Steel vs. Aluminum Stock Trailer

[twabscs]

Hi All,

I'm looking to purchase my first stock trailer now that I've been in the business for two years and am up to about 60 cows. I'm looking at either a steel Titan or aluminum Barrett trailer, both of which ar 24' long. The Titan is $8,250 and the Barrett is $15,200. The sales guy said the Titan is about 3K-4K heavier than the aluminum trailer. I find this hard to believe, but I can't seem to find trailer weights anywhere on the web. Does this sound about right? Of course I like the Barrett trailer, but is it it worth the extra $7K?

Thanks!

Tom

 

[Brute 23]

It depends on what you want.
IF you have the money an aluminum will pay in the long run and hold a better resale if it ever has to be sold. It is probably a better investment for those reasons.

With that said, aluminum just isn't in some peoples' budget.

 

[twabscs]

Agree, but I guess my real question is about the weight difference. Is there really a 3K-4K difference in weight on a 24' trailer? I understand the resale and such, but seems that much weight difference would matter over the life of the trailer given the price of fuel these days.

 

[llcupit]

I've got a 20 ft Featherlite Alum. weight is 3850 lbs. steel would out weigh it but don't think it would be that much of a difference. Mine is listed in the free clasifieds. ;-)

 

[cfpinz]

I've got a 20 ft Featherlite Alum. weight is 3850 lbs. steel would out weigh it but don't think it would be that much of a difference. Mine is listed in the free clasifieds. ;-)

I have the same trailer, pretty nice trailer other than the inside slider on the rear gate (POS) and the rattles. I had a 20' steel before that which tipped the scales at just over 5k lbs. If you plan on having the trailer for a good while, spring for the aluminum if it's in your budget. The climate in MO is similar to ours and the closed in steel trailers don't last very long around here. You can leave the aluminum setting out anywhere whereas a steel one would benefit from being stored inside and cleaned often. That being said I've been keeping an eye out for an older 30' steel pipe side, those aluminum boxes are too hot in the summer.

cfpinz

 

[twabscs]

llcupit, and you're only about 200 miles to my South. ;-) Looks like a good deal, but I'm really after a 24 footer, but I'll keep it in mind.

what you're saying, though, that there is only a ~1300 lb difference between the 20' steel and 20' aluminum, so I'm still wondering where the 3-4K figure comes from. Seems the sales guy was embellishing the difference to help with the sale.

He has the 20' Barrett with the slide, but the 24' has the roll-up door, which I like better and should eliminate the rattle.

 

[twabscs]

If it's only, say, 1500 lbs difference, I might as well go with the steel as I have a barn to store it in when not in use. I agree that it will require more cleaning to keep the floor in good shape and such, but I like the looks of the Barrett.

 

[cfpinz]

The roll-up doors have some rattle to them, too. I just think featherlite trailers are particularly noisey, but they are nice trailers otherwise. If you're not in a hurry, look around and find a used aluminum for a few grand less, let someone else pay the initial depreciation. Aluminum trailers have a noticeable loss of value within the first few years of ownership then tend to level out for the long run.

cfpinz

 

[Brute 23]

Only #1500.... :lol:

The quarters I spend on washing the pipe trailer will pay for the aluminum.... :lol:

 

[twabscs]

Any good websites for used trailers? I've tried usedtrailers.com but very few trailers near me.

 

[sanchez]

Any good websites for used trailers? I've tried usedtrailers.com but very few trailers near me.

eBay and EquipmentTrader.com (not sure how many stock trailers are there currently).

 

[Avalon]

Love my 20' Featherlite 10 years ago ($9000.00). No rust, lighter, and has gone up not down in value. Take care of it and it will be around for a long while. It is an investment and not just an expense like a steel trailer is. Have you ever seen a steel trailer go up in value?

 

[cfpinz]

Any good websites for used trailers? I've tried usedtrailers.com but very few trailers near me.

Decide on which manufacturer you like and get their dealer list from the web. Then burn up the phones. Traderonline has some from time to time.

cfpinz

 

[hurleyjd]

Most of the rust and deteriation on the steel trailers comes from not cleaning it out. Clean it after each use and it will last. Another thought. Pull the wooden floor out and have the sides inside done with the line-x pickup box liner and the trailer should last for ever. Do not kid your self the allumimum will also corrode over time and will be as bad as the steel.

 

[baldy]

Any good websites for used trailers? I've tried usedtrailers.com but very few trailers near me.

try http://www.horsetrailerworld.com you can search by location or brand or type(horse or stock)

 

[Sage]

I borrowed(big mistake never borrow anything nicer than you own) a brand new 24' Barrett trailer and love it when loaded, didnt notice much different when empty. I have an older 20' steel trailer. A friend sold a 24' Titan Classic Stock trailer a few years ago and now has a 20' Featherlite STL. He hated how hard the Titan pulled loves the Featherlit STL. I have heard this(Titans pull hard) from a few people and have noticed a Titan flat bed pulling harder than my Walker of the same size. If I had it in the budget I would go for the Barrett, my only complaint was no slam latch for the rear gate.

 

[Bullbuyer]

This is where me and cf disagree - the little bit of rattle that I get from my Featherlite doesn't even begin to bother me. If it ever does start to bother me, I'll just crank up the radio. And I would not get one of those roll up doors - no way.
There probably isn't that much weight difference but I would still go aluminum, my question is do you really need that much trailer? Most stock trailers spend more time parked in the alley than they do hooked up - I use mine A LOT but it still seems to be parked more than it should be.

 

[cfpinz]

This is where me and cf disagree - the little bit of rattle that I get from my Featherlite doesn't even begin to bother me. If it ever does start to bother me, I'll just crank up the radio. And I would not get one of those roll up doors - no way.

Mine rattles a bit more now than it did a few weeks ago. You know those aluminum angles riveted over the seams on the back? They don't hold up too well when you back into a woven wire fence in the middle of the night. :shock:

Why don't you like the roll up doors?

cfpinz

 

[Bullbuyer]

The roll ups seem to get a lot of gunk (since I can't use the real word) in the tracks and I've seen several guys struggle with opening them and it seems like everyone I see has parts missing.
Who was driving when that trailer hit the fence? Can you blame that on anybody?

On a serious note, everybody that buys a new or used one should spend some time in the hay field learning how it backs / cuts, etc. THIS IS NOT A DIG ON CF - we've all smacked the wall at times, it just fires me up to have to wait and wait and wait while somebody makes 31 attempts to back in at the stockyards to unload their steer!!!!

 

[twabscs]

Thanks for all the great tips guys. The 20 footer may do the trick as I will be moving cattle between two farms about 8 miles apart and the usual trips to the sale barn to drop off culls and buying bred cows. Seems I'll probably just let the sale barn guys pick up my calves when marketing them as I don't have a truck/trailer that can handle 40-50 calves at a time. Hmmm.