Utility Trailer Life Expectancy?

[notazombie]

You win!

 

[CoastRange57]

Worst thing about owning a trailer is when all your buddies find out about it and want to borrow it.

This. I have not loaned either of my trailers out for the last 5 years. The tilt came back with the wiring screwed up and the jack bent. When I had my excavation business, I had about 5 trailers and everybody thought I had spares.

I have a 2001 Spectre 20 foot tilt trailer that I bought new. I just picked up the boards for its third deck today. I am completely rewiring it, redoing the bearings, new hydraulic cylinders on it. Probably will put its third barnyard paint job on it to . I have a few things to haul to Central Oregon and it will make about 3 trips and then stay there. Never had a problem with it other than everybody wanted to borrow it and then my neighbor borrowed it, loaned it to his nephew who put a car on it and went to fing Yakima with it.

I have a 2006 - 12 foot Interstate box trailer. Used it in the business for a long time. Of course everybody thought it was a portable storage unit, and wanted to use it to "move" . I put the skids on that real quick too. It has moved all our possessions to Central Oregon on our monthly trips over there. I pull the hubs about every third trip and make sure they are greased well and usually have to snug them up a bit.

Mention was made of dump trailers. I had a 2006 Load Trail 14 foot, 14K dump trailer. Best money maker I ever had. Dump trailers are worth every penny you pay for them. I think my son and I are going to buy one next year, as we are both building houses and shops and that could come in damn handy.

When we had our business, we would look at the efficiency factor on equipment. When we started renting more than what 3/4 of the payment on one would be then we bought it and paid ourselves. That is even more relevant now ,with the increased traffic and distances to rental yards. It take me an hour each way to go to Power Rents in Hillsboro, so you have to add $ 100 to every rental to cover the time and truck to go get something.

If you think you don't have any friends, just buy a car trailer.

 

[johnny bob]

I have a 2001 Spectre 20 foot tilt trailer that I bought new. I just picked up the boards for its third deck today.

I had a 2004 Spectre 20' tilt with the bent board deck. When I replaced it I welded an extra angle iron brace across the bed at the bend and used long decking and then short decking ( 3') from that point to the rear. I sold the trailer with the new deck about 2 weeks later and bought a flat tilt trailer by Tuff Trailer. I have a low car that I didn't feel would make it over the bend in the deck. All that work for the next guy. I've had 2 Spectra trailers and I felt they were well made.

 

[jbett98]

I forgot to add that those Snowbear trailers also tilt.

 

[Mark W.]

My son has a 1000lb GVW Harbor Freight trailer with 12" wheels its been across the USA 4 times and from LA to Salem 4 more times each time right at its rated capacity. Its been used to haul garbage to the transfer station for 5 years now. Hauled small boats and all manner of machine tools when my son in law moved his machine shop. it sits outside with a tarp over it. The boys grease the bearings before any heavy use. Its now about 12 years old. I think he paid $350 for it. 3/4" plywood floor. No modifications to the structure. Original bearings and tires.

 

[ORhutner]

I own three trailers currently. A 7'x8' utility with 3.5k axle, 7.5'x14' enclosed dual 3.5k axle and 26' deck over triple axle flatbed. I like trailers as they make life easier when hauling all manner of stuff. I bought the utility trailer used for a great price and the other two trailers brand new. I don't regret the price paid for any of them.

If your going to buy a utility trailer and are comfortable with the $1,600 price point in your first post I think your best bang for the buck is Fabform. Go look at one in person, they are built like a brick s$%$ house and should last a lifetime if properly taken care of. They have the nicest system for tie down points I have seen for a utility trailer. I bought my triple axle flatbed from Trailer Boss in Rochester, WA which was a 3 hour drive for me from Oregon their prices were that much better then local. They have multiple locations in Washington but I can only speak for the Rochester location. Lots of trailer inventory on the lot when I was there and they carried Fabform along with other vendors.

 

[johnny bob]

I got my tab renewal today for my 2017 16' flat deck car trailer. 15 license fee 3 filing fee .75 computer funding and $33.00 for RTA. I sure hope the RTA is up and running in my lifetime so I can take a ride on it. Argh

 

[nwg19]

My wife's dad built this one about 20 years ago. We inherited it maybe 10 years ago.
We replaced the wood a couple weeks ago and have done normal maintenance. I think it will out live me, it's a beast!