rk_az
Adventurer
I am looking at two off-road trailers, and can't decide which route to go. I am hoping some of you guys that drag trailers around the boonies can provide some insight, or suggest things to take into consideration or questions to ask.
First a little background. I drive an '04 Tacoma d-cab, with Emu suspension, 255/85R16 TrXus MT's, and I also have a custom bumper in the works which should be ready any day now, that will put the hitch receiver about 30" high. I'm looking for a trailer that I can use to haul camping/expo gear down the trail, with the possibility of adding a RTT to the trailer at some point.
Now to the trailers. One is new, and one is about 3 years old with low miles. If I go with a bare bones new trailer, both trailers are about the same price. Now you may be asking yourself, new vs. used, for the same price, what's the dilema? But as we all know, not all trailers are created equal. Unfortunately, I have not seen either trailer in person. I am in central AZ, the used trailer is in San Diego, and the manufacturer of the new trailer is in Nevada.
The used trailer appears to be very well made, but also appears to have been out in the weather. It has Jeep YJ leaf springs and gas shocks that can be unpinned from the lower mounts and clipped up out of the way. The cargo box is rather small, but is over-built with lots of d-rings and tie-downs for securing stuff with. There is an ample deck up front with more d-rings.
The new trailer also appears to be well-made, but perhaps not as beefy as the used one. It has standard trailer-type leaf springs, and no shocks. The cargo box looks bigger, but appears to be made of just sheet metal. There don't appear to be many tie-downs, nor is there a tailgate. The new trailer obviously looks better, comes in a choice of colors, and options (like a tailgate) that can be added (for more money, of course). And it looks like there could be fitment issues with the fenders if I went with taller tires, but maybe not.
Here is the used trailer. I believe the first photo was taken when the trailer was new. The second photo shows how it sits now, with different tires, and no spare, hi-lift, or front stand.
Here is the new trailer. The builder (Sierra 4x4) has a website if you want to see more pics and specs.
First a little background. I drive an '04 Tacoma d-cab, with Emu suspension, 255/85R16 TrXus MT's, and I also have a custom bumper in the works which should be ready any day now, that will put the hitch receiver about 30" high. I'm looking for a trailer that I can use to haul camping/expo gear down the trail, with the possibility of adding a RTT to the trailer at some point.
Now to the trailers. One is new, and one is about 3 years old with low miles. If I go with a bare bones new trailer, both trailers are about the same price. Now you may be asking yourself, new vs. used, for the same price, what's the dilema? But as we all know, not all trailers are created equal. Unfortunately, I have not seen either trailer in person. I am in central AZ, the used trailer is in San Diego, and the manufacturer of the new trailer is in Nevada.
The used trailer appears to be very well made, but also appears to have been out in the weather. It has Jeep YJ leaf springs and gas shocks that can be unpinned from the lower mounts and clipped up out of the way. The cargo box is rather small, but is over-built with lots of d-rings and tie-downs for securing stuff with. There is an ample deck up front with more d-rings.
The new trailer also appears to be well-made, but perhaps not as beefy as the used one. It has standard trailer-type leaf springs, and no shocks. The cargo box looks bigger, but appears to be made of just sheet metal. There don't appear to be many tie-downs, nor is there a tailgate. The new trailer obviously looks better, comes in a choice of colors, and options (like a tailgate) that can be added (for more money, of course). And it looks like there could be fitment issues with the fenders if I went with taller tires, but maybe not.
Here is the used trailer. I believe the first photo was taken when the trailer was new. The second photo shows how it sits now, with different tires, and no spare, hi-lift, or front stand.
Here is the new trailer. The builder (Sierra 4x4) has a website if you want to see more pics and specs.