I just found several older posts about Trail-Et but can’t figure out how to delete this one. Sorry for the repetitive post!
Does anyone know this brand, Trail-Et? I’m looking at a 1999 2 horse straight, and says it has internal height of 7’6", which I need. It looks really nice and only priced at $2,200. Too good to be true?
Trail-Et was a very nice upper middle class trailer company that went under in the recession of 2007-10. The trailers were very much like Hawks, and had a good reputation.
I have a '96 that has been cared for very well, and it is wonderful. I’m a repeat used Trail-Et buyer. My previous one was an '86 and I sold it to my neighbor. It is still going strong!
They really last; I’ve never owned one myself, but have borrowed plenty over the years.
Obviously you’ll want to have the one you are interested in gone over by a pro, but so long as the previous owner wasn’t exceedingly negligent to the trailer, you’re probably getting a steal of a deal.
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2200 sounds like a scam
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I think that’s a decent price for that age… I have one, its newer and not worth tons more than that. Make sure you go over it with a fine tooth comb…
$2,200 seems low for that trailer unless isn’t in good shape. I have a 2000 with DR and I could easily get $6,000 for mine. Even for one without a dressing room it would be more like $4,500 in my area for a Trail-Et that I was willing to put my horse on. I love mine. Just be careful with how you pay and have it gone over by a pro.
We have replaced both axles and if that has not been done I would recommend having that done. They have rubber torsion axles. The rubber gets very hard over time and does not absorb the bumps like it used to. I bent one axle on a pothole, which I think was in part due to not having as much shock absorbing in the rubber as it used to. Then about a year later my horse started to scramble on turns. This is a horse that does not move in the trailer who was now scrambling on virtually every left hand turn. We replaced the back axle and no more scrambling. That rubber is now 19 years old if they are the original axles and are probably pretty hard.
It cost us about $500 per axle but DH did the installation so I would expect it to be more expensive with labor. FYI the rubber looked fine but my horse was telling me it wasn’t fine. DH also noticed it was harder to jack up the nose of the trailer to unhitch. It was easier to unhitch after we put the new back axle on.
I was just coming here to talk about the axle issue.
That was my thought, unless there is a lot wrong with it. I’d question that height, too, as I don’t see many of that era that are 7’6" interior height, at least not in my area.
I have a 2005 Trail-Et that I purchased lightly used, and it is a great trailer. I’d buy one again if I were shopping used (since there aren’t any new being produced), and go with the comparable Hawk if shopping new.
Mine is a 2003 and is that tall. They are great trailers. I think the price is low but sometimes people just want something gone. It might be that people in the area don’t know the brand or that they want something in a different configuration or that the person doesn’t know how to market it. At that price, if the body is in good shape, even if you have to replace the tires and the floor and the axles you’re still going to end up with something pretty nice.
Not saying they don’t exist - just not as common back then. Adds to my skepticism, shall we say. I think I found the ad (if it is the one on Horseclicks) and I’m going to call it a scam.
I don’t know why you guys all think it is a scam. Here in the midwest no one wants bumper pulls.
The seller may not know what he/she has 
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seller doesn’t know what they have.
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in an area where slants are more popular
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It’s junk
I went to look at a 1999 Trail Et. The floor and Axles were bad and it needed 4 tires. The skin looked brand new.
I’ve actually seen some Trail Et bumper pulls in that price range so don’t think it is unreasonable or a scam. BUT I would go into it expecting there to be some issues as I would for any farm equipment I bought that was almost 20 year old. But the reality is the floor is probably 2" planks with a mat, and the frame is steel. Both those material can be worked on pretty inexpensively–they take a guy with a saw or a guy with blow torch. Aluminum frames and floors take a technician and cost quite a bit more to address. I would be much more hesitant on an all aluminum trailer of this vintage.
I have a 2002 2H GN Trail-et and it is a super trailer. Very well designed and thought out and I am very picky. I bought mine new because at the time it was almost impossible to find them used at a price and a location that out weighed getting one to order with a warranty.
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I had a '88 New Yorker WB so 7’6" dressing room bumper pull. Great trailer. I think the year you are looking at, the design got even better.
Maybe take a mechanic or someone savvy with you to do an onsite inspection? The ramps used to be designed in a way that they would rust. Defiantly a good gong over prior to purchase. Good luck!
I will echo that its likely the axles will need to be replaced, that’s not a huge money job but is often what keeps the selling price low. I would not walk away from this if it suits your needs…
So if it is the one that I found on Horseclicks, a 1999 Trail-Et 2 horse with a nice looking picture (that did not match the text description - one of the reasons I said scam) for $2,200, I e-mailed the “seller.” Here’s the response:
“Hi, the trailer is still available for the time being. The tires are 80-90% new. I’m currently working for an airline based in Europe but I can have the trailer shipped for no additional cost, within the US. It is already stored at a shipping/escrow company facility that will also handle the payment. You’ll just register too sign in to your account and start a new transaction as a buyer. They act as a third party and will protect us both. I won’t get paid til it arrives with the title and you inspect it. you can get back if you like the trailer.”
Y’all can judge for yourself whether it is a scam or not. :lol:
Of course, it might not be the one that the OP was asking about. There are a ton of these scams out there so it really does get discouraging if you shopping these ad sites.
Yup I got the same response, total scam. I actually responded back because it was listed as being less than 2 hours away in Indianapolis, but then they responded back and said oh no, it’s in the possession of the escrow company in Portland, OR.!!! TOTAL SCAM. Going through the other cheap trailer posts, the emails and user names all make me think they’re scams. Very upsetting 
