Trailer Buying Advice

[mayhem]

Looking to pick up a used trailer on the cheap. I'm looking for somehting I cna safely load up with 2-4 tons of equipment, fresh cut firewood logs, a full size truck...just a general use medium dty trailer.

Looking for advice on how to examine a used trailer as I have zero experience. It seems like I would want to make sure the obvious stuff is there like no cracked weld seams, good hitch, lights/wiring (or at least know that I have to replace the lights/wiring) and the deck condition. I don't mind doing work to restore the right trailer...stripping and painting, pound out some dents or replace fenders if necessary, replace the wooden deck, rewire it, etc...but I want to make sure I'm buying someting that will be safe when I strap a few dozen logs to it and head out on the road.

I don't have a trailer brake controller in my truck, but that ought to be easy enough to install...its a 3/4 ton chevy with the factory tow package. What should I look for as far as trailer brake condition? Is it possible to test them without an in truck brake controller by shorting two contacts or applying 12v or anything of that nature.

Lastly, does anyone have a trailer they want to get rid of that might meet my needs? This is somehting I anticipate using maybe a couple times a year, but it wold be great to have when I need it.

Last question, obviously a trailer needs to be registered...are there title issues I need to be concerned with like with a car or truck, or can I just go to the registry and tell them I need a trailer plate?

Thanks for the help.

 

[smokinj]

a 4x10x3 ft high will haul a cord of wood. Bought one off craiglist for 400.00. Brakes shouldnt be needed unless your in the hills. A small trailer and that truck you could haul 1.25 to 1.75 cords of wood and thats a hudge day for me!(am hauling .75 cords with a s-10)

 

[mayhem]

True, but I also want to option of using it as an equipment hauler or a car hauler. I've had to borrow or rent a trailer or pay a guy to move a car for me in the past...if I;m going to spend some money to pick up a trailer anyway I might as well get one that will cover as many likely needs as I can. I'm thinking of a 15-20 foot twin axle...but maybe its not to be.

 

[smokinj]

True, but I also want to option of using it as an equipment hauler or a car hauler. I've had to borrow or rent a trailer or pay a guy to move a car for me in the past...if I;m going to spend some money to pick up a trailer anyway I might as well get one that will cover as many likely needs as I can. I'm thinking of a 15-20 foot twin axle...but maybe its not to be.

I like your thinking!

 

[Jamess67]

I agree. sounds like a 16-20 ft car hauler flatbed is the ticket. They arent cheap though. I have seen some used locally for $1800. I have a friend who built 3 ft sides on his and hauls ALOT of wood on it.
Is all in how much you want to spend. As far a brake controllers again its in what you spend. I have one that cost $30 (never used it ) or the one I used for my travel trailer cost $125. Here its more cost vs safety features. My $125 controller applies braking pressure (varying voltage to trailer brakes) based on the rate of deceleration on the intended stop. The cheaper ones dont do that, and seem to always have to have to be adjusted.
If the trailer has brakes the blue wire is the feed to the brakes. If you apply 12volts to it the brakes should lock up. Most have the 7 pin connector
http://www.accessconnect.com/trailer_wiring_diagram.htm

 

[mayhem]

Hre is something damn near perfect from my point of view. Maybe a bit on the short side for the deck, but the price is right and its heavy enough. Unfortunately the seller is not replying to my contact info so I suspect its gone.

Not sure if you cna fab us safe removable sides for an equipment trailer or not...I'm sure you can do anything if you have the time, money and talent...I'm short on all three for that kind of work though.

(broken link removed to http://westernmass.craigslist.org/bfs/1070871611.html)

 

[daveswoodhauler]

Not sure if this one would fit your needs?

(broken link removed to http://worcester.craigslist.org/grd/1078206811.html)

 

[Highbeam]

You'll love having a trailer. You will want one, scratch that, your chevy requires one with brakes for the weights you are talking about. Brakes on both axles.

2-4 tons of vehicle is an appropriate weight since a full size truck is easily 8000 lbs. Beware that a typical cheap car hauler trailer is built with a pair of 3500 lb axles for a rating of 7000 lbs. You want the next step higher which is 5200 lb axles and will have 6 lugs.

