Buying a new 53' trailer...which brand?

@rollin coal

 

My buddy bought a brand new Hyundai and I spent about $2,000 more on a new Great Dane. There's no comparison and if he had it to do over he would have paid more for a Dane. But that said I did get a smoking deal on mine and what he was seeing was a lot more than just a $2,000 spread. Mine is tight and smooth no leaks. His has had some issues. He is a member here and may comment.

Here's what a Utility dealer told me. Utility, Great Dane, and Stoughton all will hold up over 10 years or more and will also hold better resale value. Everything else won't hold any value and he wouldn't give much for them on trades or wholesale.

If you look closely at the construction of the rear door frame no-one builds them as durable as Great Dane. Stoughton does a good job. I think Utility is weak there and don't really care for them. I've pulled everything and owned Utility and Dane. I will always go with Dane.

Here's a pic of the stainless rear door frame on my Dane. I challenge you find anything that comes even close to being this sturdy and rigid. Half inch of stainless. Most of them are about a third of that thickness or less and cheap galvanized. (Poor cell reception won't let me upload a pic - click on my profile and look in my gallery for trailer pics)

Get a sheet and post trailer if you want something that lasts. Plate trailers are weak and flimsy, actually kind of scary.

 

Great Dane or Utility if I was buying an O/O spec trailer. Hyundai aren't bad fleet units but I don't think they can be custom spec'ed like those two can be.

 

I never liked Wabash. They're flimsy and look cheaply built. Look at some of these trailers while they are going down the road and watch when they go over bumps and such. Ask a dealer like I did about resale value. Don't take my word for it. Those people buy and sell them all the time.

 

Great dane. Dealer in Benton, Missouri always got the best prices in the whole country. Just look at wabash going down the road within few years the Walls Start expanding outwards.

 

Not all great danes have stainless steel door frame. you need to look for it. also i have heard that cross members are different on danes. do good research . Dane makes different vanes. I have 2 year old utility 4000dx. I agree with rollin coal about week door frame. but its ok for me. this trailer is very light plus doors are plastic not plywood. i like the Meritor PSI of my trailer. my suggestion to have it on your new trailer.

 

My 2015 Hyundai HT-Composite has been OK -- not great.

As delivered it was missing the license plate light -- it just had two wires with factory-cut ends dangling. It came with 3 inspection forms, passed all, which should tell you something about their rubber-stamp quality control at the Mexican factory, the US distributor, and my dealer.

In the first year I had multiple ABS malfunctions, and an issue with the taillight wiring (all covered under warranty). It also seems that my tandem rails were not welded on quite true -- my alignment changes depending on how far back I slide the tandems which causes some premature & irregular tire wear.

It is now 2 years old and I'm beginning to have a little trouble closing the left door when loaded. I am also starting to get occasional ABS malfunctions, but they are intermittent & never seem to be active when at a shop.

All in all, it does the job, but I'm not proud to pull it (the first thing I did was remove the dozen or so "Hyundai" stickers). If I had it to do again, I would either have kept my old 1998 Monon ( I hated how the doors were hard to close on unlevel ground, but my Hyundai is getting like that after 2 years instead of 20) or buy a new & more solidly built American-made Great Dane or Stoughton.


Oh, I should mention the paint quality on the interior wall plates is pretty poor -- it scratches down to metal very easily where the Monon would have just scuffed.

 

@mp4694330 had ABS issues with his and leaks. I think a wheel seal went out. I've had zero issues with mine and had it 2 years next month.