grand Cherokee Jeep can tow 3.5 ton, so a trailer and two big horses is well within its abilities. I am sorry you had such a bad experience, but there are many reasons for a trailer to do this.
 
£2,ooo for a nine year old trailer seems incredible to be when you can buy a brand new one for around £3,ooo. Well I guess it shows they hold there value.
What brand would you say affords the most value for money?
 
I've just got one from ebay too.
It seems cheaper from there than from the classifieds, you can get a good bargain!
I would say £1500 - £2000 should get you a decent trailer big enough for 2 16.2hh horses. I used to have an Ifor Williams 505, thats a v good trailer and theres plenty on ebay that look in good condition.
Good luck!
 
I just got a lovely Rice from Gumtree. It's a good website because it's local, mine was about 20mins from my house!
 
I found my Rice on either Preloved or Horsemart, can't remember which now. It is old but has been well maintained. It also seems to hold steadier on the road (maybe because it's so heavy) Usually I am only carrying one horse, sometimes 2 ponies.

In all honesty I am not a fan of trailers and I agree with posters who've said that if you do long distances or go on fast roads like m-ways and dual carriageways a horsebox is safer but we do all we can to ensure safety and tend not to go too far anyway. (furthest distance ever taken it is 35 miles)
 
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