Is this trailer worth $300.00?;

andrewj · Apr 8, 2007

hi folks, I saw a WELL USED (some rust) 14 foot wood bottom trailer, double axles, no brakes, but with working lights, with a sturdy built frame for 1,450.00. The trailer wheels/tires had been replaaced with wheels and tires off of a buick car. (??) so car tires, not light truck tires. I need to haul 5,000 pounds of tractor, and a thousand pounds of implement. I told the guy there was no way I would pay new price for a well used trailer. it still had some black paint from the factory on the sides...I am thinking about offering him 300 bucks, and sorry no pics, but just wanted to get some ideas about value.Can anyone help? he said he had hauled cars with it.

DK35vince · Apr 8, 2007

For the weight you want to haul I personally would only look at trailers that have brakes.
Try stopping that much weight with a pickup truck and no trailer brakes. I'm betting you will be wishing you had brakes on that trailer.
I thought that trailers licensed over 3500 Lbs must have brakes to be legal.(not sure on this .)

Diamondpilot · Apr 8, 2007

I bought my trailer, a 16' tandem with brakes and ramps for $999.00 new in 2004. It has used trailer tires on it, a spare, and a treated wood floor. Its rated for 7000# and weighs in at 1300# so that leaves 5700# for stuff. It has been great in the 6000 miles or so I have pulled it. The only thing I had to have done was have the wheels balanced. I have hauled my tractor at 5000# numerous times, many cars, and even a suburban. I tried to put a dodge truck on it but would not fit between the fenders. The asking price is no good. I would not give more than $400 for it. But like they said earlier in needs brakes.

Chris

JerryG · Apr 8, 2007

That trailer would sell for around $700 around here.

EddieWalker · Apr 8, 2007

I bought my trailer brand new three years ago. It's a 16 ft pipe rail trailer with woood floor and two 3,500 axles and no brakes for $900.

Trailers are one of those things that realy hold there value and before I bought mine, I looked at about a dozen that were the same size, but all well used. They were from $700 to $1,200.

When I saw what a brand new one costs, it was a no brainer.

Eddie

WayneB · Apr 8, 2007

andrewj said:
hi folks, I saw a WELL USED (some rust) 14 foot wood bottom trailer, double axles, no brakes, but with working lights, with a sturdy built frame for 1,450.00. The trailer wheels/tires had been replaaced with wheels and tires off of a buick car. (??) so car tires, not light truck tires. I need to haul 5,000 pounds of tractor, and a thousand pounds of implement. I told the guy there was no way I would pay new price for a well used trailer. it still had some black paint from the factory on the sides...I am thinking about offering him 300 bucks, and sorry no pics, but just wanted to get some ideas about value.Can anyone help? he said he had hauled cars with it.

If it was me I would certainly look for a trailer with dual axles and brakes. That is just a lot of weight to stop without trailer brakes. Not sure the size of tractor you have, but with only 14 feet it is difficult to get the tractor, FEL and any additional equipment on the trailer.

No comment on value plus it doesn't seem to fit your need!

Mike120 · Apr 8, 2007

I had an old homebuilt 16' tandem that I bought at an auction for $300. Used it for about five years hauling hay and shavings. It's been sitting behind my hay barn for the last year growing weeds. I sold it to a guy last Friday for $300.....I probably could have gotten more for it, but he needed for his landscaping work and I was happy to see it go to a good home. Pretty much any trailer that's reasonably built with twin axles is worth $300.

coasterez · Apr 9, 2007

It strikes me that that trailer is too small for your tractor. You are right at its limits with the tractor weight alone. You definitely need brakes, at the very least. And, I think it's also too short for best load balancing; you'll end up with a lot of tongue weight. Most useful to you would be a 10K lb., 18 - 20' long trailer. However, around here you'd easily have to give more than $300 for a trailer like that.

bx23barry · Apr 9, 2007

I got a 18' dual axle wood deck trailer for $500 and plan on spending another $500 for brakes, fenders, paint and miss. to make it pretty nice.

George2615 · Apr 9, 2007

andrewj said:
hi folks, I saw a WELL USED (some rust) 14 foot wood bottom trailer, double axles, no brakes, but with working lights, with a sturdy built frame for 1,450.00. The trailer wheels/tires had been replaaced with wheels and tires off of a buick car. (??) so car tires, not light truck tires. I need to haul 5,000 pounds of tractor, and a thousand pounds of implement. I told the guy there was no way I would pay new price for a well used trailer. it still had some black paint from the factory on the sides...I am thinking about offering him 300 bucks, and sorry no pics, but just wanted to get some ideas about value.Can anyone help? he said he had hauled cars with it.

First of all you say you would not pay new price for a well used trailer. I don't think you have shopped for trailers lately. For hauling your tractor and implement totaling 6000# you are going to need at least an 18' 10K rated double axle trailer with brakes on both axles and a minimum of a half ton pick up to tow with. Also a tractor with implement is going to take up more space than the 14'er you are looking at. The trailer you're looking at may be good for the tractor to tow around your yard but not to haul it on the road. I'm sure glad I live far enough away from the present owner if he hauls cars on it and it has no brakes. Even a 7K car trailer would be overloaded if you put 6K on it. I'd pass on that trailer and look for a real one.