Trailer without huge budget!

Have a look on local horsey groups on fb. I paid £1200 for my older model ifor Williams 505. If possible take someone who knows what faults to look for when viewing.
 
Depending on where you are and how big your horse is my friend has a rice trailer for sale. Tidy, takes 2x 15.2. Asking around £900 for it
 
I bought my bockmann for £1800. It’s about 13 years old but in great condition, couldn’t find anything wrong with it all when full serviced. They’re very well built trailers so if you can find one I would snap it up!
 
I'd go for an older IW simply because there are more of them around, more people who know how to service them and parts are more easily available which is important for an older trailer. Get it checked out properly though.If that one's not right, there'll be another one not too far away.
 
You need a good mechanic! Someone preferably with agricultural experience who can come out to view anything with you and have a look-see underneath to check things like brakes, wheels, rust etc. Like viewing a horse, another set of knowledgeable eyes is invaluable!

Things to look for are the side-panels, look down between the panel and the floor, if anything looks iffy there then walk away as it will cost more than the trailer's worth to replace them, you have to take the whole thing apart basically.

Ask what the floor is made of - and ask to see any documents of when the trailer was last serviced. Ask for original documents if they have any from when the trailer was purchased.

Also have a look at the tyres, and how old they are. It IS possible to tell (ask a mechanic if you don't know or research on-line) how old the tyres are by looking at the numbers which will be embossed on them. Also check the spare. This will give you an indication of how old the box is and whether the seller is being totally truthful. If you're towing horses behind, the tyres need to be LESS than 10 yrs old, so if they're older than this, don't mess around, replace them. You will need to allow for this in your budget - and you can also use this as a bargaining tool as I did recently when buying a used trailer.

There ARE nice little trailers around within your budget: I know coz I've just bought one!

The other thing you could do is - if there is any facility in your area that does trailers for hire - is to hire a few different types if you can and see what might suit you best.
 
J1993 said:
So I passed my B+E a few weeks ago and now just need a trailer! I have a Kuga so can tow 2.2. My budget is about 1-2k. Horse is about 500kg. Anyone any ideas? ?
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Congratulations on passing your test.

I was in a similar situation and wanted a good trailer on a small budget. In the end, after viewing trailers for £2,000 and not being happy with the quality, wooden floors being the main issue I wanted aluminium. I took a loan for the additional £1500 and bought a Ifor Williams for £3000 privately, 4 years ago now. They hold their money super well and paid the loan off really quick as it was at a very low APR.
 
Thanks everyone this is all really helpful. I just want my horse to be 100% safe. She is also only 3 so want her to have a good smooth journey. My plan is to take the centre partition out and get full length bars so she will have plenty of space as my car hasnt got the capacity to tow two anyway. I am thinking more of an ifor William's but I have seen the Chevral trailers which i like the look of but dont know much about them. I haven't really looked at rice trailers so will do a bit of research on them.
 
You should be able to pick up an older Ifor model (505) that has been well maintained for under or close to 2k.

Id look for someone who essentially has a full service history (or who is clearly competent at self service). Look at where/how the trailer has been stored - undercover or on decent concrete is preferable for less rot.

Key things to look for are electrics, brakes, panels (they rot) and floor.

I wouldn’t be put off by a wooden floor if there is good evidence it’s solid, but budget to replace at some point. Lift up rubber matting to check in the corners/joins and from underneath.

Does the trailer stop/start/reverse smoothly?

Check the tyres for tread and more importantly perished rubber.

All that you can do yourself.

If at first check everything seems ok then just get a local trailer maintain person to do you a double check/service before you take it away
 
I'd go for an older Rice. I find them much nicer to tow than the Ifors. You dont need a mechanic. Its not rocket science! Get underneath and have a look at the chassis and axles. You will see if they are deteriorating. Tread on tyres is never the issue, its perishing. Look at them closely and you will see if they need replacing or not. Its a couple of hundred quid for 4 new tyres. The Rice trailers are all metal walls and panels so no issues with them needing to be replaced usually. If there is, it will be obvious.

I'd budget to replace the floor, have it serviced and a bit more to replace brake pads etc. Its easily done for your budget.

I wouldnt have an aluminum floor if you paid me. I nearly did this time as weight was an issue, but changed my mind. They may not rot but they do corrode and then suddenly give way. They give an awful feel to the horse travelling s well unless they are very well done. if you want aluminum, go for aluminum planks rather than a solid sheet floor. I'd go for decent hard wood or phenolic ply every time though
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Things to look for are the side-panels, look down between the panel and the floor, if anything looks iffy there then walk away as it will cost more than the trailer's worth to replace them, you have to take the whole thing apart basically.
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Thats not even remotely true. You can easily replace the Ifor panels. If you want the proper panels from Ifor themselves its more expensive, but to do a proper DIY job it can be done for a £100. You really dont have to take the whole thing apart either.

For the plastic coated trailers like bateson etc then I'm not sure I'd bother, as they really can be a bit of a pan to replace and you can only really use parts from the manufacturer.
 
Leo Walker said:
I'd go for an older Rice. I find them much nicer to tow than the Ifors.
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I personally prefer to tow a Ifor over a Rice any day. Find them much smoother. Aren't we are all different and unique :D A friend will only use a Rice trailer for his horses.