Here's mine. A 10,000#GVWR 18' long PJ trailer bought several years ago for like 2800$. The smaller 7000# versions were available for much less money but the axles, tires, and all the structural steel was much weenier.

Note the recessed trucker style lights. Way cool.

 

[fossil]

I bought this used in San Diego back in 1994 for $1000.00, which included installing a Tekonsha brake controller in my Chevy Blazer which was pre-wired from the factory with the tow package. It was built by Big Tex, and is a 12' utility, tandem Dexter axle, with brakes on the rear axle. Rated for 6,000 GVW, so it'll carry something like 5,000 or so. The bed is 12' long and 6'-10 1/2" wide between the rails. The big box I have in the front of the bed right now is down with 4 lag bolts, so it's a snap to move to a different spot or take out altogether. The little box in front of the rail above the tongue I bought off e-Bay and is very useful. I dragged this trailer from southern California to northern Virginia with a car & stuff on it in '95. Virginia to Ohio & back in '98. Virginia to Michigan & back in '99. Virginia to Oregon with a rolling truck chassis & who knows what else in '07. Countless local trips loaded with building materials, appliances, firewood...even my little Massey-Ferguson tractor. Pulls like a dream. Brakes are very effective. I "restored" it in 1998...new bed wood, wiring, lights, break-away battery setup for the brakes, jack, tires, wheel bearings, brake shoes, paint. Parts are easy to get. When I got rid of the Blazer and bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee, I put a controller in the Jeep...not that tough if it's got a factory tow package on it. I highly recommend a professionally built trailer rather than a homebuilt. With a homebuilt, you really don't know what you're getting. I actually have an owner's manual for my Dexter axles, and I can buy parts from Big Tex online if I need to. Rick

 

[mayhem]

One of the guys here at the bank has a 6x9 trailer he wants to get rid of. He'll bring me some photos tomorrow and if I'm interested we'll work out a price. He has no use for it since he got rid of his van and bought a prius. Lighter duty and smaller than I relaly want so maybe I'llkeep looking, but I'll at least check it out and see what it is and how much.

Highbeam, thats pretty much precisely what I think I want. Big enough to put somehting as big as my truck on it or a load og log length wood, small enough to still pull it with my trucka nd be able to park it out of the way when not in use.

 

[mayhem]

Here's a good candidate, kind of far away in NJ thought.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1981-BRA-Single-Car-trailer-w-Toolbox_W0QQitemZ230333367145QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Trailers?hash=item230333367145&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65:2|39:1|240:1318

Another promising candidate...a bit closer and cheaper, but I don't know if a camper conversion will hold the weight.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/24-FOOT-EQUIPMENT-TRAILER-CAR-TRAILER-IN-NY_W0QQitemZ180340089229QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Trailers?hash=item180340089229&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=65:2|39:1|240:1318

 

[Gomez]

One thing I wonder about, if you get a trailer that can haul an 8000# vehicle, I think the gross weight of that setup would be in the 11,000# range. I'm basing this on my 7000# 16' trailer that tares at 2300#.

 

[fossil]

Trailer load capacity is just one of a number of things that all have to be taken into account. The capabilities of the tow vehicle, in terms of both total towing capacity and tongue weight, as well as the load capacity of the hitch system are all equally important. You have to use the trailer with the weakest link in the chain in mind. It's easy to get yourself in trouble, thinking you can just load the trailer to the gills any way that fits and drive on down the road. It's like thinking there must still be more money in your checking account because you still have blank checks. Rick

 

[Dix]

How did I miss this thread?

Rick is right. Truck & trailer capability are key. You gotta be able to stop :coolsmile:

It took me awhile to find my horse trailer, but it was worth it. I know I can haul safely.

Here in NY some trailers have titles, some don't. My trailer has a title.

 

[Flatbedford]

If you want a a trailer that can carry a car, you want it ti have brakes. I know that Ford trucks with tow package are prewired for a brake controller, i would think that GM trucks are too.
I have wanted to get that same 16-20' tandem axle trailer for years. I need one about 2 times a year, not often enough to justify the $2000 or so for a good one. Three years ago I bought my old truck instead of a trailer for $700.

I still want a trailer, but the old Ford is now in what would have been the trailer's parking space.

