Refurbish a cottrell trail

I spoke to one driver he refurbrished his Boydston trailer. He said they replaced bottom rails, added some drop pockets, repainted and new hydraulic lines. I'm not sure if anything else was done but he said bill was around 30K. In my opinion better to sell old trailer and use that money and money that you going to spend on refurbishing and to buy a newer

 

I bought a 2007 Cottrell high rail that was refurbished there in 2014 and to be honest it needs re-refurbishing at this point. I have to agree that you'd be better off selling the 2006 and buying a new trailer. They do a nice strap conversion there but these trailers loaded to the gills on these pothole filled roads just don't hold up well over time.

 

I would agree with you guys but the problem is there is near zero market for used high rails. So I can see how getting it refurbished is a decent option. You should be able to reassess the value and put it back on depreciation schedule as well.

 

You will spend about $15k on the repaint and plumbing, maybe another $3-$5k on the structure. If you like the trailer it may be worth it, keep in mind you will only get 5 to 7 years or so out of the refurbish before the paint starts to go again. Also, once the strip it down and blast it bare expect to find other issues that will need to be taken care of. They do decent work, but be prepared for cost overrun, it is the nature of stripping and reworking an older trailer.

 

Yea those hidden stress cracks appear after a good sand blast. Trust me I know about hidden cracks after pulling a lowboy many years

 

Also, I have seen many surprises when it comes time to refurb a Cottrell. They like to use thinner steel where you cannot see. You only find this out when the fabricator starts cutting it apart and digging in to it. That being said, you wind up with a stronger piece although a bit heavier. I'd take a high rail any day of the week as you can get a lot more combinations on it.