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The greatest challenge to buying a used horse trailer will probably present itself with simply trying to find one. Late model used trailers or those in very good repair don't last on the market long, leaving the rest of the older ones to be sorted through. Many of the good used trailers never hit the open market, being sold instead by word-of-mouth. So where does that leave you if you don't know anyone selling their used trailer?
How Used is Used?
A used trailer can mean very different things to different people. At one extreme, some people are expecting a 'gently used' trailer that could almost pass for new, while at the other extreme, someone else is expecting to find that 'handyman special' of their dreams. Finances and mechanical aptitude will probably be the biggest determinants of where on this spectrum your own expectations will come to rest.
Know Your Options
Before you even start poring over the classified ads, it's important to determine not only what kind of trailer you need, but also what kind you are able to tow. Whether a stock trailer, side-by-side, or a slant load, a gooseneck or a bumper pull, it's a good idea to do some homework so you know what your options are and how they may affect your ultimate purchasing decision.
If you don't know what certain terms mean, call manufacturers and dealers and ask for information. If you've never seen a manger trailer, or one with a half divider instead of a full, go to shows and look around. Ask owners what they like or dislike about their trailers. Watch people 'working' a trailer, notice models and brands, take notes if you have to. You'll probably never get a better cross section of different makes and models in one place. (It does bear mentioning that, for reasons beyond explanation, certain riding disciplines tend to favor certain brands of trailer, so you may be limiting your analysis somewhat if you always scout around at the same types of shows). Compare condition to age - remember, you're shopping used so you'll want to know which models hold up best after years of use.
Your towing vehicle, and future ones, must be taken into account before trailer shopping. If you tow with the ubiquitous SUV, then a gooseneck would obviously be ruled out. If you have a pick-up truck, do you want to take up bed space with a gooseneck hitch (though several brands now disappear completely into the bed when out of use), or will a bumper pull suffice?
Again, your needs, current or long term, must be assessed beforehand, because your trailer's life will probably span that of several different tow vehicles. Familiarity with all relevant vehicle specifications, such as its towing capacity, what's included in the manufacturer's towing/wiring package, suspension, engine size, and axle ratio, will enable you to knowingly rule out some trailers without having to see them (see this month's article 'How Much is Enough' for more on assessing tow vehicles).
Most two-horse trailers require a class 3 hitch, a rating determined by trailer weight. Make sure your vehicle, hitch, and prospective trailer specifications are all in sync, and that the drawbar and ball mount are rated for the appropriate load. (Ratings can be found on the parts directly). The most common size ball requirement is a 2' diameter, with larger rigs or goosenecks requiring a 2 5/16' ball. A ball that is too large will be obvious because it won't accept the coupler, but if the ball is too small, or if it has been worn down from use, a trailer could come uncoupled.
Ask yourself if you will be able to hook up to whatever type of trailer you acquire by yourself, and to drive it (forward AND backwards) safely and with confidence. An excessively nervous driver can be just as unsafe as an overly aggressive one. If you are one of those people who arrive at a show two hours before everyone else because the thought of having to back up to park gives you apoplexy, you and your horses may be better served by leaving the shipping to a professional (or, you might want to invest in some trailer driving lessons before hauling your horse).
If you are not familiar with the differences in models and options and don't have the time required to scout around to educate yourself, it would be wise to enlist the help of your trainer or some other savvy person who knows horses, understands your needs, and, ideally, is familiar with your horse's temperament. Sometimes a quirky horse will require a certain type of trailer to load and haul more safely, and it may not be the model you had your heart set on. It's always a good idea to bring along a second, or even third, set of eyes. If you are not mechanically inclined, bring someone who can assess the physical health and road-worthiness of the trailer in question.
Like most aspects of horses and the horse business, everyone will have his or her own opinions about what type of trailer is 'best.' Understand this: there is no such creature as a 'best' trailer. 'Best' equates to a trailer that is safe and most fully fits your list of criteria. What's best for your helpful advisors and their horses isn't necessarily what's best for you and yours.
Past experience should be some indicator of how your horse hauls or what he hauls the most comfortably and stress-free in. Most reasonable animals without any significant prior trailer traumas will load into and haul adequately in just about any style of trailer if provided with adequate space and brightness. Far more new trailers are built extra high (minimum of 7' and up to 7'6') and extra wide as a standard feature; on older ones, it was more commonly an optional upgrade. Horses, being naturally claustrophobic creatures, prefer not to step or walk up into dark, narrow caves on wheels. And while some blessed mounts will load with blind faith into anything, they are the exception, not the rule. Even if a seller assures you a trailer is 'extra high,' have a tape measure handy to confirm the fact yourself. The best bargain in the world is useless if your horse won't get into, or fit into, your purchase.
