I'm looking at purchasing a M416 trailer to pull behind my Taco here locally from a gentleman who's had it for several years. The Trailer is galvanized with rhino lining in the bed, 12v system with solar charger and inverter, 10 gal water tank and propane. It has Thule rack with an older Tecnitop tent from South Africa. Asking $4500 for the trailer, does this sound like a good deal?
Question on Galv. m416 trailer. (Am I getting a good deal)
- Thread starter 5TruckFF
- Start date
hollaback55
Explorer
having a built a custom M101CDN that I later sold here to a fellow expo portal member I'll say this.
M416's are great trailers but are much older than M101CDN's (1969 vs 1992) build date. This can affect a number of things but rust is your number 1 problem here. Being galvanized should help somewhat but I've not heard of the 416's coming galvanized, not saying that it isn't just I've not heard of it. Now not being able to see the trailer in person its hard to ascertain the value/quality of the tub/undercarriage/overall condition. Coatings can cover rust spots, problem areas, and other defects that will show their face over time. This is something you need to be aware of and plan for.
If it were me I'd wait for an M101CDN as your getting a much newer trailer or I would try to get this one in the 3K range. Great 416's can be had for around 1000 bucks and the list of mods makes this seem a bit high. the solar, water tank, propane are all easily sourced items. The tent would be the biggest dollar item and its not a newer piece of equipment. I'm not trying to knock any sellers price as I've had that experience myself but from a fellow trailer builder and explorer the price you put into one is never close to what you get in the re-sale market.
PM me if you want any other info
M416's are great trailers but are much older than M101CDN's (1969 vs 1992) build date. This can affect a number of things but rust is your number 1 problem here. Being galvanized should help somewhat but I've not heard of the 416's coming galvanized, not saying that it isn't just I've not heard of it. Now not being able to see the trailer in person its hard to ascertain the value/quality of the tub/undercarriage/overall condition. Coatings can cover rust spots, problem areas, and other defects that will show their face over time. This is something you need to be aware of and plan for.
If it were me I'd wait for an M101CDN as your getting a much newer trailer or I would try to get this one in the 3K range. Great 416's can be had for around 1000 bucks and the list of mods makes this seem a bit high. the solar, water tank, propane are all easily sourced items. The tent would be the biggest dollar item and its not a newer piece of equipment. I'm not trying to knock any sellers price as I've had that experience myself but from a fellow trailer builder and explorer the price you put into one is never close to what you get in the re-sale market.
PM me if you want any other info
Mark Harley
Expedition Leader
Nice looking trailer.
1 Bored Clerk
Explorer
Looks cool. Interesting about the galvanizing. I would definitely want to know more about that. You can get 'spray galvanizing' which looks similar but it is not as strong a coating. It comes in aerosol cans and would allow the person applying it to be much less precise about the prep (critical) since you just spray it on. If it's legit galvanizing, that could be nice...or at least unique. $4500 seems expensive but building something like this could easily see you well above that price. Granted, everything would be new...
What it comes down to is this: Are you happy paying $4500 for it? If so, then it's a good deal.
You will ALWAYS find someone that's happy to tell you they got something way better and paid way less for it. You worry about that stuff and you won't ever enjoy a thing you buy. This setup looks like it would get you out camping tomorrow rather than waiting 2 years for you to save up and try to build one yourself. I'm in that process with my own 416 and, while it's kind of fun to work on, I'd honestly rather be camping.
What it comes down to is this: Are you happy paying $4500 for it? If so, then it's a good deal.
You will ALWAYS find someone that's happy to tell you they got something way better and paid way less for it. You worry about that stuff and you won't ever enjoy a thing you buy. This setup looks like it would get you out camping tomorrow rather than waiting 2 years for you to save up and try to build one yourself. I'm in that process with my own 416 and, while it's kind of fun to work on, I'd honestly rather be camping.rat patrol
Adventurer
Galvanizing can be applied cold via a rattle can from the local hardwares store. It is no where near hot dipped galvanizing.
VanIsle_Greg
I think I need a bigger truck!
