Aluminum frame enclosed trailers....

[vintageracer]

There are lot's of great deals out there on high end USED aluminum enclosed trailers. A friend just bought an 8 year old 24 foot Featherlite V nose used car trailer for in Texas for $6,500. I am a BIG believer in purchasing high end used equipment versus low end new equipment.

I have a 23 year old Featherlite enclosed car trailer that was used for the first 12 years by a NASCAR team. Great trailer, pulls well and in fantastic condition. Featherlite built 15 of these trailers for 3 different teams. The trailer is 22 ft long and 6 foot tall inside. The trailer was built for maximum inside width. The trailer was used to transport CUP cars locally between shops and for testing. I paid $4,500 for the trailer when I bought it. That trailer would be every bit of $15K-$20K new. All 3 of my trailers are HIGH end expensive trailers when new that I purchased used. All three were built in the early to mid 1990's. All 3 trailers may be old but they function properly and look good.

Why buy new when there are so many great used HIGH end trailers available? No you generally will not spend any less money than you would buying a new cheap trailer however you will get a MUCH better quality trailer that has been used. Yes it will be more work finding that great deal on a high end used trailer rather than going to the local yocal trailer seller. Of course anything that is good or great always requires a little extra effort.

Buy a HIGH END used trailer you will not be sorry!

[Ron Sutton]

Originally Posted by vintageracer

There are lot's of great deals out there on high end USED aluminum enclosed trailers. A friend just bought an 8 year old 24 foot Featherlite V nose used car trailer for in Texas for $6,500. I am a BIG believer in purchasing high end used equipment versus low end new equipment.

I have a 23 year old Featherlite enclosed car trailer that was used for the first 12 years by a NASCAR team. Great trailer, pulls well and in fantastic condition. Featherlite built 15 of these trailers for 3 different teams. The trailer is 22 ft long and 6 foot tall inside. The trailer was built for maximum inside width. The trailer was used to transport CUP cars locally between shops and for testing. I paid $4,500 for the trailer when I bought it. That trailer would be every bit of $15K-$20K new. All 3 of my trailers are HIGH end expensive trailers when new that I purchased used. All three were built in the early to mid 1990's. All 3 trailers may be old but they function properly and look good.

Why buy new when there are so many great used HIGH end trailers available? No you generally will not spend any less money than you would buying a new cheap trailer however you will get a MUCH better quality trailer that has been used. Yes it will be more work finding that great deal on a high end used trailer rather than going to the local yocal trailer seller. Of course anything that is good or great always requires a little extra effort.

Buy a HIGH END used trailer you will not be sorry!

I will chime in to add support to two things he said.

1. Featherlite builds great trailers. I have owned a LOT of trailers, new & used, big & small, very plain to extremely fancy ... steel, aluminum & composite ... and my Featherlite was my best & favorite. Another incredibly durable, good looking trailer that lasts & holds its value on the West Coast is TPD. Renegade's after 2000 were good mid-to-high quality trailers.

2. Buying a used, but well taken care of high quality trailer is better move than buying one of the brand new super low cost "disposable" trailers.

The quality trailers do everything better & 5 years down the road the quality trailer, if well taken care of, is in the same condition. While the low cost trailer purchased new is falling apart.

I do not mean to offend anyone if they bought a new low cost trailer. But I wanted to share my experience, that matches Mike's (VintageRacer), in hopes of helping others make their dollars go further & be happier with their buying decision.

If you have the money to buy a quality trailer new ... I say do it. If you don't ... and your choices are new "lower quality" or used high quality in good condition, I suggest the used high quality route from my experience.

[clill]

www.racingjunk.com should have lots of them.

[Ketzer]

Good advice guys! ..and I would definitely consider buying a used trailer but I'm not finding these deals you guys are getting?!? What I am seeing in the used market is either a tired, beat-up, bargain trailer for $3-4k or a name brand decked out one that is 10 years old and only a couple grand less than a brand new one?


Jeff-

[Lenie]

Being budget minded I like the idea better quality getting a used item. I've been looking for the past few months for a quality used 24' trailer here in the nw and trying to keep it under 10k w/no real success. All the better deals I've seen seem to be on the other side of the country and after shipping cost the deal is no longer a deal. I must admit, I'm a little picky and will probably cave on price soon.

