1st time buyer - 31 vs 35 ft trailer?

Mickeyfan0805 wrote:
To your new/used question, people have very different takes on that. If 'used' means 2-3 years old, your not likely to get a huge break on the cost (especially if buying from a dealer). If used is 5-8 years old, you can save a chunk, but you are living in a until used by another family for 5-8 years.

One of the arguments for buying a 'gently used' trailer is that the previous owner may have already dealt with all of the defects from the manufacturer. This may or may not be the case for a particular rig, but for some it can make a difference.

For us, I don't mind doing most of the repairs myself (we've had our trailer for 6.5 years and I have had it in the shop twice - once for new tires and the other to replace and axle), and we planned to keep it for a long time, so we bought new.

If you want someone else to have worked out the kinks, or think you only may have it for 3-5 years, a used unit is probably your better bet. If you don't mind doing the basic stuff yourself and saving the warranty repairs for the off-season, and plan to keep it for a longer period, I'd suggest that new is a better option.

Good point about someone else sorting out all of the warranty repairs with the dealer, I'd rather not deal with the hassle. Plus, I don't really have any trailer or auto repair experience so this might be a little frustrating. I know I'll need to build some of that expertise, but would rather do that slowly over time.

camp-n-family wrote:
You need the payload to carry that pin weight AND all the passengers. Go with the 350 (1 ton), especially if it’s a diesel. Most 3/4 ton trucks with diesels are close to max payload with pin weight alone.

Makes perfect sense about the 1 ton, I'll make sure to limit my search to the F-350. I'm getting it as a 3rd vehicle so the rough ride of the 350 around town won't be as much of an issue.

Thanks everyone for the input, this has been super helpful!
Anything else I should be thinking about with buying a trailer?