Wessex Clubman

[Bojangles321]

I am finally in a position to buy my first trailer and am looking at an older model Wessex Clubman in the next few days. It has an aluminium floor and been serviced yearly. What should I be looking for when viewing this trailer? It’s a private sale so will have no come back if faults are discovered if/when purchased. Any helpful pointers would be appreciated sadly budget does not allow a new/nearly new trailer so please no suggestions of this

 

[Barton Bounty]

Check hitch, wheels move freely, under rubber mats, soft panels

 

[Bobthecob15]

Check brakes! We had one and they used to freeze intermittently, it was really annoying! Gave our poor horse a terrible ride too...I think the brakes just didn't come on when they should or they would get stuck on. We had a wooden floor on ours and it was unfortunately rotting in places...we sold it after 2 months. If yours is aluminium that is good but do check side panels too as they could easily be rotten x

 

[HorseMaid]

I had one of these and I think the side panels were metal so no risk of rot? It was a nice little trailer, just make sure the brakes)hitch, lights etc are in good order - also check the ramps aren't rotten but they are easy enough to redo if needed

 

[Bojangles321]

Check brakes! We had one and they used to freeze intermittently, it was really annoying! Gave our poor horse a terrible ride too...I think the brakes just didn't come on when they should or they would get stuck on. We had a wooden floor on ours and it was unfortunately rotting in places...we sold it after 2 months. If yours is aluminium that is good but do check side panels too as they could easily be rotten x

Is there a simple way of checking brakes? Obviously they are very important! Obviously I know about checking electrics but that doesn’t necessarily mean the brakes work!

 

[Bojangles321]

I had one of these and I think the side panels were metal so no risk of rot? It was a nice little trailer, just make sure the brakes)hitch, lights etc are in good order - also check the ramps aren't rotten but they are easy enough to redo if needed

Is it as simple as lifting the rubber matting and checking the flooring underneath? As for the panels, do I just give them all a good feel to check for weaknesses? I would get it serviced if bought immediately before any horse is put in it but don’t want to buy a can of worms!

 

[Bobthecob15]

Is there a simple way of checking brakes? Obviously they are very important! Obviously I know about checking electrics but that doesn’t necessarily mean the brakes work!

No idea sorry! We were told ours had been serviced etc regularly..no paperwork though so I'm assuming it wasn't! Perhaps if they have recent paperwork that might help? Can you take a mechanic or someone to check it over?

 

[phizz4]

Hitch the trailer up, drive forwards and put the brakes on hard. If you feel a heavy clunk the drawbar damper needs replacing. You should feel the brakes come on as a ‘pull’ at the back of the car. Difficult to describe but it’s as if something is trying to pull the car backwards. The other way is to hitch up, pull the hand brake on and try to pull away slowly. That will tell if the brakes actually work. To be honest, if you drive a horse trailer correctly and smoothly the trailer brakes should never come on. Our last trailer had so little wear on the brake shoes after 15 years the service mechanic thought we had changed them for new ones. Check the tyre age. There will be an oval on the side wall with 4 numbers in it. The first two are the week of the year and the second two the year of manufacture. Check for cracking on the side walls. Horse trailer tyres hardly ever wear out but should, ideally, be replaced after 7 years, but certainly after 10. A lot depends on how long it has been sitting for, developing a flat spot. The state of the tyres is a good indication of whether the trailer has been looked after or not.

Tyre Age - How Old Are My Tyres? - Kwik Fit Guide

Old tyres can begin to crack and perish making them dangerous. Identify the age of your tyres with this simple guide from Kwik Fit.

www.kwik-fit.com

 

[Birker2020]

Check brakes! We had one and they used to freeze intermittently, it was really annoying! Gave our poor horse a terrible ride too...I think the brakes just didn't come on when they should or they would get stuck on. We had a wooden floor on ours and it was unfortunately rotting in places...we sold it after 2 months. If yours is aluminium that is good but do check side panels too as they could easily be rotten x

Yes that's to do with the brake cable rod.
Mine was the damper whenever you reversed it would stick. Dad had to replace it for me.
My trailer was serviced every year by my Dad and repainted every four or five years both inside and out. The hours he put into that trailer, that's why we have got it resprayed since he passed away and serviced and are in process of getting the floor replaced.

 

[Vodkagirly]

I would have a look for a local person who services trailers and ask them to take a look. A friend did this recently and a £50 inspection saved them buying a trailer that looked OK but had lots of work needed

 

[Bojangles321]

Hitch the trailer up, drive forwards and put the brakes on hard. If you feel a heavy clunk the drawbar damper needs replacing. You should feel the brakes come on as a ‘pull’ at the back of the car. Difficult to describe but it’s as if something is trying to pull the car backwards. The other way is to hitch up, pull the hand brake on and try to pull away slowly. That will tell if the brakes actually work. To be honest, if you drive a horse trailer correctly and smoothly the trailer brakes should never come on. Our last trailer had so little wear on the brake shoes after 15 years the service mechanic thought we had changed them for new ones. Check the tyre age. There will be an oval on the side wall with 4 numbers in it. The first two are the week of the year and the second two the year of manufacture. Check for cracking on the side walls. Horse trailer tyres hardly ever wear out but should, ideally, be replaced after 7 years, but certainly after 10. A lot depends on how long it has been sitting for, developing a flat spot. The state of the tyres is a good indication of whether the trailer has been looked after or not.

Tyre Age - How Old Are My Tyres? - Kwik Fit Guide

Old tyres can begin to crack and perish making them dangerous. Identify the age of your tyres with this simple guide from Kwik Fit.

www.kwik-fit.com

Really helpful, thank you

 

[Landcruiser]

I have one and can't praise it enough. The side panels are aluminium so don't rot like the Ifors do. I had the wooden floor replaced with ally 18 months ago, when it started to soften in a couple of places. I've had no issues with the brakes at all, and it tows nicely. I absolutely love the ramp opening mechanism of a single lever, front and back, it's so much easier than the Ifor clips. (I had a 505 previously).

I have modified the groom door handle, which is positioned so that it acts as a "hook" and could potentially catch a haynet or a loose rope - it was easy to add a metal shield over it so it can't catch anything now.

The partition is very east to move, clip in and out, take out all together. The whole design of there is simple and effective, it's a great shame they are no longer built.

Check the tyres, as others have said, but they are easy and cheap to replace.

 

[Bojangles321]

I have one and can't praise it enough. The side panels are aluminium so don't rot like the Ifors do. I had the wooden floor replaced with ally 18 months ago, when it started to soften in a couple of places. I've had no issues with the brakes at all, and it tows nicely. I absolutely love the ramp opening mechanism of a single lever, front and back, it's so much easier than the Ifor clips. (I had a 505 previously).

I have modified the groom door handle, which is positioned so that it acts as a "hook" and could potentially catch a haynet or a loose rope - it was easy to add a metal shield over it so it can't catch anything now.

The partition is very east to move, clip in and out, take out all together. The whole design of there is simple and effective, it's a great shame they are no longer built.

Check the tyres, as others have said, but they are easy and cheap to replace.

Thank you, the trailer I have borrowed in the past is a Wessex Clubman hence when this was advertised I thought it was too good an opportunity to pass on. It’s an older model but had the wooden floor replaced with ally a few years ago so hoping it’s sound