The tub could have been dipped too? A lot of people out there get them media blasted and a lot of places doing that can also do a hot dip, e-coat etc.
$4500 is not outrageous here, depends on what you are willing to spend? I am into my CDN M101 for WAY more than that now, If I were to sell it I would either have to ask a lot or probably totally take a bath on it. A guy in my local classifieds just sold a mint condition CDN M101 for $2000.00 and it was bone stock.
$4500 is not outrageous here, depends on what you are willing to spend? I am into my CDN M101 for WAY more than that now, If I were to sell it I would either have to ask a lot or probably totally take a bath on it. A guy in my local classifieds just sold a mint condition CDN M101 for $2000.00 and it was bone stock.
Trailpsycho
Observer
I hot-dip galvanized the frame on my 76 Bronco during my resto-mod...a buddy from HS was a saleman for a plant down in Nashville, TN, so I brought it down to his plant after I did all the mods to the frame. The hot-dip process is, if I remember correctly @ ~800 degrees, so thin sheet metal is not typically dipped as it will warp badly. I am not sure if the tub of an M416 would hold up well to the dip, plus there would be alot of excess slag on it from cooling as it came back out of the molten zinc bath. It is possible that they dipped the frame while it was all bolted together...even though its all pretty thin metal as well. That would be pretty evident by looking at the bolts. A close up photo of the frame would tell alot.
That said, there are various grades of cold-galvanizing sprays...from cheapo to really good products. If they were used here, thats not a terrible thing; the key here would be preparation. As well, to get a nice coat of cold-galv on that much surface area is still pretty freaking expensive. I would guess $200-300+ in cans. It will scratch, but can always be easily re-sprayed. It all depends on what you like. The pic looks like it was sprayed to me...but if it was dipped...and that may be possible...it may have been done a couple of years ago and thats why it has that look to it...but to me it looks alot like the galvanized-primers that they call "Weld-Thru" primer.
When a frame is first dipped it almost looks like chrome, it oxidizes fairly quickly over the next few months to have that "galv" look to it...top-coating is always do-able, but you have to use the right products and follow a sweep-blast procedure to make sure that it will stick....and this needs to be done shortly after being dipped before the zinc can oxidize much.
For what its worth, I think they trailer looks prettty sweet and seems to be outfitted well. If its in your budget and you like it, go for it. As another poster mentioned, you could very likely spend that much or more and countless hours of time setting up one similarly, so its more about whether you want a project or you want a useable, ready to go trailer...
Good luck!
John
That said, there are various grades of cold-galvanizing sprays...from cheapo to really good products. If they were used here, thats not a terrible thing; the key here would be preparation. As well, to get a nice coat of cold-galv on that much surface area is still pretty freaking expensive. I would guess $200-300+ in cans. It will scratch, but can always be easily re-sprayed. It all depends on what you like. The pic looks like it was sprayed to me...but if it was dipped...and that may be possible...it may have been done a couple of years ago and thats why it has that look to it...but to me it looks alot like the galvanized-primers that they call "Weld-Thru" primer.
When a frame is first dipped it almost looks like chrome, it oxidizes fairly quickly over the next few months to have that "galv" look to it...top-coating is always do-able, but you have to use the right products and follow a sweep-blast procedure to make sure that it will stick....and this needs to be done shortly after being dipped before the zinc can oxidize much.
For what its worth, I think they trailer looks prettty sweet and seems to be outfitted well. If its in your budget and you like it, go for it. As another poster mentioned, you could very likely spend that much or more and countless hours of time setting up one similarly, so its more about whether you want a project or you want a useable, ready to go trailer...
Good luck!
John
DividingCreek
Explorer
galvanizers who are sensitive to the gauge of your metal can do thin parts without issue. The key is to air cool them not quench them as thats when they warp badly. I'm about to do an english sankey frame and tub so no reason to think this 416 hasn't been done that way. The process involves dipping the part in the 800 degree tank first to burn off any contaminants like paint, sealants, caulk etc, then they are dipped in a series of tanks. The first is an acid dip which eats/removes any rust, then a rinse and then a flux dip and then the zinc bath again this time for the coating.