Looking at van trailer. What's too old?

No probs. Make sure to check the entire kingpin plate, including right above the drive tires is where a lot of road salt gets sprayed.

 

I run a 97 truck and a 2011 reefer, older truck I dont mind, but they need tinkering, next trailer will be brand new, it’s what actually makes the money and takes the abuse, plus depreciation or deduction depending on buy or lease of a brand new one will help on taxes and it’s just one less thing to deal with

 

Grab a book and have someone lock you inside the trailer. If you have enough light to read by from holes in the roof, floor and walls, it's too old.

 

I just invoiced my 385th or so load if I remember right. I've been asked what year my trailer was and whether it was air/spring ride maybe 5 times total.

So, it's too late for me to do math but whatever that percentage is there ya go.

 

I run an 08 Trailmobile plate Trailer. Bought it almost 5 yrs ago from Penske. It’s as tough as a Wabash, but somewhat obsolete. So far I’ve haven’t had any problems. Manufacturer specific parts, like corner posts if ever needed will be a problem. It only had 238k miles. It’s been a good Trailer. Hasn’t cost Me much, yet. Time for a new one. Only 10 yr requirements I run into are Rolls of paper. I don’t haul them anyway. Too hard on an old Trailer. Most Automotive Loads usually requires 10 yr or newer also. And for a reason. That’s really about an average life of a Trailer. I’ve kept this one too long already. Patched up the doors and floor last summer. Parts are cheap, but labor can get involved and time consuming. Floors rot, crack, fail. Cross members get weak, can fail. Rear door frames can crack. Bogies rust and crack. My Trailer serves my Operation. But days are numbered. It’s a paper spec, has 12” spacing on cross beams. It’s also heavy, 15,500#. It really doesn’t pay to buy an old Trailer. Especially when resale is factored in. They deprecate less than Trucks. At 9-10 yrs old price drops a lot. After that, a whole lot. Once you have to start repairing things like this, they’re a PITA. Labor costs will add up quick.

 

My Stoughton was an '05, non paper spec, with way more miles on it, and had none of those problems with the floor or doors. It still had plenty more life left in it when that ###### tree fell on it.

 

My next Trailer will be a Stoughton. Mine was used as an automotive short shuttle Trailer. They’re pretty hard on the floor. Just a few spots, with chunks out of it. It’s not soft at all. The repair I did was for a 4”x6” gouge. To do the repair right I had to cut out more to stagger seams.