Very tatty Rice Trailer - your thoughts please

SueAllen

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I have a Rice Beaufort Double trailer. Bought it for £175 a couple of years ago and have spent another couple of hundred on new tow hitch, rubber matting, marine ply and tyres/wheel bearings. Really want to upgrade now to a trailer with an aluminium floor as we use it for transporting livestock too and ali floor much easier to clean. Plus, if I'm honest, although I don't normally give two hoots about appearances, I am a bit fed up with being the tattiest trailer out wherever we go!!
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It's plus points are
- new tow hitch
- working electrics
- reinforced marine ply floor
- marine ply kicking boards
(both the above are removeable for cleaning/drying out)
- heavy duty rubber matting on floor and rear ramp (plan to fit to side ramp too)
- new back straps
- centre partition and breast bars all intact and good condition
- good wheels
- new spare wheel
- tows well
- new protective cover for above rear ramp (not fitted yet) to replace missing doors

Minus points are
- very bad cosmetic appearance including some rusting
- inside needs refurbishing
- rivets popped on some panels
- some floor boards need replacing (but not many)
- roof leaks

As far as I know the chassis is sound (I have warned husband that if he does not keep a close eye on this, thus putting my precious Neddy at risk, he will be sans testiclay pdq!!) My horse travels very well in it although he has been leaning against the outside and is popping rivets and bowing the metal. The trailer has been used pretty much every week since purchase and all nipples have been greased (ooh er!!) Somebody with a half decent workshop and some body work experience could probably get it up to a good standard in a couple of days.

I will only sell it locally as any prospective purchaser would really have to come to see it to see how much work it needs to get to a decent standard - although nearly all of that is cosmetic. Bearing in mind it is perfectly serviceable have you guys got any idea how much I could ask for it?? Would like to cover my costs if possible.

Some photos here: (don't look if you like things to be all lovely and clean and fluffy!)

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/SueAllen2/Trailer/Paintwork.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e157/SueAllen2/Trailer/Internal.jpg

And, would appreciate any thoughts on suitable replacement trailers with aluminium floors. Any recommendations? Would need to be second hand but I would just like to know what to start looking for.

Thanks a hooooj amount. I have just thought, I hope this doesn't get modded as it does look as though I am trying to sell it on here. Honest I'm not!
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Chex

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Complete guess, but when I looked at trailers 7 years ago, the old rices we looked at were prices about £800 or £900, for ones that were 15-20 years old. Seemed really expensive, so we ended up buying a new Bateson for not a whole lot more! I guess you could get a rough idea by looking for other in similar condition for sale.
 

not_with_it

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I think with a good covering of fresh paint it wont look half as bad. I would be worried about the roof leaking, especially with a wooden floor. These are the 2 things I would look into doing before selling.
 

dixie

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Where are you? I know someone who is looking for a tatty trailer to try and teach her horse to load -it will be a long project !
 

SusanFlynn

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sue I have a work collegue who is looking for a trailer relatively inexpensive, so I have sent her this thread and she may well get in touch.

I used to own a tatty trailer as you call yours and I had lots done to it and the only thing I did more was hammerite it outside and in. The appearance certainly made a difference. But I knew it was safe and up to the workload till I did sell it on.

Good Luck anyway.
 

zulu705

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I sold a richardson one quite like yours for about £750 a year ago. It had had a new ali floor recently and a recent brake overhaul. It had a make shift front breech bar and repaired partition that didn't actually fit anymore cuase the new floor level had raised slightly. Outside was rusty but solid.
 

SueAllen

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Thanks all - useful posts. I will have a look see at what else is out there and maybe try to get £400 for it if I can. I would love to do the work on it - I know exactly what is needed - but just don't have the time. As hubby has agreed that we can upgrade I would rather do that.
 

spike123

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I brought an old rice trailer exactly the same from a horse sales for £200 with the intention of doing it up.It needed quite a bit of work and the cost would have been high so I decided against it and went out and brought a nice sinclair for £1600.I put the rice one on ebay along with pictures and details of the work that needed doing and sold it for £450.I was more than happy with that as I hadn't done any work to it and made more than double what I paid for it.If you want to sell it I would put it on ebay with a reserve.If you put it on for a minimum of 3 days with a low starting price you should easily get a fair price for it.
 

NagNagNag

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I also had an old rice. It was rear unload, needed new panels, new floor, tyres, brakes and had no internal partitions. We originally got it to work on but hubby decided there was too much work required. I sold it on Ebay for £420 which i was amazed at. I then went out and bought a new Ifor instead.
 

SueAllen

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Wow!! That sounds pretty good. Mine's not that bad and has front unload. All in all I think I should be able to get around the £400 mark which will go towards a new aluminium floored one. Anyone got any ideas what to go for?? Not sure what ranges/makes do ali floors.
 
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