Trailer frame repair/rebuild

[SoShootMe]

I have a 1986 2 horse Trail-Et BP that I purchased in January of this year. Aluminum skin steel frame. I had someone go look at it for me that was supposed to check the frame out for me and they said it was good. I guess it wasn’t so good. I was quoted today $4,000 CDN to repair the frame by a shop.

From what I can see, it’s fairly rusted but solid, the crossbars probably need to be replaced as those have rusted out good. The spring shackles probably need to be replaced.

My question is this. How much harder is it to replace the entire frame as opposed to repairing what’s there? How does one take the trailer off the frame and substitute the new one? If it’s not hard to raise the trailer off the frame I would think it would be better to simply have a new frame built and the trailer replaced back onto it?

I’m very angry and very lost right now… I sold a reliable but small trailer to buy this one as it was taller, wider, and had the aluminum skin. I got screwed over. I am getting another estimate on Sunday by a handyman who just replaced the frame on another lady’s trailer.

[hosspuller]

You have my sympathy. Without seeing the job myself, it sounds like the shop does not want the job.

But Take it to several Welding shops AND auto body shop… not a trailer place. The trailer place will likely sub it out to a welding shop and add their mark-up to it. A steel frame is easily repaired. Aluminum… not so much.

[SoShootMe]

I got the feeling they didn’t want the job the day I brought it there. His attitude just seemed like this was beneath him (while I was there they were preparing for a 30,000lbs crane coming in and they had amusement rides lined up to be worked on). Without going underneath and peeking at anything, just looking at the trailer from a standing position, he said “How much are you wanting to sink into this? We aren’t cheap you know, $105 an hour.” His tone just…didn’t sit right with me. But I agreed to leave it and let him provide an estimate. $4-5k was his estimate.

I am hoping the guy I go see on Sunday can provide me with something more reasonable. I don’t think the whole frame is trash. I think it might be a bit time consuming with removing the running boards, etc, and the work required, he doesn’t want to put one of his guys on the job when they could be making more money on bigger projects.

We don’t have any trailer specific places around here so it would just be a welding shop I’d be looking for.

I will try to get some pictures either tonight or tomorrow night (depending on how late/dark it is when I get it home.)

[clanter]

any high school around that have 4H or FFA vocational shops? they might be able to do the project for the cost of materials … otherwise scrapping sounds like an option

[Jim_in_PA]

It’s unlikely that the “trailer” and the “frame” are separate entities. Replacing the cross members can be done by stripping out the floor and working from the inside. I agree that the first place you took it likely just isn’t interested in the work. Check out the places that clanter recommended as well as “small shops” that specialized in welding…one person type operations.

[soloudinhere]

The problem with rust repairs is that rust is a cancer and it will keep spreading even after you repair/replace what is there. Replacing the crossmembers requires a solid place to weld to. I’d get a second opinion about what is/is not worth doing from another repair shop, but I would not expect it to be a simple job as nonstructural rust can still cause a ton of issues.

[SoShootMe]

@Jim_in_PA

It’s unlikely that the “trailer” and the “frame” are separate entities. Replacing the cross members can be done by stripping out the floor and working from the inside. I agree that the first place you took it likely just isn’t interested in the work. Check out the places that clanter recommended as well as “small shops” that specialized in welding…one person type operations.

That’s exactly where it’s going on Sunday… I ask about the frame being separate because this guy is literally building a brand new frame for another trailer. Similar situation - but lady bought a trailer sight unseen in really rough shape, way worse than mine (the entire thing was rotting). He’s doing a complete rebuild. He posted pictures of the new frame.

[grinanride]

Will be interesting to see what the local folks offer. The frame for that age is raw steel and and the bottom frame sides shaped like a letter Z, the floor supports coming off the bottom of that, the axles mounted to the side which is gone, the inside wall will likely be rotted and perhaps the bottom of some of the wall tube frame supports inside the walls where you cannot see, the outside skin would have to come off which will leave it damaged and unusable……

to see how far forward and how high up this is all rotted out the floor should be removed on each side, the lower wall cut out that is rotted so the inside supports can be seen

You would have to deconstruct the trailer taking the upper off the lower, it should be a very well versed shop and not a handy man really, it is likely more than you expect if done correctly, sorry to say, I know from experience!

Risa
HappyTrailsTrailers.com
BalancedRideTrailers.com

[B_and_B]

I agree that it sounds like the place doesn’t need your job. That being said, I know welding jobs are fairly regional in pay, but for a good job, $105 an hour isn’t out of line if, as it sounds like, you went to a big shop. And based on that picture, it may need quite a bit more work and steel (not cheap!) than it looks like now. Rust that bad in one place is usually not isolated, the other side may not have gone…yet. 4K, maybe not, but around here I’d expect over 2K. Be interested to see what the small guy’s quote is!

