Explain this to me?

[Bigfoot]

There may be no explanation, but I have puzzled over this for years.

I kinda deal in used trailers. I'll usually trade on 12 to 20 in a years time. Here are 3 examples. I know which one I would do, but obviously others will make a different choice.

Can you take a moment, and tell us which one you would choose and why.

Choice number 1. A brand new steel trailer 24' long $10,000. It would be more in my area, but that is list price where the majority of our members hail from.


Choice number 2. A brand new aluminum 24' trailer. List price $15,400.


Choice number 3. Used 24' trailer. 15 years old. List price $9,800.

 

[cfpinz]

None of the 3.

#1. Rust, VDOT seems to enjoy seeing how much salt/brine solution they can apply to the roads these days. That same trailer made of aluminum would get my interest.

#2. Never been impressed with the Sundowners I've looked at, both horse and cattle. User-friendly, but they cut corners on materials and structure.

#3. Haven't been around enough 4 Star's to form an opinion. If I'm buying an aluminum enclosed type trailer, it's either going to be an Eby or Wilson.

 

[callmefence]

Number one without out the tarp.

I like a open trailer. Bought many head at the sale barn and worked, tagged and even branded in the trailer, before turning em loose.
Easier to check em, easier to get one up etc.
The tarp is nothing but trouble though.

 

[talltimber]

I would choose number 1. In fact I plan on buying that exact trailer, or a very good used one like it, next year if things go well for me. I don't want an aluminum trailer. I can't weld aluminum, so any repairs would require a trip to a welder who is capable. I do like the looks of an aluminum though. If a guy kept the floor washed out, same with a wood floor/steel box, it should last a long time if the welds don't break.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Number one without out the tarp.

I like a open trailer. Bought many head at the sale barn and worked, tagged and even branded in the trailer, before turning em loose.
Easier to check em, easier to get one up etc.
The tarp is nothing but trouble though.

I agree

 

[Brute 23]

Number one without out the tarp.

I like a open trailer. Bought many head at the sale barn and worked, tagged and even branded in the trailer, before turning em loose.
Easier to check em, easier to get one up etc.
The tarp is nothing but trouble though.

I agree

I agree on #1 but I don't mind the tarps on top, not a fan of the one down the front. On a hot summer day that little bit of shade really helps the animals. My days of laying on top of trailers to work cattle are pretty much over... hopefully.

We bought a GN brand trailer a couple months ago that is real similar. I have been very happy with it. I think its a great bang for the buck trailer. We debated the same style but in aluminum but my buddies talked me out of it.

 

[True Grit Farms]

I like #3 it's the only one you might get your money back out of. Aluminum holds it's value and will last forever with little or no care.

 

[Bigfoot]

I like #3 it's the only one you might get your money back out of. Aluminum holds it's value and will last forever with little or no care.

He summed up my feelings.

I like a steel trailer. They rust, and the floor gets soft. The top may not be critical to use, but people expect to see one when you sell it

A new aluminum, aint no bad way to go, but they will depreciate some.

The older aluminum has probably seen most of it's depreciation, and is definitely better built than a new one. That 4 star new sells for 22k.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I have a guy with a triple cut gate trailer like the first one you posted and for $80 he picks up and delivers to the sale barn for me. Last time we got 25 good sized calves in one load.

Let's see $10,000 divided by $80.00 comes out to 125 trips and since I average about 6 loads a year that's 20 years of hauling.

And yet we own a trailer very much like the one in your third picture for some reason.

 

[TexasBred]

Never had aluminum so know nothing about them. Do like the Gooseneck brand. Good solid trailers. The aluminum ones are always so enclosed no way you could do anything with a cow once she's inside. Even sale barn folks would have he// putting tags on the cattle. Not much of a rust problem in this area so most folks use steel except the horse folks. I'd think size of axles would be a factor along with condition of tires, welds, gates and floor. Don't mind a tarp on it but that one comes down way to far in the front. Looks almost like it's made for a 28' and "adapted" to fit the 24.

 

[wbvs58]

I like #3, both 2 & 3 have a good enclosed area over the gooseneck which is handy for tack or a bed. 3 also seems to have heavier duty wheels than the other two and generally seems well built.

Ken

 

[bird dog]

I believe those tarps on the gooseneck brand are made so you can roll them up in the summer. I think my next one is going to have a solid front and tapered nose and then a tarp from the nose back. Tarp would not have to go around any corners that way.

