Horse owners remain confused about whether they should buy or trust the repo trailers or not. Before removing your confusion, let me first tell you what the Repo horse trailer is.
What is a Repo Horse Trailer?
A Repo horse trailer which is also known as a repossessed horse trailer, its the kind of trailer that is not within the budget of horse owners. So, lenders or banks repossess the trailers from their owners and then auction them and resell them at a lower price than their actual price. The average cost of a repossessed trailer ranges from $200 to $10,000.
But when it comes to buying a second-hand trailer, a horse owner needs to consider a lot of things so that they don’t get deceived by lenders in quality.
In this article, we will discuss every factor which needs to be analysed while buying a repo trailer. You will also learn about some popular companies to buy the best repo trailers of the time. Let’s dive in and explore this mini guide on repossessed trailers.
From where can you buy a repo horse trailer?
If you are willing to get a repo horse trailer, you can consider the following sources:
Through NADA website
NADA(National Automobile Dealers Association) displays such recreational vehicles on their website. But NADA only displays horse trailers with living quarters. No other kind of horse trailer and it’s valuation is available on NADA.
Through Online Surfing
You can simply surf online on different search engines for a repo horse trailer. All you need to do is to simply put the correct keywords on the search engine. For instance, you can type double D trailers repo horse trailers on any search engine, and you can get the desired result from any manufacturers or simply users who want to auction their trailer as a repo horse trailer. You should perform a proper prior research about the manufacturer or the trailer provider as he/she is unknown to you and you may get stuck in any fraud.
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Through Horse Owner Forums and Online Classifieds
One of the best methods to find a repossessed trailer is to surf via local listings. Local equestrian magazines and newspapers often auctions trailers including repo horse trailers with living quarters, repo 2 or 3- horse trailers, horse trailer classifieds, etc.
Such forums not only let you find convenient and easy options near your locality but also let you connect with several other persons who have already bought a repo horse trailer who can share their insights and experience about the bidding process.
Repo Horse Trailer Finder
Repo Finder is another rich source of repossessed trailers. They are a cost-free digital directory for banks and unions that have repo property, vehicles, or horse trailers. The best part is that Repo Finder has never been associated with any credit or financial institutions. It signifies that the website and its authorities don’t obtain any commission during the deal. The only con is that Repo Finder is not responsible for any kind of transaction occurring between the bank and the user.
Auctions
Financial institutions and banks often auction repo horse trailers, specifically in the Mid west cities. A dealer’s licence is required to obtain repossessed trailers from such banks. Contact insurance companies of your locality that may also inform you about such auctions.
A checklist to be examined before owning a repo horse trailer
You can’t trust anybody or everybody when it comes to buying a repo horse trailer. You may get such trailers at an affordable cost but what if you have to compromise the material’s quality? Double D trailers are both affordable and never compromise quality. You have saved a lot of money on buying, but then you have to spend a lot of money on repairing your repo trailer.
Moreover, such trailers can break down and get out of the way in between your journey, hence, threatening both your horse and your family. To save you and your dear family, here is a checklist of some factors to be considered before buying a repo horse trailer:
Choose the trailer wisely
The bank may have repossessed the trailer in two cases. The owner may have stopped giving the payment recently or the owner may not have been giving the payment for years. If it is the second case, then it is for sure that nobody has spent anything on the trailer’s maintenance. It can risk your and your horse’s safety.
Perform research before factual buying
A knowledgeable person never suffers losses. You can’t just go to the owner, choose the trailer, and buy it the very next moment. Things don’t work smoothly while considering the repo horse trailer. You should research the expected price or the lowest price of your trailer.
You can perform research through the forums and other horse trailer owners.The bids can also get lower with time. You can also visit the NADA website where you can scan the anticipated price of horse trailers. You may have to wait several weeks before fixing the price of your selected trailer but this delay is worth it.
Keep your connections good with bankers
You can make some good connections with the bank repossessing the repo horse trailer. It may be financial assistance from the bank or any other official chore which lets you interact with the officials.
This makes bankers think about you once when they get a trailer in decent condition and who knows, you get some concession concerning your linkages. Your other banker friends may also give you an honest review about the same trailer you were considering owning in your closet.
Spend time and resources on a decent inspection of a repo horse trailer
If you don’t inspect the trailer carefully, you may have to spend a handsome amount afterward on trailer repair. You can hire a local inspector for this obligation. Don’t forget to check the following things mentioned while inspecting.
The trailer is according to the size of your horses. The vehicle can tow your horse and additional cargo weight. Inspect the floor for rot. Examine the headroom. Inspect wheels and tires. It should be damaged, cracked, or have wheels in the rims. Examine the dividers and brakes. Examine the electricity system and make sure there is not any rust havoc.
Don’t get swayed by auctions
Auctions have the best possible pictures of the old trailers with some extraordinary cartoons and features written on them. Their sole purpose is to sell at any cost. Hence, don’t get swayed by auctions. Inspect your repo horse trailer and choose wisely.
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What to observe in a repo horse trailer before buying?
You have to keep in mind that you don’t have to pay for someone’s left over stuff. Your money is precious and it is you, who has to take preventive measures to not to get defrauded at any cost. That’s why, you need to check every single and small to big detail of your repo horse trailer. The list of stuffs you should always check once includes:
- General appearance
Scrapes, dents, and all such damages need to be checked in the trailer. If the appearance signifies less care and neglect of the unit, there must be some hidden inner damages or issues that might be covered with upper decorative stuff. Metal fatigue in floors and ramps, top and near the hinges or underneath wood rot signs should not be overlooked and examined carefully.
- Sizes and other specifications
You need to check the size of the trailer. Don’t forget to check out the size of headrooms. It should be able to fit the horses you need to haul with. Bigger horses and draughts require more than six foot wide trailers. All other average horses fit in with six foot wide trailers.
- Wheels and Tires
The condition of tires should be suspected and amount of tread should also be concerned. Tire sidewalls should be examined and get repaired if damaged. Ensure that wheel rims are all round with no dents present in it.
- Suspensions and Brakes
A bad suspension system can lead to the disbalance of a horse trailer. You should check if the trailer stands in a perfect position without leaning on either side before buying it. Moreover, you should also check the condition of every brake and also try handbrakes once. Hubs and discs should be avoided and should set a definite limit.
- Ramps, Partitions, and Dividers
The ramp should be convenient for easy closing and opening in trailers. It should be strong enough to bear the excess load of horses as well as cargo. Other adjustment mechanisms should also be checked for smooth functioning. The dividers should be secure and seated in a definite position.
- Wooden Structures
Did you know that a horse trailer’s value depreciates by 25% every three years? The floors also start to weaken with time. The chore of checking wooden structures of a trailer should be handled by an expert. They measure moisture content in a trailer by using a moisture metre. Rot in walls should also be examined. The floor walls and sides should also be considered. Weak wood can lead to breaking floors and your horse may catch a serious injury while hauling.
- Electrical Systems and Rusting Damage
All the electrical systems should be checked once including wiring, interior lighting, rear lights, indicators, and brakes. Light covers should be opened and checked thoroughly for rusting and other kinds of wear and tear. Tow hitch, alignments, braking structure, wheel hubs, and chassis should also be checked for rusting.
Wrapping Up
Hence, this was all about the repo horse trailer. We discussed the list of factors you should consider before buying a repo horse trailer. Moreover, you also get to know what fine detail images you should observe in order to be buying repossessed trailers. You are also aware of the sites or sources from where you can get your repo horse trailer. So, what are you waiting for? Just check the list once and choose your repo horse trailer wisely.
