Used Reefer Hours

Is it just you or for a company? My first one had 12k hours on it and the unit itself was good till 20k when the trailer got totaled, had to buy another used one with a s700 on it and the generator #### out at 23k, swung a used 210 on it with 16k for less money, but im not planning on keeping this one

my plan is to finish rebuilding the totaled trailer (20k hours) so I have a good spare trailer, which was my original plan when I bought it, and buy a brand new one now that I know I am staying with reefer, unfortunately I needed another trailer when mine got totaled and still couldn’t really order one so I’ll run this one a few years, order a new one, and probably sell the one I’m currently pulling to get what I can back out of it

 

I purchased a 2012 Utility with a Carrier 2100A with 34k hours on it a year and half ago.

It was still running great, except since I run in California a lot and they are tightening up their TRU rules, I removed the Carrier and installed a 2020 TK S600 with 11k hours on it which is CARB compliant forever.

One thing I noticed from having a Carrier and going to a TK, is the TK pulls the temp down faster than the Carrier did.

Trying to pull down to -10 in 100 degree plus temps, the Carrier was struggling just to get to 14 degrees, while the TK surpassed that temperature with ease.

Yes, I’ve read that Carrier’s pull down faster than TK, but from my experience I did not notice that.

Yes, I could’ve purchased a newer trailer, but the trailer I have is in excellent condition and some of the newer model year used reefers I’ve seen at some of the big auction sites looked like they were used and abused.

When looking at a used reefer trailer, the condition of the floor, the subfloor and the crossmembers is one of the most important things to inspect.

If you see aluminum plates welded on top of a ducted floor, you need to walk away from that trailer.

The plates are welded there because the aluminum floor is cracked from the wooden subfloor underneath rotting because moisture got in there.

The plates are a cheap temporary fix to a more costly fix…..which is ripping out that particular section of aluminum floor and replacing it.

When inspecting the interior floor of a prospective purchase, make sure the floor is level and not wavy or has dips in the floor.

Those are signs that the wood underneath has rotted away and the subfloor floor is compromised.

Also I would try to stay away from former mega fleet trailers, most of them are abused and have the scrapes and dents to show for it.

Also I would stay away from any trailer that was owned by companies based out of the Central Valley of California……from my observations they are used and abused. M

I’ve also noticed from final auction sales results on used reefer trailers, that trailers that had TK units installed, sold at a higher price than the same trailers that had Carrier units installed.

 

If I am right, there are more TK shops than Carrier in the US. It used to be that TK compressors have 1 cylinder, and Carrier I know have 3, which is why Carrier's at least used to cool down faster. I believe Carrier has only used the same compressor for 30 years plus-the 05G model. Not sure about nowadays. A reefer mechanic (independent 1 man shop) I used to use a lot told me 10-15 years ago that Carrier's cool down faster, but TKs have less problems. But I very rarely have had problems with the Carriers I've run over the years. And the problems I had were timed with going past the service hours for replacing parts, and in extreme temperatures: unloader valves, water pump, and nylon gear. Learned from the school of hard knocks. Otherwise I maybe had 2 problems in 20 years, and they were refrigerant leaks. Whatever you get. I'd go by manufacturer service intervals for servicing.

 

You all (except Boneebone) miss a few important things. The refrigeration unit is something that can be changed or repaired but if you are going to do loads that need a tight temp zone, you need to look at the age and condition of the body and doors.

The insulation degrades 3 to 7% a year, which means after 10 years it is possible to get spots in the body and roof that will barely be able to hold the temps, the fridge unit will work harder to maintain the temps.

Cracks in the walls, bad roof seams, having the moron forklift driver slamming into the front, and so on all create problems with the insulation. The same with fatigue with age, the movement of the trailer, and flexing of the walls/roof all create problems with separation between the wall and insulation which creates pockets or worse the ability to get water in between the two.

If you need to get a temp validation cert, an older trailer will most likely not be able to pass the tests.

 

Not missing anything. Crackinwise only asked about hours on unit.

 

Big difference between a 2100A & S-600. S-600 is the same as a 7300 for cooling.

What degrades the insulation is moisture, Cracks in the kemlite, bad wall to ceiling, bad wall to scuff plate sealing.

I have multiple 12 year old trailers with TK330 that pull -20 no problem hauling ice cream in the summer..

Infra-red is cheap, cool it down and shoot the walls, bottom. Easy to see if it's still good.