Inspection List for Buying a Trailer

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Equipping Your Horse Farm
Horsekeeping
on a Small Acreage

Cherry Hill's
Horsekeeping Almanac

Equipping Your Horse Farm
Horsekeeping On A Small Acreage
Horsekeeping On A Small Acreage

BUYING A TRAILER

Excerpt from Equipping Your Horse Farm   

©  2008 Cherry Hill   © Copyright Information

Physical Inspection

If a trailer sounds promising after the first two stages, you’ll want to make an appointment to look at it. Here is where you want to spend some time looking at details.

If you are buying a used trailer, take your tow vehicle along so you can hook it up to evaluate the hitch or bed height, assess levelness and to check the lights and brakes. Used trailers generally have no warranty so you or your mechanic should inspect the trailer carefully.

Physical Inspection Checklist

  • Overall Appearance
  • Stored Indoors or Outdoors
  • Rust
  • Paint
  • Product Identification Number PIN plate
  • Model
  • Serial Number
  • Year manufactured
  • GVWR
  • Empty trailer weight
  • Title
  • Structure
  • Frame
  • Body
  • Suspension
  • Axles
  • Wheel Bearings
  • Roof
  • Other
  • Verify height
  • Verify width of stalls
  • Verify length of stalls
  • Hitch
  • Chains
  • Cable for Breakaway Battery
  • Plug for brakes and lights
  • Coupler
  • Brake battery
  • Floor
  • Mats
  • Tires
  • Spare Tire
  • Maintenance schedule and log
  • Repair records
  • Owner’s manual
  • Doors work:
  • Hinges
  • Latches
  • Windows work:
  • Hinges or slides
  • Latches
  • Vents
  • Number
  • Location
  • Operations
  • Ramp, raise, lower
  • Condition of floor
  • Condition of stalls
  • Sidewalls – reinforcement?
  • Dividers
  • Padding
  • Butt bars and chest bars
  • Condition of tack room
  • Smell
  • Ceiling
  • Floor
  • Doors
  • Windows
  • Hooks/racks
  • Lights
  • Other
  • Operating Lights and covers
  • Running
  • Brake
  • Back-up
  • Turn signal
  • Clearance lights
  • Interior lights
  • Loading lights
  • License Plate holder and light
  • Tie Rings
  • Safety warning stickers
  • Under the trailer inspection

©  2008 Cherry Hill   © Copyright Information  

 

  

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