Hello from Australia!We are pretty limited apparently on access to knowledgable sources when it comes to trailer refurbs, and I happened across here and thought I would give it a shot!My partner and I picked up an old 86 trailer for around $1500 - we guessed it would be in pretty bad shape and are poking through the refurb at our own pace. We felt confident as his brother in law is a very skilled boilermaker, and my OH isn't too bad with a grinder either, just to do basic things before we send it to BIL's house. Initially, I was told by friends that replacement fibreglass roofs were <$600 - the current fibreglass roof is in bad shape, big cracks and a few decent holes. Three fibreglass shops have told me two different things - can replace for $1400 (involves a 22hr round trip and a whooooolllee lot of diesel - from the manufacturer, casting from an old mould) or a local guy could repair it for the same cost. Another shop told me, from looking at photos, I should have a crack at doing it myself, but I'm not 100% confident it will all hold shape and 'go' back together - I am actually pretty sure this roof isn't even the original or right roof that fits - we strapped the damn thing down to get the trailer home!At the moment, rounded front trailers are en trend here, and we see few of the shaped/square or triangle fronts here in Aus. 35+ yr ago apex front trailers were all that was really available.I am (mostly) open to whatever shape, so long as my horses are dry, safe and protected.Short of replacing the fibreglass roof, I know I have aluminium/gal sheet option but .... Dumb question... How will that work out for me as far as shaping the front of my trailer goes? I am trying (vanity fuelled) to avoid having a pointed apex front. I would prefer almost any other shape but pointy. We have some chopping to do, we have some sections to replace all together, including the tailgate, the taillight 'wings' and the guards. Seeing as we are doing everything from the ground up (tyres, bearings, steel, suspension, brakes, floor, ect), what are my chances of adding an extra 3ft maximum in the nose for storage space? It is such a short trailer that if I have to chance the shape of it, I really will end up with zero room to move in there. Are my chances slim to none or maybe a possibility?I'm Sussing out answers or possibilities before I tee it up with the brother in law, without seeming like a bit of a dill. Adding weight is not a concern for us, we have a pretty good towing vehicle that can handle 3.5 ton, but in saying that, I don't want to rebuild and end up with something that is going to be intensely nose heavy...It gets damn hot here in the summer, so if I ditch the rounded fibreglass roof and go for a metal roof, is there anything I can insulate it with?What shaped front am I best off looking at putting in if I have to chop out the nose 'cone' to suit a sheet roof?I got very disheartened this week by this trailer after rattling loose all the body filler previous owners have plugged it with what out converting or cutting out old rust - I don't want to throw it in seeing as I have spent $1500 on it (budget is a gradual spend of about $4000) but I was looking forward to having an essentially 'new' trailer for half the price of a brand new trailer, that will last us until we have a family and upgrade to a gooseneck. I don't really want to give up on it, but I am also not really interested in a money pit. In saying that though, I do think it would make a pretty flash hay trailer if I end up properly cracking the s$7()$ with itAfter all that - keen to hear opinions and knowledge!Here is the link the find all the pictures:https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/114301975913377072048/album/profile?sview=26
Horse Trailer Refurb - Questions, Fibreglass/Roofing, etcetera.
We are pretty limited apparently on access to knowledgable sources when it comes to trailer refurbs, and I happened across here and thought I would give it a shot!My partner and I picked up an old 86 trailer for around $1500 - we guessed it would be in pretty bad shape and are poking through the refurb at our own pace. We felt confident as his brother in law is a very skilled boilermaker, and my OH isn't too bad with a grinder either, just to do basic things before we send it to BIL's house. Initially, I was told by friends that replacement fibreglass roofs were <$600 - the current fibreglass roof is in bad shape, big cracks and a few decent holes. Three fibreglass shops have told me two different things - can replace for $1400 (involves a 22hr round trip and a whooooolllee lot of diesel - from the manufacturer, casting from an old mould) or a local guy could repair it for the same cost. Another shop told me, from looking at photos, I should have a crack at doing it myself, but I'm not 100% confident it will all hold shape and 'go' back together - I am actually pretty sure this roof isn't even the original or right roof that fits - we strapped the damn thing down to get the trailer home!At the moment, rounded front trailers are en trend here, and we see few of the shaped/square or triangle fronts here in Aus. 35+ yr ago apex front trailers were all that was really available.I am (mostly) open to whatever shape, so long as my horses are dry, safe and protected.Short of replacing the fibreglass roof, I know I have aluminium/gal sheet option but .... Dumb question... How will that work out for me as far as shaping the front of my trailer goes? I am trying (vanity fuelled) to avoid having a pointed apex front. I would prefer almost any other shape but pointy. We have some chopping to do, we have some sections to replace all together, including the tailgate, the taillight 'wings' and the guards. Seeing as we are doing everything from the ground up (tyres, bearings, steel, suspension, brakes, floor, ect), what are my chances of adding an extra 3ft maximum in the nose for storage space? It is such a short trailer that if I have to chance the shape of it, I really will end up with zero room to move in there. Are my chances slim to none or maybe a possibility?I'm Sussing out answers or possibilities before I tee it up with the brother in law, without seeming like a bit of a dill. Adding weight is not a concern for us, we have a pretty good towing vehicle that can handle 3.5 ton, but in saying that, I don't want to rebuild and end up with something that is going to be intensely nose heavy...It gets damn hot here in the summer, so if I ditch the rounded fibreglass roof and go for a metal roof, is there anything I can insulate it with?What shaped front am I best off looking at putting in if I have to chop out the nose 'cone' to suit a sheet roof?I got very disheartened this week by this trailer after rattling loose all the body filler previous owners have plugged it with what out converting or cutting out old rust - I don't want to throw it in seeing as I have spent $1500 on it (budget is a gradual spend of about $4000) but I was looking forward to having an essentially 'new' trailer for half the price of a brand new trailer, that will last us until we have a family and upgrade to a gooseneck. I don't really want to give up on it, but I am also not really interested in a money pit. In saying that though, I do think it would make a pretty flash hay trailer if I end up properly cracking the s$7()$ with it
After all that - keen to hear opinions and knowledge!Here is the link the find all the pictures:https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/114301975913377072048/album/profile?sview=26
