2OOO Hudson 5 ton Trailer

[cowboydoc]

Two things.

1. Put a level on the axles to see if the are bent. Then look at the frame to see if it is bent anywhere.

2. Jack up the rear-end and spin the tires and see that they are true.

If axles or frame is bent walk away. No price is worth safety.

 

[Fullthrottle]

Both axles are bent upward slightly, but so are the other similar trailers I've looked under.

 

[JohnMiller3]

Again, that's a tough call viewing some photo's Jeff...

Electrical is a piece cake to repair, but like Cowboydoc said, bent axles are a horse of a different color {is this a Cowboydoc joke /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif}

I'd 'sniff' around and try to find the owner's absolute lowball price he'd accept... I don't want to scare you into not purchasing this unit, cosmetics are nothing, in fact they help get you a lower price...

It's the other damage, Cowboydoc, has mentioned that will get you in trouble...

{go lowball in price...$500... get a few laughs... you can always go up... but you can never go down...}

"You are what you eat, drink, think, say and do..."

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color=blue>...Both axles are bent upward slightly...</font color=blue>

No problem, that's part of the design, same with side rails, then with say a 12 ton load, they are straight...

"You are what you eat, drink, think, say and do..."

 

[Bird]

I guess I really can't add anything to what Cowboydoc and John Miller have said, but as already mentioned, the lights are simple to fix and a lot of axles are designed with a slight bow to them, but it isn't too hard to determine whether it's the design or whether they were damaged and bent. I wouldn't say $1,000 was a steal, but I do think it's a reasonable price.

Bird

 

[Charlie_Iliff]

Most axles are manufactured with a bowed center. It should bow with the middle upward and the wheels vertical. Wheels and axles should be lined up with each other every way you look at it. If not, walk away.
Lights are cheap to fix. Brakes may not be. Are they surge or electric? Do they work properly?
$1,000 wouldn't be a bad price here (Maryland) but it isn't a steal.


Charlie Iliff

 

[Fullthrottle]

I guess they're electric. I'm not sure what surge brakes are. I'm going to use the fel to lift the rear and see if they work. I've been pulling this thing around about all day and it seems to pull pretty good (best when my TC45 is sitting on it). I have noticed when pulling it empty that at around 30 mph its bouncing up and down slightly, but smooths back out at 35 mph and above.

 

[Bird]

You can tell from looking at the hitch that it is NOT surge brakes. I suppose they may be used on some other trailers (don't know for sure), but the only things I've seen surge brakes on were rental trailers (like U-Haul) and boat trailers; the former because people renting them might not have a brake controller on their tow vehicle and the latter because you don't want to back electric brakes into the water.

You might try http://www.atwoodmobile.com/Products/chassis/hybrake.cfm for a little information about surge brakes. They are hydraulic brakes, independent of the tow vehicle, with the hydraulic "master cylinder" as a part of the hitch so that when the weight of the trailer tries to push the tow vehicle that activates the piston to apply the trailer brakes. Maybe not the best explanation, but that's basically the way they work.

Bird

 

[Fullthrottle]

I just got off the phone with the guy selling the trailer (what an *#$ *#$@#). Anyway he want budge a dime on price. I asked if he had ever over loaded it (knowing he hauled logs to the saw mill) he said "sure, but that doesn't hurt them". I just don't have a good feeling. I take such good care of my equipment and hate to buy something thats been abused. I might just hold out and get a new 18' with a 2' dove tail(a lot of $ for something used once in a blue moon). Shoot, if I purchased a new one, it wouldn't look as rough as this one in 20 years.
One other thing. He says its a 5 ton, but it doesn't look any different from the 4 ton models I've seen on the lot. Anyway to easily tell the difference?
Jeff

 

[glennmac]

I dont know anything about trailers but that sure looks banged up. If that oak deck is that damaged in less than 2 years, I'd always be worried that something worse is damaged, too. Personally, unless I had a desparate need for an immediate tractor, I think I'd keep shopping or buy new.