[vintageracer]

When buying High End Used you definitely have to be willing to travel. That's for sure as what you are looking for is never around local when you are looking!

[Ron Sutton]

Originally Posted by vintageracer

When buying High End Used you definitely have to be willing to travel. That's for sure as what you are looking for is never around local when you are looking!

With few exceptions, I find the same thing. Rarely is a great trailer, in great condition, at a great price ... right next door. You need to be prepared to go see it & go get it.

The other tips I offer are ...

1. Get clear on what you want, what you need & what does & does not work for you, before you go shopping.

2. Get ready to buy. When you find a good trailer at a good price they go quick. You snooze ... you lose. When you find what you want and it's "a deal" ... be prepared to buy it, not futz around.

One time when I found an RV that exactly fit our needs ... at a great price ... from another racer I could "ask around about" ... after we talked & I saw photos, I got a cashier's check & plane tickets that day. Flew there the next day, inspected it & bought it. My daughter & I drove it home from Arizona. But there weren't deals like that everyday. We'd been looking far & wide daily for 6-7 weeks.

3. But don't buy something that doesn't fit your needs. Get clear & be sure, so you can act quick. Knowing when to pass is just as important.

Another time, I sold my semi rig & 53' trailer .... for my full asking price ... with one caveat from the buyer. I had to turn it over to him in 2 weeks. So I had to buy another trailer ... a better one ... and have it in the shop in 2 weeks.

The one I liked from photos ... turned out to have a lot of rust when I got there.
Time limit or not, it doesn't make sense to buy something that doesn't work for you. So I had to "re-shop" all the trailers out there, and fortunately ended up with an awesome trailer at a great deal. It wasn't easy.

[Ron Sutton]

Originally Posted by Lenie

Being budget minded I like the idea better quality getting a used item. I've been looking for the past few months for a quality used 24' trailer here in the nw and trying to keep it under 10k w/no real success. All the better deals I've seen seem to be on the other side of the country and after shipping cost the deal is no longer a deal. I must admit, I'm a little picky and will probably cave on price soon.

In the NW, TPD is a good pick, if you hunt & can be patient, you'll find a deal on one.

Here are two 24' TPD's on RacingJunk.com ... in your price range.

http://www.racingjunk.com/Used-Trail...e-Trailer.html

http://www.racingjunk.com/Cargo-Encl...ech-SoCal.html

[Ketzer]

Originally Posted by Ron Sutton

In the NW, TPD is a good pick, if you hunt & can be patient, you'll find a deal on one.

Here are two 24' TPD's on RacingJunk.com ... in your price range.

http://www.racingjunk.com/Used-Trail...e-Trailer.html

http://www.racingjunk.com/Cargo-Encl...ech-SoCal.html

I haven't seen one of those before Ron. They look like really nice trailers. I bet those triple axles pull sweet as long as you weren't doing a bunch of backing or tight turning.


Jeff-

[Ron Sutton]

Originally Posted by Ketzer

I haven't seen one of those before Ron. They look like really nice trailers. I bet those triple axles pull sweet as long as you weren't doing a bunch of backing or tight turning.


Jeff-

TPD's are awesome for a 16-32' trailer. I have had 3 of them. A 14' dual axle (for 3 Karts), a 24' triple (Karts & Midget) & a special 22' stacker dual axle(2 Midgets). I prefer the triple axle setup on trailers 24'+. Instead of getting two 7000# axles, you get three 5200# axles (torsion) ... and brakes on all 6 wheels & that baby will stop.

You do get a little tire squeal backing & turning hard, but frankly it's not that common or that big of a deal.

TPD's are an FRP trailer. (Fiberglass Reinforced Panel) Extremely well built. Durable, look great, durable, easy to clean, durable, no wavy thin aluminum skins ... oh ... and durable. The resale on TPD's is the best I've found. Part of that is because if you take care of it, it's hard to tell a 2000 from a 2010. You can't say that about .030" aluminum skin trailers.

But you pay for it. About double. I could have bought a 24' Pace, Haulmark or Interstate for $6500. I paid $12,500 for my new 24' triple axle TPD. Had it 5 years & sold it for $10,500.



My friends that bought it 8 years ago, race Quarter Midgets out of if 25 times a year & still love it. Looks just like when I had it.