Leo Walker said:
They may not rot but they do corrode and then suddenly give way. They give an awful feel to the horse travelling s well unless they are very well done. if you want aluminum, go for aluminum planks rather than a solid sheet floor.
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I check the aluminium floor in mine multiple times a year to be on the safe side, its a 9 year old trailer now and not a single sign of corrosion thankfully. I always use shavings on the trailer floor to soak up any wee, but never noticed mine having a issue with travelling on the aluminium floor, although there is thick rubber matting on top.
 
You'll easily get an older style 505 for that with ali floor. Just take someone with you to view. I did, as I knew I'd be all excited. Got mine (505R) for £1660 including the full width bars and mirror - saw it on FB Marketplace. Only thing it needed was 4 new tyres. Got that done for 200 quid.
 
ForbiddenHorse said:
I personally prefer to tow a Ifor over a Rice any day. Find them much smoother. Aren't we are all different and unique :D A friend will only use a Rice trailer for his horses.



I check the aluminium floor in mine multiple times a year to be on the safe side, its a 9 year old trailer now and not a single sign of corrosion thankfully. I always use shavings on the trailer floor to soak up any wee, but never noticed mine having a issue with travelling on the aluminium floor, although there is thick rubber matting on top.
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I just find the Rices are smoother and much more stable. I've been borrowing a 511 and hated it! Its so loud and rattly and moves about much, much more, even with 2 in an towing with a Disco. I prefer Bateson over everything but they dont seem to age that well and I'm too tight to buy new!
 
Leo Walker said:
I just find the Rices are smoother and much more stable. I've been borrowing a 511 and hated it! Its so loud and rattly and moves about much, much more, even with 2 in an towing with a Disco. I prefer Bateson over everything but they dont seem to age that well and I'm too tight to buy new!
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I'm with you LW. I prefer to tow a heavier trailer, but then with a disco or land rover you have that option. I like that a heavier trailer follows the car and reversing is so much easier too. It goes where you point it even if the ground is a bit uneven.

OP can easily get a nice trailer for within their budget. even if it does need a few bits doing to it. If your not confident I'd take someone with you, even if its just so you sound like you know what your talking about LOL
 
A trailer is a very basic piece of engineering, a mechanic with a working knowledge of 'meccano' will be able to check hitch, suspension etc are in good order. Check the trailer tyres as well. They may have a good depth of tread but look at the walls. They stand for ling periods without moving & the sun affects the sie walls & they crack/perish over time & are fairly expensive to replace. The floors are easy to check, just lift the rubber matting & check mainly edges & corners. You can also check it from underneath. Another weak point is the bottom of the side panels where they meet the floor, check there for softness which will indicate rot. A floor & a ramp are easy & pretty cheap fixes but side panels are a different ball game.
 
I bought a beautifully maintained, barn stored Wessex Clubman for £1500 a couple of years ago off Preloved. They were asking £1800 and accepted £1500 cash. It's nicer than IW in my opinion - aluminium sided behind the wheel arches where IW tend to rot. It's also lovely and light, with single lever operation on the ramps. Highly recommend one of these if you can find one.
 
We have just bought a lorry we have a 505 for sale that was rebuilt and restored with all new parts 18months ago. It is like new tows well and is easy to put on and off the car. There is an independant trailer engineer about 50 yards from where we store it. No rush to sell either
 
windand rain said:
We have just bought a lorry we have a 505 for sale that was rebuilt and restored with all new parts 18months ago. It is like new tows well and is easy to put on and off the car. There is an independant trailer engineer about 50 yards from where we store it. No rush to sell either
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Thanks could you send me a pm with price and where you are with any pics if possible? Thanks!
 
I am aware of the wheels after getting a blowout on the way to somerford a couple or years ago. It was when we looked quite closely we could see the splitting on the tyres. Like alot of you have said it had been sat there a while in the weather and on earthy mud which had rotted the rubber! I would definitely need a mechanic to look over the rest of the body and flooring. I'm using equity from a house sale to treat me and pony. Obviously need to sell first though ??? luckily pony isnt rideable yet so not like we need to get out and about!
 
Landcruiser said:
I bought a beautifully maintained, barn stored Wessex Clubman for £1500 a couple of years ago off Preloved. They were asking £1800 and accepted £1500 cash. It's nicer than IW in my opinion - aluminium sided behind the wheel arches where IW tend to rot. It's also lovely and light, with single lever operation on the ramps. Highly recommend one of these if you can find one.
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Not heard of these but they look very similar to the ifor so worth having a look at.
windand rain said:
Will do will get photos tomorrow if thats ok
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Perfect thank you.
 
I tow with a kuga and have a cheval, they depreciate a lot more than ifor in my opinion so you can pick up a pretty decent one at a good price. It is also fabulous to tow!
 
I bought an old Sinclair when I passed my test. It's all aluminium so doesn't rot. I had it fully serviced and new breaks etc. I also updated the lights to Led for purely cosmetic reasons and replaced the front and back beach bars with quick release.
I have had it for 4 years and will shortly be upgrading but only due to needing living. I love my Sinclair and so does my finicky traveler!
 
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