Things to consider when buying a used trailer

[Ronnie]

I bought a used PWC trailer a few weeks ago but ended up scraping most of the frame and salvaging the rest. Why? I didn’t conduct the proper inspection. The trailer looked ok but the bow stop was bent to one side as was the support bar it was mounted on, so I thought something or someone put a lot of force on the side of the bow stop. No big deal, my friend can fix that no problem and confirmed the same when he came over to inspect it.

When I asked him to detach, reposition and reweld one of the fenders because it was closer to the tire than the other fender he asked started to check out the frame with a square and quickly determined that the trailer frame was significantly bent. One side was 1.5” shorter than the other side and the short side was slightly lower than the long side. Additionally, the rust was so bad that in the frame past the spring mounts needed to be replaced. However, this too was feasible.

in the end I did what he said he would do if it was his trailer, kept most of the parts for spares or to rebuild the trailer in the future.

I could have avoided this if I had known how to properly inspect a trailer. Here is what I will do the next time around.

1. Bring a measuring tape and measure the distance from the tongue to each rear corner of the trailer. If the distances are not equal to each other the feame

2. Bring a square and put it into the corners made up of the frame and it’s cross supports. If they are not at 90 degrees the frame may be bent.

3. Take a close look at the bends in the frame which allow it to taper toward the tongue. they should look the same, to one up and the other down.

4. Bring a hammer to do the tap test, it should sound the same throughout the trailer frames length on both sides. Some rust may not be a big deal, it depends on how much of the frame needs to be replaced.


FYI I’m out $260 for the trailer and another $50 for new lights, wiring and a stern tie down but I have almost all the parts to rebuild the trailer including new tires and trailer jack. I have not priced out the cost of steel for the frame but suspect 16 feet of 2” x 3” won’t be cheap. I’d rather have the money and storage space back. I may rebuild the trailer if I sell one of my old waverunners or I may just include all of its parts in the sale of the waverunner.

 

[dgfreeze]

Trailers, although not boat and PWC specific, are a large part of my job. I generally shy away from taking used trailers in on trade for this exact reason. There's almost always issues that are difficult to pinpoint during a quick inspection, and as a general rule, people don't sell their "perfectly fine" trailer to buy another. Most people also don't maintain their trailer like they should, although the marine trailer market is definitely better than the general trailer market. Bearings, tires, brakes, and lights are the most common issues, but rust is a real killer. Especially on trailers with square tubing frames, as it is often hidden from sight, and harder to catch. I've been in the same position, it sucks. The tail end of the trailer looks a lot higher on the passenger side, is that actual frame twist, or is there something going on with the suspension, like broken or mismatched springs? 3x2 square tubing will likely run a few bucks a foot, as long as the frame is still good at the suspension mounts, it shouldn't be too costly to repair, but if it's rusted out at the mounts, the added time will jack the repair cost up pretty quickly.

Quick advice, in my experience, your mental health will thank you if you either dive into it, and fix it so the pain is over, or part it out and scrap it so you're not dealing with the pain of it's memory every time you lay eyes on it. The longer it sits around mocks you the more it hurts. LOL

 

[Beachbummer]

Sorry, I have purchased used Galvanized trailers with the expectation that as long as the frame is solid the rest can be cheaply replaced as needed. The only thing unique'of value to buy used is the frame.

If I can provide any related advised is: Don't buy a painted trailer if you can help it, new or used. Galvanized is only a little more and the frame hopefully lasts forever. If you don't mind spending more for more, aluminum is shiny and gorgeous,and will likely outlast most banana republics, but being a scrooge myself I can't justify the expense.

 

[Ronnie]

@dgfreeze and @Beachbummer , thanks for responding. The frame is twisted, our best guess is was hit on the left rear corner. The twisted frame was the last straw.

I bought the trailer with the intent of selling it with my waverunner, which is why it’s tough for me to put more money into it. Now im thinking of just including the parts I have with the wavrunner or I may just give it all to my friend who would have rebuilt it for me so he could use or flip the trailer after rebuilding it. Most likely the latter so as an Xmas gift to my friend and to get it out of my sight for the reason @dgfreeze mentioned.

if I was buying a trailer for myself it would be galvanized or stainless. If I’m buying to sell; painted would be fine but I will do a much more thorough inspection the next time around, if ever.

 

[Beachbummer]

Just a thought...

Are you sure you cannot straighten the frame? a puller on some sturdy poles or a tree will do wonders. if more adventurous, rope and tree and a car can pull apart and straighten bent pieces if needed. As long a it's functional in the end, and disclosed, it may tow for years after a slight "adjustment". After all, it's a trailer, not a show piece. As long as it tows safely, doesn't matter how it got back in the right shape.

 

[zipper]

@Ronnie What is up with this rail? Why is it not continuous like the other one on the other side?

 

[Ronnie]

I thought about trying to fix the trailer but after discovering it was twisted, then cutting off the frame behind rear spring mount and pouring what seemed to be over a pound of rust out of it (the rails were almost rusted through in the rear), I took my friend’s “if it were me advice”. It’s already in pieces. The pic of the rail above was taken after I started cutting. I saved everything my friend told me to, so basically everything that wasn’t rust through or bent.

 

[AZMark]

Buying used PWCs and related parts always feels like a gamble to me and I generally assume the worst (as far as the engine & things you can’t see) for the skis I’ve bought.
There are obviously exceptions like you, but it seems like the average PWC owner got them on a whim because they are cheaper than a boat and then didn’t take care of them at all.

 

[Betik]

@Ronnie your new skis deserve a proper trailer. Cannot put $17K on a $250 trailer.

 

[Ronnie]

@Ronnie your new skis deserve a proper trailer. Cannot put $17K on a $250 trailer.

I could not agree more. This trailer was never meant to carry a new ski of mine, rather I planned on selling it with an old ski of mine. However, I could not in good conscience sell this trailer in the Non-road worthy/ unsafe state it was in when I bought it.

I’m leaning towards giving my friend all of the parts, including the those that didn’t come with the trailer (I.e., new tires, lights, wire harness, transom tie down and jack) but I want to get a quote for the steel needed to rebuild the trailer. If it’s not too much money I may buy and give my friend the steel as well (I.e., make if an early Xmas gift of all the components needed to rebuild a trailer that he could sell for a few hundred dollars). This guy has helped me many times over the last two decades with everything from pulling bushes out of my front yard (planned landscaping), to raising the suspension on a lowered truck I bought used as well as designing and building the gate my boat and skis are stored behind, always rejecting any payment I offered him, although I would have insisted on paying him at least $200 for the day / a few hours it would Take him to rebuild the trailer for me.

 

[Ronnie]

Incidentally, the first two pics attached include here the trailer the dealership wanted to sell us when we bought a new waverunner in late October of this year. The cost was about $1,500. I like the frame but think the tires are way too small. The second two pics are of a trailer offered by west marine. Here the capacity was limited to 800 pounds and again I think the tires are too small. I have 14”s on my boat trailer and 13”s on my two place pwc trailer now. I would not go any smaller on either trailer or even a single place pwc trailer. West Marine and Walmart sell 13”s pre mounted on rims for $125 each.

 

[Babin Farms]

Now that you know what to look for in a used trailer I would keep looking for a used one. I’m sure there’s one out there that fits the bill for you a lot cheaper than a new one.