 

[Backroads]

$800 is a steal for that yellow trailer posted! I paid $850 for mine out of Mass. I built the side for it myself, if you look back in the history of this forum you'll find more pictures. I bought with the same exact intentions you have.

 

[mayhem]

One thing I wonder about, if you get a trailer that can haul an 8000# vehicle, I think the gross weight of that setup would be in the 11,000# range. I'm basing this on my 7000# 16' trailer that tares at 2300#.

Understood and I agree 100%. Truck is a 2000 Silverado 3/4 ton 4x4. Factory tow package and the truck is rated to pull 10,000lb from the factory. Safety is my main concern.

While I'm not necessarily planning on pulling max weight loads frequently, I want to get something that will permit me to use my truck's full capacity. I'm planning on being able to tow my own truck, which is a 6000lb vehicle, with all fluids and driver, but no load in the bed (weight from the gravel pit scale on multiple occasions). I'm focusing on twin axle trailers with brakes at all 4 wheels and flat loading area in excess if 16 feet so I cna safelly put a pickup truck on there. I'll need a brake controller and probably a pintle hitch, but thats pretty simple. I will likely never need to haul a load as big as my tow vehicle, but I'm a big beleiver in excess capacity...which is why I bought a 3/4 ton truck when I could have gotten by with a half ton or even a 1/4 ton most of the time.

Tomorrow I'm going to go look at another flatbed equipment trailer I've seen on the side of the road wiht a for sale sign on it since the fall. Wife is on baord for finding a decent trailer, whihc is surprising to me.

As an added plus, I cna put my 64 Spitfire on the trailer in the winter to keep it off the ground since I don't have covered storage for it at the time.

Thanks for the input guys. Keep it coming!

 

[Flatbedford]

I agree with you on the excess capacity thing, but stay under 10,000 lbs MGW or you will need a CDL to tow it legally.

 

[Jags]

I used to have a 18ft superwide tandem axle with 10,000 winch. I finally got rid of it and downsized once I realized that I was the local "tow truck". That dang thing hauled more of other peoples stuff than my own. And it usually had to go behind my dodge, cuz they didn't have a proper tow vehicle either.

Buyer beware.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

You'll love having a trailer. You will want one, scratch that, your chevy requires one with brakes for the weights you are talking about. Brakes on both axles.

2-4 tons of vehicle is an appropriate weight since a full size truck is easily 8000 lbs. Beware that a typical cheap car hauler trailer is built with a pair of 3500 lb axles for a rating of 7000 lbs. You want the next step higher which is 5200 lb axles and will have 6 lugs.

Here's mine. A 10,000#GVWR 18' long PJ trailer bought several years ago for like 2800$. The smaller 7000# versions were available for much less money but the axles, tires, and all the structural steel was much weenier.

Note the recessed trucker style lights. Way cool.

My diesel powered, extended cab, 4x4, Dodge 3500 doesn't weigh that much. I'd be suprised if a gasoline powered 3/4 ton truck weighed much over 6000lbs.

 

[JustWood]

I agree with you on the excess capacity thing, but stay under 10,000 lbs MGW or you will need a CDL to tow it legally.

....And Federal DOT # on door of pull vehicle.

 

[Bigg_Redd]

If you want a a trailer that can carry a car, you want it ti have brakes. I know that Ford trucks with tow package are prewired for a brake controller, i would think that GM trucks are too.
I have wanted to get that same 16-20' tandem axle trailer for years. I need one about 2 times a year, not often enough to justify the $2000 or so for a good one. Three years ago I bought my old truck instead of a trailer for $700.

I still want a trailer, but the old Ford is now in what would have been the trailer's parking space.

HA!

My old man bought himself a 1985 F-350 with a 12' dumping flatbed. It is a wood hauling dream (or nightmare, depending on one's outlook)

 

[Flatbedford]

Mine doesn't dump. Adding a hoist is on the list, but unfortunately there are quite a few things higher on the list.

 

[pinewoodburner]

Brake controller look at this one;
http://www.etrailer.com/pc-SUMMERBG~90185.htm?utm_source=froogle&utm_medium=ppc
It is one of the better ones on the market.
There are some good deals on used trailers due to the ecomomy, just keep looking until you find what you want. Your
inspection list covers most things.

 

[Jamess67]

Thats the controller I have. Its a beauty. Would use anything less.