[clanter]

@SoShootMe

This is the worst of it. The spring shackle that rusted off the frame. The rest of the frame is intact except for this section.

appears to be Magnesium chloride (Mag chloride) damage

[paintedpony]

Wow, sorry this happened to you. Your friend did not do you any favors.

I believe the cost of repair will far exceed the value of this trailer. I do not believe $4-5 K in repairs is in anyway out of line. Once you start fixing, you can truly identify the extent of the damage. My recommendation is to sell it as scrap, or look for one of the welders who does full repairs and resells trailers. (check out facebook, Horse Trailers for Sale Ontario. There are often posts there looking for rusted out trailers) In this state the trailer is of very little value, and is a danger on the road. Please do not attempt to use it.

In Ontario, you are required to do a full safety on both your truck and trailer yearly, with safety sticker posted on each. This damage is not new. How did you get a safety sticker to haul the trailer home?

[SoShootMe]

@paintedpony

Wow, sorry this happened to you. Your friend did not do you any favors.

I believe the cost of repair will far exceed the value of this trailer. I do not believe $4-5 K in repairs is in anyway out of line. Once you start fixing, you can truly identify the extent of the damage. My recommendation is to sell it as scrap, or look for one of the welders who does full repairs and resells trailers. (check out facebook, Horse Trailers for Sale Ontario. There are often posts there looking for rusted out trailers) In this state the trailer is of very little value, and is a danger on the road. Please do not attempt to use it.

In Ontario, you are required to do a full safety on both your truck and trailer yearly, with safety sticker posted on each. This damage is not new. How did you get a safety sticker to haul the trailer home?

I am so far north that it is more economical for me to fix it than try to get it to someone wanting to rebuild it themselves. The shop that looked it over stated the heavier damage was in the rear, he did not seem too concerned about the front half of the frame. Of course I would not attempt to use it in this condition.

The guy is coming to look at it tonight. I trust him to do whatever he needs to fix it, including removing the shell and building a new frame, as he’s currently doing that for someone else.

The trailer was bought in Minnesota in January. My SUV and trailer total gross weight falls just under the required 9,920lbs that the yellow sticker requires.

[SoShootMe]

@B and B

I agree that it sounds like the place doesn’t need your job. That being said, I know welding jobs are fairly regional in pay, but for a good job, $105 an hour isn’t out of line if, as it sounds like, you went to a big shop. And based on that picture, it may need quite a bit more work and steel (not cheap!) than it looks like now. Rust that bad in one place is usually not isolated, the other side may not have gone…yet. 4K, maybe not, but around here I’d expect over 2K. Be interested to see what the small guy’s quote is!

Me, too. From someone who is currently using him, he’s quite reasonable. The rest of the frame looks solid, would benefit from having the rust grinded down and it reinforced likely. I’m not sure why that side of the trailer is so severely affected. I can only think that urine was allowed to drain between the wall and floor and corroded the frame there.

[SoShootMe]

I picked the trailer up from the shop that did the estimate and they never moved it from the place that I parked it. It was off to the side by their chain link fence and had not moved. So the estimate was done by a guy crawling underneath.

I will update the thread as it gets fixed. This is a nightmare!

[paintedpony]

Caution: Two horses = more than 2200 lb.(mine are in the 1300-1400 range) Add tack, hay, etc. you are easily at 2500 -3000 lb range. This is in addition to the trailer and tow vehicle weight.

[SoShootMe]

His estimate from tonight - $1500 if all he has to do is replace those sections and reinforce the rest. He will ensure it’s solid and safe. $3000 if he builds a whole new frame. He’s not anticipating a new frame though. He saw no sense in scrapping it as it’s fixable.

[paintedpony]

Good news story…yay!

[SoShootMe]

@paintedpony

Good news story…yay!

Definitely made me feel a lot better!

[B_and_B]

That seems more reasonable. But I’d probably let him know that if it needs to go up because he finds something weird, it needs to go up. One always seems to find something odd when one starts poking at an older piece of equipment! And half the cost is in taking it apart to get at the thing!
Glad you found a good small shop.

[Guilherme]

You are about to put a LOT of money into a 32 year old piece of equipment where, at present, you don’t seem to really KNOW what will be required as the job has not yet begun. I don’t know how it is in Canada, but here an estimate is just that and discovery of “unexpected damage” is very common when working with older equipment. Sometimes this is shop “setting the hook” after you commit to something but very often with older equipment is just The Way Things Are.

You’d be better off, in all likelyhood, to sell the trailer for it’s scrap value and buy something newer. I know this is not what you want to hear. Sometimes calling something a “spade” instead of a “garden implement” is just good advice.

Good luck in you decision.

G.