Trailer prices?!?

[Critter]

Okay, the pandemic made me realize I want to downsize our current trailer. It’s a 2+1 gooseneck with extra dressing room space and we almost always only have 1 horse that we trailer anymore. It has the option for a box stall, which was great when we were breeding and had to transport mare/foals…but we are not and I have no intentions to return to that.

So I started doing some quotes for a 3H slant with larger stalls (or the thought I can use a front stall for hay storage and use the back two when hauling a single horse. It would reduce the length of the current trailer by about 6’. I don’t want to do a slant vs straight debate…I’ve done my research and owned both. Open to suggestions for brands (I’ve looked at 4star, eby, hawk, featherlite).

The dealer we’ve used for 4 star has been dragging their feet about getting a quote…as in you start wondering if they want the business?! I sent the request to another dealer and did get a quote back…major ouch!! I was hoping to trade in the current plus a little bit of money and be okay…not happening based on these quotes. Plus the trade in they are offering is about 2/3 of what I expected.

I also got quotes from featherlite and hawk and they are more in the ballpark. I called Eby and they aren’t making horse trailers until 2023, maybe. The dealer we’ve used said no trailers from 4 star until Feb 2022! I realize the pandemic might be putting a strain on the plants they are building them…but I didn’t expect this much of an issue? So now I have to decide do I wait it out? Will the costs come down if I wait? Do I try and sell my trailer on the open market rather than trade in? Ugh…was not expecting this to be such a pain in the rear.

[stargzng386]

Trailers are selling fast and at really high prices, I’d try to sell it privately and see what you can get for it. I was shocked that I got my high end asking price within 48 hrs with about ten other buyers lined up if it fell through.

[Foxglove]

Agree with @stargzng386 --I live in the “trailer capital of the world” Elkhart IN where Merhow, Lakota, Bison, and Shadow are made within a few miles of my house. I bought a new Merhow last year, ordered prepandemic, but had to wait until NOV to get my trailer —the problem is the workers that make trailers can make RVs too --and right now RVs are hot hot hot as people are more comfortable traveling in an RV instead of hotels/motels/flying. As the Merhow rep told me, “we can’t keep people on the line.” The COVID didn’t help either as many line workers are Amish and were reluctant to give up their large religious gatherings. At one point 1/3 of all factory workers were ill.

And the result as you noticed is a shortage. Merhow gave up trying to fill orders for 2020 and went ahead with 2021 model production. Others did the same. Oh, the other problem was supply —DH is in trucking --he had drivers sitting waiting for parts that needed delivery to factories —again Merhow rep said, "We have trailers here we can’t ship because we have no (pick: tires, mats, safety chains, etc) —because the parts were being diverted to RV factories who were willing to pay more (RVs have a bigger mark up than horse trailers, FYI) –

The advice to sell your trailer yourself is spot on. I put my 20 year old Merhow up for sale --just a sticker in the window —and within two weeks had sold it for exactly what I paid for it 10 years ago —then had people still call after that —got what I asked for. DH said I should have asked for more, but I felt I got what it was worth. Oh, only take cash, don’t deliver or allow pick up —scammers out there --always meet at a safe location --like your local police station. I never had that much cash in my hand before!! Bank is across the street where I live --seemed like a really long walk to me --but anyway.

Good luck!

[stargzng386]

A little more info since myself and 2 friends sold trailers at the same time. I actually bought my friend’s trailer a Kingston 2 horse straight load. It was an older trailer but I felt better knowing the maintenance history and love the brand. I needed to switch from a slant step up to a straight load with a ramp for my new horse, he hated the slant. She listed at 5k and was bombarded with messages but gave me priority since we’ve been friends for years. If I didn’t know her it would have been sold to someone else very quickly. I was in the situation of needing to buy first then sell mine quickly to pay for the new trailer. I was moving barns and couldn’t be without a trailer for long.

I had a Calico 2 horse slant with a small dressing room but only 6ft tall inside. I paid $6500 for it new in 2015. I actually tried selling it a few years after for 4k when my horse was permanently retired. I had a few people view it but no buyers because it’s not TB height so I kept it.

I listed my trailer for 4500 after buying my friend’s trailer and sold it in 48 hours for cash, it was a really easy transaction. I felt that paying $500 to upgrade my trailer was a steal and I LOVE the new trailer as does my horse. If you break it down I sold for 2k less for a 6 yr old trailer so I basically paid approx $350 a year for my trailer.

My other friend had an old typical first trailer. Functional but not pretty, some rust etc. She only paid a few k for it years ago and has used it heavily. She was waffling on selling I told her to list it high for more than she thought it would sell for and see what she gets. She listed for $3500 and it was sold that night.

In retrospect both of us could have probably gotten more but we also both felt we got a really fair amount.

Both friends bought new trailers because the nicer used trailers around the 10k price range were all selling so fast they kept having trailers sold out from under them.

[Wamelohe]

Reaching out to buy/sell through contacts seems to be how a lot of trailers are selling this spring. I’m on the buyer side of the equation. After years of dreaming and window shopping, I was finally ready to buy my first horse trailer this spring. The used market has seen prices nearly double over what I’m used to seeing! And they sell so fast! Out of desperation I started to look at financing a new one, only to find out the wait time is super long.

So I reached out to my horse peeps of course. A friend saw an older trailer in someone’s yard, I went to look at it that day and am picking it up tonight! Super excited and nervous…I’ll be the one in the empty parking lot practicing backing

[Hinderella]

I badly wanted a 4 Star to replace my 1996 4Star 2H. I spent months looking for one to buy. I live in New England, there were none to be had! And while I was willing to drive as far as NC or MI to buy, COVID restrictions would have meant missing two weeks of work upon my return and I couldn’t afford that. I ended up buying an Adam that was on the lot at a dealership in MA. It’s OK, nowhere near as nice as the 4 Star or a Featherlite, but probably as good as the Hawk. There are two big problems: as said earlier, manufacturers are spending time building RVs, and second there is a serious shortage of aluminum. My husband works in aerospace, and when we heard through his work about the aluminum shortage, that’s what pushed me to buy the available Adam. I did not trade in my trailer. The dealer told me I’d do much better selling it on my own. I had multiple offers at my purchase price, and sold it within a week.