Old ravens flatbed questions

You can take anything I say with a grain of salt or totally ignore. Your choice. You sound like me, have enough knowledge to be dangerous but cautious nonetheless. I know a lot of things, but I don't know everything, and that's where I start my evaluations of equipment. I learned a lot, by taking a 'company' trailer to a reputable repair facility, that the on-road people didn't know was off limits to us to use...nonetheless. I picked their brains and asked questions, learned what to look for, etc. This is what I suggest to you. Find someone that specializes and can inspect that trailer for you, based on your criteria, and ask their professional opinion. It may cost you a little, but better some now than more later....and let them do a thorough inspection FOR you. If the seller hedges allowing that, no matter how legit you think he is, that's a big flag. Your trailer mechanic can also give you a better idea of what a 'good' price would be.

If money/budget is a problem now, what will it be like when you have to have repairs on the trailer also, that you now own? I'm not a Debbie Downer, just a practical risk taker, but I know my limits and that's when I have to get someone whose opinion I can use for input, no matter what my gut DESIRE is to do. I'm not to proud to be talked out of what I want to do, if there's good reason. I sense from your questions, you don't have the mechanical chops that might be required to ascertain the true cost of this trailer.

If you need a second mechanic opinion, and believe me, even experts can be wrong, (I just repaired something that they got wrong), so get a second one. It sounds like you're in need of advice that someone you pay to protect your interest, could be of value in this instance.
Good Luck, but the fellas here that have given you some advice, actually work on the equipment. @jamespmack and @OLDSKOOLERnWV in particular are helpful knowedgeable sources of information and you would do well to heed their advice.

 

Or hardened flange head bolts with locking nuts. Either would work.

 

Age all depends how it was maintained and built. Lots of old trailers hauling iron in PA,MI,OH,IN. I have a 1996 that still does a good job.

 

Call me out like that. Thought we was buds. Or your implying I'm hard on stuff. I don't always prefer to change air bag crossmenbers outside. But when I do, It's in a Sunoco parking lot loaded. Nightime job in the daytime.

 

I’m far from a professional business man, if you can swing though just finance a reasonably priced flatbed that is in good shape and is what you want. Trust me 12 years I was in the same position looking at junk I could buy cash, ended up pulling the trigger on a 2012 reitnouer specd the way I wanted and had everything I could dream of almost. A $700 a month payment is better then having a major catastrophe with an old worn out trailer.

 

Looks like a low quality get it down the road type of repair. Aluminum welds are extremely hard to judge by looks in my experience but those don’t look real promising. I’d probably be more concerned about the half assed job bolting it back together where nothing lines up. I guess that trailer would scrap for around 3k so you wouldn’t really have to get much use out of it to make up the rest but obviously if it fails it’s likely to make a better but more expensive trailer seem like it would have been a better deal
Just guessing with some tlc you could probably get a few years out of it but in person it might be way better or way worse

 

Anything can be fixed. But is it worth it to you. The way I see used trailer prices around me. I would wait, save and find a better option. Or one can properly fix and have a good trailer.

But buying used I'd plan on everything mentioned plus tires,service hubs, most likely s-cams are toast.

 

What the H E L L did you do? I was complementing you....looks like I spoke too soon?
But you are qualified to work on it...in a Sunoco station.