buying a trailer

Cane Toad I did the same you are doing about 4 months ago for a 7x4 box trailer.

I live in western NSW so my options aren't as plenty as those living in more populated areas but I can tell you one thing from my research and that is "you get what you pay for".

Most of my research was done on the net and phone first trying to track down the best price. I soon realised there is a big difference between a $1000 trailer and a $1300 trailer......STRENGTH.

If you want a trailer to last you (and ya mates/kids) the rest of ya life spend the extra couple of hundred and get a good one.

Things to look for:

-thickness of steel in draw bar (more so than overall size)
-make sure the A frame (drawbar) goes all the way back to the front spring hangers.
-get 1000kg springs/axle (cause 750kg springs with 750kg in the trailer will have the arse draging on the road )
-get one with a RHS trailer base frame - not angle.
- get one with the upright corners of the trailer in RHS so that you can make or buy a cage for it later.
-pay a bit more again for fully Galv if you can afford it. In the long run it will be cheaper than repainiting trailer again and again or having to get rusted parts replaced (flooring).
-higher sides allow you to easily carry more garden rubbish (gates are better again because garden rubbish doesn't way much but takes up lots of volume and I know how most tips these days make you pay per load)

Anyway that should get you started. Don't know what state your in but I know that once a trailer is "Rated" for more than 750kg it must have brakes fitted (but of course you can have heavier springs etc but the trailer rego plate will only have 750kg rated) and in NSW that means annual inspections. In NSW rego is based on Tare weight so any trailer over 250kg Tare pays heaps more. $54/yr for under 250KG.

When you consider most people will have a trailer until the day their son takes it or they more into a retirement village a couple of hundred extra over 20+ years is SFA.

Good luck mate.

I have found it good to run the same wheel stud pattern as your car. I run 6 stud sunraisers on my trailer. It was originally 5 stud but swapped the hubs over so I could run the same wheels as my 4WD. Now when I head bush all I do is throw in a couple of cheese cutter split rims with AT tyres to conserve space in the trailer + the spare on the 4WD gives me 3 spares that I can use on either the trailer or the 4WD

Thanks for the replies guys. I am very close to placing an order with just trailers at beenleigh. Will keep you posted.

Hot dip gal is not optional if your going to use it on the beach. It's essential.