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Trailer refurbishment

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Aaron

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Has anyone had their stock trailer re-painted? If so, what is the ball-park cost?

Looking at a neighbor's 1988 7x18 Norbert trailer that needs some TLC and is being sold by auction in the spring.

Needs 4 new tires and rims, brakes, lights, a paint job and a little bit of steel replacement around the fenders. I've found a number of older 18'-24' trailers online that have been either well-kept or refurbished for around the 4k mark. Just trying to figure out a bid well ahead of time of the auction. I'm thinking no more than $1500, but maybe that's still to high.
 
We had a 3 horse slant sand blasted and repainted, 3 years ago. I think it cost right at $1000 for everything. I just bought a couple new tires for my big trailer, and they were right at $200 a piece.
 
personally,I would go with the ones that are in good working condition........you can put all kinds of money in a 1988 trailer,and when you get all done you still have a 1988 trailer........but that's just my opinion.........and besides that I am terrible at fixing stuff.........I have been told many times to put the wrench down and step away from the tool box!!
 
pups and bucks said:
personally,I would go with the ones that are in good working condition........you can put all kinds of money in a 1988 trailer,and when you get all done you still have a 1988 trailer.

i would agree. i would think you'd have to get if for next to nothing. sounds like you could have more money stuck into it when you are done than what's it going to be worth. IMO
 
This doesn't answer your question but if I were to go to the trouble of repainting a steel trailer, I would inquire about the cost of giving the vulnerable lower interior areas a coat of spray-on pickup bedliner. Maybe even on the outside on the front and lower sides if you travel a lot of gravel.

Doesn't have to be black. Neighbor has a Dodge Dakota pickup with blue spray in liner to match the pickup exterior.

FWIW, I paid $4000 about 8 years ago for a 1992 Titan 7x20 in good original condition with no rust. Haven't had to fix or do anything except tires. The silver paint has always been thin and the top is pretty bald now. Wish I had a place to park it inside. :oops:
 
You probably couldn't find a better used trailer then a Norbert. A few years ago I was going to get my trailer repainted at Norberts and they told me I could probably sell my old trailer and buy a new one for less then the cost of painting. I did. Except my new one is rusting around the back door where the old one never had an issue. :?
 
I've got a 6x20 in the yard needs new lights & wireing tire's brakes weld holes shut,floor,sandblast and paint basically done complete. It's worth $500 in it's condition and $2800 in repairs when complete I'd have a tough time getting $3500 for it but a new one is $8500 so I'd go for it if your planning on keeping it. If your like me trying to turn a buck it's not a real money maker but it will keep me busy for a week.

Paint and primer to do the trailer would cost you $350 here in 5 gallon pails. Sand blast inside and out $500
 
John SD said:
This doesn't answer your question but if I were to go to the trouble of repainting a steel trailer, I would inquire about the cost of giving the vulnerable lower interior areas a coat of spray-on pickup bedliner. Maybe even on the outside on the front and lower sides if you travel a lot of gravel.

Doesn't have to be black. Neighbor has a Dodge Dakota pickup with blue spray in liner to match the pickup exterior.

FWIW, I paid $4000 about 8 years ago for a 1992 Titan 7x20 in good original condition with no rust. Haven't had to fix or do anything except tires. The silver paint has always been thin and the top is pretty bald now. Wish I had a place to park it inside. :oops:

A friend bought a '92 7x24 Titan at auction about 8 years ago. Sad, sad shape, and still paid 3k. But he is a welder by trade and did the fixing and paint himself.
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
You probably couldn't find a better used trailer then a Norbert. A few years ago I was going to get my trailer repainted at Norberts and they told me I could probably sell my old trailer and buy a new one for less then the cost of painting. I did. Except my new one is rusting around the back door where the old one never had an issue. :?

I agree. The Norbert's are top notch. The only complaint I've ever heard was that people didn't like them being so heavy with steel (no complaint here). Quite a bit of rust on this trailer, but has only eaten through on the fenders. Sides and doors are all still sound. This one has seen a hard life and many miles running bulls to test stations and out in rocky pastures. Most cheap trailers (aka Real) I suspect would have a lot of broken welds and stress cracks if they had to do the same.
 
Denny said:
I've got a 6x20 in the yard needs new lights & wireing tire's brakes weld holes shut,floor,sandblast and paint basically done complete. It's worth $500 in it's condition and $2800 in repairs when complete I'd have a tough time getting $3500 for it but a new one is $8500 so I'd go for it if your planning on keeping it. If your like me trying to turn a buck it's not a real money maker but it will keep me busy for a week.

Paint and primer to do the trailer would cost you $350 here in 5 gallon pails. Sand blast inside and out $500

These Norbert's, new, on an 18' would hover around the 12k mark at least. So if I could get it for less than a thousand, I should be ok. I would be keeping it for the long haul. I may surprise myself when it comes to the auction as steel trailers are really falling out of favor in this area.

Another neighbor has a 2000 7x24 Sokal that's in good shape for sale. But I don't know if he would go as low as 4k.
 
We redid a 14' 1981 bumper pull WW about 10 years ago. With paint, wiring, lights, new floor, new mats, repaired/rehung middle door, new jack, new front aluminum checkerplate I think we were in it for $4500 total. We used the heck out of it again, and traded it 2 years ago for $3500 on a used 16' gooseneck Norbert. The Norbert is heavy, but I am pretty sure we would beat an aluminum trailer into smithereens around here. I have nothing but good to say about the Norbert. It is also short enough to trailer into and out of real problems.
 
Might want to put new axles under it too. I put new ones under my old 73 Gooseneck last year and it made a world of difference in the ride plus I got all new brakes.
 
This is probably as good of a gauge as to what things are worth as I know of. I don't know if it show the search I was looking at or not, if it doesn't search for "stock trailer" and make sure it is set on all of these words. http://www.bigiron.com/cgi-bin/mnarcsearch.cgi
 

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