I've been told about an older - early 90's? Keifer Built 3 horse trailer with front dressing room (wired for 110 but not finished and no A/C). The man wants $6k for it. He claims that it's in very good condition and my step son says that he is trustworthy (he's one of his sub-contractors).
Is Keifer Built a good trailer? It does seem to be a good price, but would a trailer this old hold it's value, or would it be worth little to nothing in a couple of years?
We really don't want to go into debt for a trailer, but hurricane season is here, and we have 3 horses and only have a 2 horse trailer. Our current trailer is steel and rusting unbelievably fast! I'll never buy steel again (we live on the Gulf Coast)!!! The idea is to buy it and then sell it and buy a nice trailer next year (we'll have paid off several debts by then).
Posted 2010-07-10 7:52 AM (#122146 - in reply to #122056) Subject: RE: Help! - Older Keifer Built Trailer??
Veteran
Posts: 188 Location: Ingalls, Ks
I have an 05 Keifer and like it just fine. They seem to be a good quality trailer from what I've seen. I would think you'd be fine on the price considering everyone in your area is probably having the same problems with steel trailers. I feel like aluminum (if taken care of) will only depreciate so much and then pretty much be worth about what they're asking. As long as you don't want to sleep up front in that tapered nose I think you'll be alright. I will say that trailer is quite different than mine.
Posted 2010-07-10 8:18 AM (#122149 - in reply to #122056) Subject: RE: Help! - Older Keifer Built Trailer??
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
I'm not sure about the exact age, I think it was the early 90's, but some Kiefers had rear door problems. They were manufactured by an outside vendor and had delamination and flexing problems. Kiefer resolved the problem a few years later, and now has a very competent construction. As a result, there are a couple of years that are best avoided.
I believe Don at Dixie Horse and Mule has the exact answers and might be a good source of info.
Posted 2010-07-10 9:00 AM (#122153 - in reply to #122056) Subject: RE: Help! - Older Keifer Built Trailer??
Elite Veteran
Posts: 714 Location: Minnesota
I agree with 301duster about sleeping in the nose. Gard is right about the door dlamination, but it was around 2000 when that was going on, and should have shown up by now as it was caused by the CCA plywood in the door. It looks like a good trailer, and if your main purpose of the trailer is to get your horses out of harms way in the event of a hurricane then it will more than do the job. Kiefer is a well built trailer and you may be suprised in a year or so, that the trailer will probably not depreciate any more, and you may want to keep it.
Posted 2010-07-10 9:28 AM (#122154 - in reply to #122056) Subject: RE: Help! - Older Keifer Built Trailer??
New User
Posts: 2
Thank you for the info! We did plan on sleeping in the trailer, and that's what I didn't like about it. Our first response was to say no to it, but after a month or so of searching, we realized that it is the only aluminum trailer we have been able to find that is in our budget and that we wouldn't have to blow a whole weekend traveling to go to see/buy it.
Per genebob - "Kiefer is a well built trailer and you may be suprised in a year or so, that the trailer will probably not depreciate any more, and you may want to keep it."
That is exactly what we are counting on. We really want a trailer with a weekender pkg., but even though the bank says we can afford it, we're too financially conservative to make that move just now. If this trailer will hold it's value, then it will help us move up to what we really want. I just wasn't sure...not too savvy about the trailer market/values, especially aluminum, and had never heard of Kiefer.
Thanks for the info...I'll be sure and look at that door closely!
Posted 2010-07-10 10:05 AM (#122157 - in reply to #122056) Subject: RE: Help! - Older Keifer Built Trailer??
Elite Veteran
Posts: 714 Location: Minnesota
You should be able to see it clearly. What happened is that unbeknownst to Kiefer, an outside contractor they used to build the doors used the new (at that time) CCA lumber as the core of the doors. The treatment used to preserve the wood eats metal. So the aluminum skin on the doors basically disintigrated from the inside out. I can't tell from the pictures, but you may have the ribbed doors on this trailer. If that is so, you will not have the problem. As I understand it it was only the smooth skin doors affected, where they needed structural strength. Good luck!
Help! - Older Keifer Built Trailer??