 

[1982vett]

If'n I were looking to replace our Gooseneck trailor Dad and I bought 38 years ago, I'm pretty sure it would be another Gooseneck... doubt I would be interested in an aluminum.

 

[Dave]

I only know of one open steel trailer in this area. Steel rusts out too fast here and we are too wet and cold much of the year to haul cows in an open trailer. Of #2 and #3 the #3 would be the best buy here. Used Aluminum trailer don't seem to depreciate much at all. When I was shopping for my trailer 15 year old ones were only a couple thousand less than brand new.

 

[littletom]

One that is the exact trailer we bought 3 years ago. Love it not a bad thing to say about it. Might not be best deal but I don't plan to buy another. The same thing in aluminum would be sweet too. Those rubber forever floors look like a plus. I think those tin cans would get hot.

 

[SmokinM]

#3 is Best Buy. It needs running boards down the side, but so does the sundowner. 4star builds a better trailer and they pull great. Aluminum trailers basically don't depreciate. Knock a grand off when you buy it tops and it will be worth what you paid for it if you don't tear it up. I don't care if you sell it in 2 yrs. or 10. Traded quite a few and that has held true on all of them. Pipe trailers are nice and in the Texas heat open is good but up here in VA they get eaten up pretty quick and farther north you go I am sure the worse that gets. IMO you better be able to fix a steel trailer they break way more than aluminum does.

 

[DLD]

I'd pick #3 as the best buy, but depending on where you are and how you use a trailer #1 may suit some folks better. Given a choice I won't pick a Sundowner, I'm just not a fan. I have both a steel bar top (w/ tarp) and an aluminum, but I use them differently. Our aluminum is our "show" trailer - my kids show steers and heifers and we do it a lot. The only thing extra on it is tie rails and extra lights and rubber mats - nothing that keeps it from being a fully functional cow trailer, but we keep it clean and some of our tack loaded most of the time. When we're showing every weekend, it's worth having one ready to go. Occasionally if we need to, we will clean the tack out and haul cows in it, and it works very well for that, too.

The bar top is our "cow" trailer, we use it for pretty much everything but showing. I pull it to the salebarn I work at every week, plus a lot more (200 miles a week, minimum). Personally I like it better most of the time. The aluminum is actually cooler because aluminum doesn't hold heat like steel does (grab hold of both on a 110 degree day and see what I mean), but comparing the trailers pictured the steel would obviously have more airflow. The aluminum pulls a little better, uses a little less fuel, but that difference is small in my experience.

 

[Bigfoot]

I wish I had put the time in to cropping the pictures where the name brands had not been visible. Made it more about new steel vs new aluminum vs used aluminum. A 2017 same make and model as #3 is 22k. You can buy a new aluminum in several brands, for the price of the sundowner.

I went ahead, and bought number 3. Got almost 10% off the asking price. I'll eventually sell it, for some amount of profit. In all honesty, I could sell a half dozen steel trailers, before I sell that used aluminum. That's always puzzled me, because they seem like a good investment. The depreciation is largely gone, but people would rather have a new steel. I just thought seeing others thought process might help me understand.

Btw, wasn't a post to try to sell the 4 star. I'm going to put it into personal use for a while.

 

[cfpinz]

In all honesty, I could sell a half dozen steel trailers, before I sell that used aluminum. That's always puzzled me, because they seem like a good investment. The depreciation is largely gone, but people would rather have a new steel.

That's a regional deal.

I'd love to have a pipe trailer with a top, it'd be fine here with the exception of January and February, but just don't have the patience to deal with the rust issues. Wish there were more used aluminum pipe trailers in this area, but very seldom see them for sale. Plus the boxed in aluminum trailers are easily weatherproofed to better suit other purposes like helping folks move, etc.

 

[Brute 23]

Around here the only people that would run 2 & 3 would be show people and rodeo people and for good reason. If I was running mostly highways and did a lot of driving that is where I would be too.

The guys running them thru the pastures working cattle would destroy those aluminum trailer. The ground clearance is bad and I've seen a bull stick his horns in those slots and start ripping the pieces off.

If a piece rusts out or gets damaged on a steel trailer I can back it up by a $300 welding machine and fix any thing on it. If that aluminum gets damaged I have to track down some one who works with aluminum and any potential saved money on alum vs steel is out the window.

The guys I know that run all day every day and will not ever wash a trailer out buy some of the more specialty brands that really beef up the iron to help with the rust OR they take an old rusted out trailer that they pick up for a grand and beef it up themselves.