Photo: Dusty L. Perin
A used trailer can run the gamut from
handyman special to nearly new.
Time to Kick the Tires
Armed with your list of valid-sounding prospects, it's time to start kicking some tires. Below, we list some things to inspect; these are not criteria necessarily used to reject a trailer, rather they should arm you with some baseline knowledge and understanding so you can decide which imperfections you can live with, which ones are deadly serious, and which ones are worth spending additional funds to repair.
First impressions can mean a lot. If a seller is showing the trailer without cleaning it out and it's a mess inside, that often speaks to how conscientiously they've maintained the trailer over the years. Trailers generally do best when kept in regular use; if a rig is parked in a field with grass growing up through the floorboards, chances are it will need some basic service to make it roadworthy. Check the tires for the telltale spider web-like cracks that indicate dry rot. It's usually best for trailers to be parked on macadam, dirt, or stone surfaces. Parking on grass creates more dampness and moisture issues, things that accelerate the deterioration of both wood and steel. Steel trailers can be repainted and made to look like new, but even with the most diligent preparation and paint quality, superficial rusting will still prevail in a couple of years.
Understand the differences in construction materials. Aluminum won't acquire the rusty patina that steel does, but it isn't the miracle metal either - it can oxidize. Often, manufacturers require that their aluminum trailers receive regular acid baths to maintain the warranty, so you should factor into your purchase all such routine maintenance expenses that may be specific to the type of trailer you seek. If the trailer has an aluminum floor or frame, there is also an issue of metal fatigue to inspect for. Lift the mats, and also inspect from underneath the trailer, giving particular attention to all welded areas and seams. Steel trailers will generally have a degree of superficial or cosmetic rust on areas where paint has been scratched, but if it is ignored it can spread deeper into the steel and permeate the unprotected metal. Rust on the trailer's exterior skin is one thing; a rotting framework supporting the floorboards is quite another.
Structurally speaking, a trailer's framework is its lifeblood. Get underneath the trailer and check it out. Steel frames will have a certain amount of superficial rust, even if they were undercoated, but the steel shouldn't 'give,' and certainly should not crumble, when you poke a knife or finger into it. Even if everything else about a trailer is perfect, a bad frame negates it all. To replace the frame is akin to rebuilding the trailer. If the asking price of the trailer is ridiculously low, or if your mechanical guru works cheap, it might be a 'fun project,' otherwise it's probably a good idea to move on to the next prospect.
Check for splits, holes, cracks, or other compromises in the fiberglass coating or the seams of FRP trailers. If wood-rotting condensation or rain has been getting in for any length of time, the integrity of the sidewalls could be compromised.
Bring a ladder and inspect the roof of the trailer. If it's fiberglass, has the gel coat been worn away? Does it look pilled, stringy, or fuzzy? If you stand inside the trailer and look up, are you getting more light through it than there should be? Does it appear to be wearing thin in spots? On a multi-pieced roof made with any material, how does the caulking look at the seams? Check the inside walls for streaks or stains that could be suggestive of a well-established leak. |
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photo: Dusty L. Perin
Whether or not a trailer has been well maintained
will tell you quite a bit about it's value.
Trailer suspensions will be of the leaf spring or rubber torsion type. Leaf springs use what are called spring hangers to suspend the springs from the frame. Hangers should be inspected for the same type of compromises as the frame, or any other steel components on the vehicle for that matter. If a spring hanger were to fail, the axle could come out from under the trailer.
Trailer brakes can either be two- or four-wheel electric, or, less commonly, a surge brake system. The law, which may vary from state to state, requires brakes on all trailers above certain weights. Inspecting electric brakes is somewhat involved. First, it needs to be determined that the brakes are working, electrically speaking. That is, when power from an appropriately wired tow vehicle is supplied, the brakes engage. (You can often audibly hear them hum faintly if you are standing near enough to the trailer wheels. They can then be physically tested, though somewhat less reliably, either by jacking one side of the trailer up at a time, spinning the tire and seeing if the brakes stop the wheels when applied, or by test driving the trailer and applying the brake controller manually, apart from the footbrake, to see how they 'grab.'). Inspecting brake shoes can only be done by removing the wheels.
Inspect the trailer's coupler for any signs of damage or wear. Hook up to it to test the smoothness and security of its mechanisms. On bumper pull trailers, dolly wheel jacks are often bent from people driving off and forgetting to crank up the wheel. (Sometimes the wheel itself it completely missing, but some models never had a wheel to start with). Once the jack becomes bent, cranking the trailer up off the hitch becomes a task of brute strength, if it can be done at all.
