I would contact the attorney general's office in Indiana to see if you have any recourse.  A good lesson to all to have a trailer checked out by a professional before buying if at all possible.  Good luck.

in most states a private sale differs from a dealer sale. In a private sale, unless a warranty is offered, the item is usually sold in an " as is, where is" condition. One person's defination of "it's ready to go" can vary greatly from another's.

Unless the seller specifically said he had made repairs and didn't, or he completely misrepresented the condition of the item, the buyer is on the hook. The buyer is expected to inspect his purchase before he makes the final payment.

Trying to obtain a judgement against the seller for misrepesenting the trailer is difficult at best, and adding the legal obstacles of an out of state prosecution will be time consuming and expensive.

Whenever a purchase is made, it is best to have a written review of the condition of the item being sold. This would include repairs and the present condition, signed by both parties. This will eliminate the "he said, she said" that sometimes occures later, and give each party a written record of the transaction.

Best of luck

I have bought many trailers, and many of them have been wired differently. When I picked up my new Rustler, they had the marker lights and brakes crossed wired, so if someone stole the trailer, when they put the running lights on the brake would lock. My Trail-et is wired like a RV.  When I bought my Trail-et I had to pick it up another day, as I stated the wiring was different, and I had to call Trail-et for the proper wiring.

It is the buyers responsibility to make sure that all the lights are working correctly before they start home. If they are not working properly, either fix them yourself or have it done by someone else. I always carry a spare plub and a tester with me.

I guess it depends on your definition of "good to go down the road".  If it was wired to work with the seller's truck, then it was good to go.  Probably a good heads up for a question to be on everybody's used trailer shopping list:  Is the plug compatible with my towing rig?  Did you do a pre-check of lights and brakes before you hit the road?

The A/C leak doesn't make it unfit to tow.  While it would have been nice to have them disclose that problem, it doesn't make the trailer unsafe or unsound. 

I bought my trailer site-unseen, and I would have liked to have known the screens in the horse area windows were torn and the wall matts were ripped.  The seller said they had used it less than 10x (the trailer was just a year old when I bought it).  They told me all the features they had never used (the shower in the LQ, the mattress was still wrapped in plastic, etc).  I "assumed" this meant the entire trailer was pristine.   I don't fault them for not telling me every little detail that would have been a deterrent to buying.  After all they were trying to get the trailer sold.  I feel it is my responsibility as the buyer to ask the right questions.  I didn't and had those surprises when I picked the trailer up, but they sure don't make the trailer unfit for use.  I figure its the price I pay for not having made two trips - one to inspect and one to buy.  I can fix alot of stuff for the cost of diesel and time to make another 16 hour round trip.  I am guessing since you made quite a trip too, you took the same risk.

So you are in a couple hundred bucks so far for the wiring issue.  Sealing the roof around the A/C won't be that much either.  Is the cost of another trip and the time to do it worth filing a small claims lawsuit?  Was the cost savings of this particular trailer so much greater than a trailer bought locally that you came out ahead in the end?

First GN trailer I bought I also had an issue with trailer wiring.  Had my stuff to check/ fix the wiring if I had an issue when I picked it up. Hooked up and dragged that thing 10 feet up a wet grass incline before I relized what was going on.  Unhooked trailer and pulled it out so I could work on it. Needless to say it started pouring rain so I just cut the brake wires and drove it home without brakes. Fixed it the 2 days later. When you buy something used, it's used. Things can and will happen.  The seller may or may not know about the problem. Just fix it and move on.

Did the previous owners store it in a barn?  Maybe they didn't know about the leak.  Leaks happen.

I tend to budget $200 at least to get a new rig to "work" with my truck, be it camper tie downs, new hitch, new wiring for different trailer....etc.  Yes, I have bought my share of unknown "fixer uppers"......

How old is it?  Over 3 years, replace the tires for good measure!

I can understand your feelings on getting less than your expectations of a major purchase.

For the sums you're out, it's better to just make the trailer your own.  Fix the problems, enjoy the trailer features that you wanted.  Getting into our legal system is expensive and horrible to one's mental stability.

PS.. some home electrical jobs are far better than 99%  of "professional" trailer shop work.

To me,the point/issue here is: they LIED.You say you were told NOTHING was wrong.Nothing means nothing,not anything,notta,no wiring problems,air conditioner doesn't have a leak.

If they've been pulling the trailer they knew the problems.If they have had it sitting up,a leak could develop,if it was outside,but the wiring is a different story.Did they require a 6prong for their vehicle? If they used the same setup as you,then they are bound to know it didn't work.

Short of going through a great big hassle,if that's what you want to do,I would at least have a conversation with them in the form of a letter that I keep a copy of,letting them know that I'm aware they lied to me in order to make a sale.Of course THEY know they did.I would just want them to know that now I too know they are liars.

And,were you using the same 6pin on your tow vehicle as they were,or did you have to change back to a 7?We've been through this about every time we've bought another trailer,having to have one rewired,and using adapters,ect.You can do it yourself,hosspuller,granted,but,you've got to know what you're doing.

So,they didn't intentionally lie,but,come off as liars anyway.I wouldn't want to be either if I were them,so,I think if I were the OP I'd call them and tell them,"Hey,look,this is what you told me when I called,and this is what happened." And yes,stuff can happen,but I'd want to hear what they had to say in the way of an explaination first.

If they are lying,they themselves and Somebody Else knows it.

Usually private sellers don't have to offer any information that is not asked of them. They may not have known that the wiring was uncompatible with your truck. My experience buying used trailers (or used anything for that matter) is don't buy unless it is a really good deal and in good shape, have it checked out by a professional and always allow about $1,000 for any immediate upgrades, repairs, etc. Unfortunately, used is used. If the rest of your trailer is sound and in good running shape, then the wiring and leaking AC should be easy fixes that won't cost too much $$ for repair.        

To me,the point/issue here is: they LIED.You say you were told NOTHING was wrong.Nothing means nothing,not anything,notta,no wiring problems,air conditioner doesn't have a leak.

I don't know about the air conditioner leak, but the wiring is almost ALWAYS going to be different from one truck to the next.  There really isn't a standard.  My old trailer was wired to run with my ford, when I traded in my ford for a dodge I had to rewire my trails west because the trucks were wired differently.  When I traded in that trailer for my featherlite, I had to rewire the featherlite to match my dodge truck.

 I have no dog in this fight other than to say, we don't know if they lied, knowing full and well the leak was there AND the wiring would be a problem OR they were mistaken,unaware a leak had developed AND the wiring would be a problem with your truck. Unless you have something in writing, most private sales are "as is".

AND,if I were her,instead of watching everyone argue about whether or not she was sold a trailer by liars/unaware sellers,I think I'd give them a call personally.And see what they have to say.And don't start off telling them what is wrong.Tell them that there were a couple of screwed up things wrong with the trailer that caused me to have to sit on the road 5 hours and spend some extra money due to the trailer they sold,and see their reaction.

She can handle it herself from this point on.I just know what I'd do if I were her,being under the apparent impression that she is under that they shafted her.

I agreee, I'd call them. Just to let them know and see if they will offer something. But don't hold your breath. private sellers general sell items as is...which means, you'd better do your homework or you'll have to deal with problems yourself later.