Emergency breakaway cables are standard on new trailers, and are required equipment by law in most states. When connected properly, this device is designed to stop the trailer by locking its brakes should an accidental disconnection from the tow vehicle occur. The unit has its own power source in the form of a battery sealed in a small box near the trailer's coupler. Due to the combination of lack of use and exposure to extremes of temperature, the battery often goes dead without anyone realizing it (though some units do have their own charger). It's not something people think much about, yet they hook it up faithfully on each trip, believing it will work if needed. Replacement of the battery is not a large expense, and the entire unit can be installed after market on older trailers whose year of manufacture did not require them.
Safety chains or cables are to help keep the trailer tracking behind you should it become accidentally unhitched. The idea is to minimize the possibility of having a runaway trailer, which, in addition to the obvious unthinkable danger to the horses inside, can pose a mortal threat to other motorists or pedestrians. Excessive wear or corrosion if they are chains, or fraying if they are the cable type, warrants their simple and inexpensive replacement. Rubber matting for the floor comes in different grades and thicknesses, and often gets worn out in spots from heavy use, or from horses that paw the trailer floor out of nerves or impatience. Mats are usually easily replaced, it's what lies underneath that counts more - the floorboards. Even pressure treated floorings have their life expectancies. Manure and urine are very volatile organic substances that can eat away at steel, much less wood. It's important to flip the mats up and inspect the flooring visually, and by sticking a penknife or something similar into areas that take the most abuse. If the wood feels spongy, or if blade goes in too easily or more than 1/8 of an inch or so, the floor, or parts of it, may be on the way to needing replacement. Here is where cleaning the trailer after each use comes into play. Leaving damp shavings - whether from urine, rain, or condensation - on the floor and up against metal and wood surfaces contributes to the speed of breakdown of those materials. Trailers that are out of service for the season should be stripped and hosed clean inside, and have the mats lifted up off the floor to allow air circulation to the floorboards.
Ramps are special creatures unto themselves - their weight and soundness, that is. Newer trailers offer a leaf spring assisted ramp, which usually enables even petite people to lift it with relative ease. Older models may have coil springs on either corner of the ramp nearest the trailer, and are less in favor due in part to their noise factor (they can creak very loudly upon opening and closing), and often for the physical hazard they create by virtue of their exposure. Lift any prospective ramp yourself. Does it open and close easily? Does it appear or feel warped or torqued? Make sure the latches work freely and are in good repair. Very important to ramp safety is its hinges. Is the frame of the trailer that holds these hinges sound? Do the hinges allow for grease or oil? Older models often had 'weep holes' for lubrication, but the holes clog with dirt and waste very easily, rendering effective oiling pointless. Newer trailers have more practical and effective sealed hinges with grease fittings and tend to work more smoothly.
Interior sidewalls, and often dividers, may be lined with plywood, galvanized steel, rubber, or some combination of the three. Sidewalls take a fair amount of wear and tear in the normal course of use, but replacement of the lining is usually possible and, if lined with wood, not uncommon if the trailer stays in service through a normal lifetime.
Checking wheel bearings can be done at least superficially by jacking the trailer up and wiggling the wheel to look for sloppiness or wobbling that could indicate worn bearings, but removing the wheel and hub and examining it visually is really the most reliable way. Some trailers have easy-lube hubs, allowing the bearings to be lubricated without removing the wheels. Grease fittings will be obvious, sticking out of the end of the hub. Often these types of fittings encourage over-greasing, which can lead to the inner bearing seal being compromised without realizing it, and subsequently allowing the heavy grease to contaminate the brake shoes and drums, ruining them and rendering the trailer unsafe to drive.
Smooth Operator
The overall operational ease of using the trailer should be considered before purchase. Do the door latches, windows, and hardware match up and move smoothly? Do all locks work, and are there keys available? Is there adequate ventilation? Are there enough escape doors and are they large enough to exit from smoothly and safely during loading? Can all horses be accessed in the event of an emergency? Is the divider removable or fixed, full or half? Can you work the butt bars or chains quickly and easily; are the breast bars removable? Parts that don't work smoothly when you have ample time could be disastrous if you need them to operate fast in an emergency.
Make sure the trailer in question has a valid title and that the vehicle identification number matches. Depending on the state you live in and how much your trailer weighs, it will be issued a title (over 2,500 pounds) or a certificate of origin (CO). A notarized letter of transfer signed by the seller may be required, and can expedite those dreaded division of motor vehicle procedures.
Price, unfortunately, is pretty much whatever the market will bear. Some trailer models hold their value better than others, but age and condition will dictate. People who are meticulous about service and cleaning will be able to command a higher selling price, and rightfully so. Trailers in poorer condition often sell for utility trailers or even for smaller livestock, so sellers don't necessarily have to give them away.
Technology continues to improve and extend the quality, value and safety of horse trailers and their components. There are many well made and well cared for older steel trailers still going strong after 25 years, and later aluminum or aluminum-steel combination models could conceivably span double generations of horsemen with the right care and maintenance. |
