It seems like a long shot that we will be able to find trailer we want to buy in close driving distance of Seattle. Maybe I'm wrong. But I do see many Bolers and Trilliums for sale in BC, which is close enough to make it worthwhile, but often not close enough to make a quick trip to inspect a trailer in person.

So, is it possible to get a good sense of a trailer from photos? I was looking at this ad today, and I really like the looks of the inside:

http://vancouver.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles...QAdIdZ164696560

What would an expert eye be able to deduce from the photos (or the ad)? For example, I was wondering if the fact that the trailer hitch looks kind of rusty is a bad thing. Anything else?

Any suggestions for dealing with trailers for sale several hours' drive away?

Thanks!

Hi Amy,

One option is to put out a call to our FGRV members who are close to the trailer to check it out for you. I have done so a few times and it's quite fun - there is no sales pressure because we aren't the one who is buying it and so we can be pretty objective.

The last time I checked out a trailer I took the rv checklist and my camera and spent about 30 minutes going over the trailer ( a lil bigfoot ). Unfortunately the seller and purchaser didn't come to a financial agreement but I enjoyed getting a chance to comb a trailer I never been in before.

"Any suggestions for dealing with trailers for sale several hours' drive away?"

Ask lots of questions and request additional photos of certain areas.
If seller is reluctant-----------> PASS
If you go to see a trailer bring CASH.

Great advice from Booker.
Agree with Kevin, ask for close up pic's of things that are not shown, such as frame, window's etc.


Wanted to add that if a trailer is as clean looking as the one in the photo's, good chance that it's in decent shape. If they took that much care on what you can see then hopefully they took the same care on the things you can't see. But that being said, you just don't know till you can actually see it in person. I personally wouldn't buy sight unseen again. Thankfully I had family that lived in the state from which we purchased, so they were able to go see it and give me their opinion.

I did buy an older one sight unseen and things that the owner stated where in good condition such as tires, weren't! Not that it would have made a difference, I would have still bought it but it just shows you some peoples opinion of what is in great/good shape, may not be your opinion.

Check the door bottom to see how well it seals up with the body (or not).

In picture #1 the door does not look quite right, either it is slightly open or if it is shut it is seriously misaligned and not fitting well at the bottom

Also look at the top of the door, this one is hanging crooked...... Gonna need some hinge work either rehanging or hinge replacement. Rehanging will prob involve fiberglass work. Larry

I would be concerned about the door also. If you can increase the zoom level on you computer to say 200% you will see it look considerably out of line with the frame.
Before getting our present Boler we put a deposit on one we saw on a kiiji listing.It was a considerable distance away from us so the deposit was made with the option of a refund if the trailer was not what it appeared to be in the pictures.Although the pictures presented a very nice trailer it looked entirely different upon viewing in person.I would never buy sight unseen.Even having someone else look at the trailer for you might not help as eveyone has a different opinion as to what they find acceptable.Only by examining it in person (along with a buyers check list)will you be sure you are getting exactly what YOU want and be compelelty satisfied with your purchase.Just my two cents.

Amy, ...just a thought, but .....Seattle isn't all that far from Greenwood, B.C.
Would you trust someome elses opinon rather than your own in spending anywhere between $2000 and $4000 for anything? Why not plan a weekend getaway and come up here and check it out first hand ....hay, its YOUR money!!!! ....just my 2 cents (Canadian) worth!

well I know a few members on here personally and I know if I asked them to check something out if they could I would in fact trust their judgement for the most part. The final deciding factor is up to you but if you put the call out and asked for someone to check it out just to give you a heads up (as in is it really worth that drive) I see no harm in that in fact it may save you an impulse buy. Someones idea of an easy fix may not be your idea of an easy fix. Keep the word out that your looking for a trailer in this area...in fact their was a really cool orange one in port orchard this summer and a few in the area....keep looking your trailer will come soon enough

On a side note I did in fact put out a call and a member on here *THANK YOU RUSTY* member went in the deep deep snow and checked out a trailer and helped me obtain it site unseen and was quite helpful getting the trailer ready befor I took it across the pass....

HI
I have always been turned off by photos of trailers that look messy inside. Although this doen't give any accurate mechanical information, I feel that if the person couldn't at least make it look nice for a photo, when they are trying to sell it, what kind of maintenance do they do?
This goes for cars, homes and I guess, everything else!!
(of course this doesn't always work the other way around, as someone can really clean up a junker)
Marjie

Amy, I would ask for clarification with the seller if the pic was taken with the door open a crack. But also have to say, it's a 1974 trailer there will be some issues unless someone has went completely thru it. I didn't see where that was stated in the Ad so yes things like the door may need some fixin, what you want to know is if there are leaks, cracks in the frame (most likely fixable!), etc. The major stuff is what is scary, but knowing ahead of time helps you decide if the trailer is one you want to buy and tackle the issues. Again the ideas of members being able to check it out and giving their opinion is a great one! But only you will know if it's the right one! Best of luck.

This could be an optical illusion, or an original "goof," but I am wondering if the frame is bent or broken near the door.

Not only is the door not fitting properly, but the above-door drip cap is not lined up with the awning rail (they should be parallel to each other). Also, in the photo where we are standing outside the trailer looking in at the icebox... look at the upper door frame/opening. That doesn't look right to me, and again makes me wonder about the frame under that area.

As Robin said, most any 1970's trailer will need work, but the way I feel is that "I don't mind problems; but I don't want surprises."

Raya

That pictureof the Boler, taken from an angle, doesn't give a true representation of the way the door hangs. Ask for a straight-on side view picture of the door, showing the hinges, the lock, and the edge gap clearly.
Don't let a miner problem disway you, remember, these trailers are made of fiberglass and can be repaired with a little patience and effort. Check out in past threads what Roy in TO has been doing with a trailer he purchased, that had a tree through it's roof and a pile of other issues. Your decission will be whether or not the trailer is within your ability to maintain it as you want.
The door on ours had a huge gap at the bottom and a large gap at the top where it had sagged over the years. By relocating the hinges up we eliminated90% of the problem and it only took a few minutes.
Jim

The thing that would perhaps turn me off of this particular Boler is it looks like it's been painted with house paint!?!? I mean it matches that wood tongue box. THAT I don't think I'd want to deal with. I'm certainly not adverse to paint, in fact like it on these eggs, but it's got to be the right kind of paint and done well.

Donna,
That Boler looks just like the one we got this summer from Canada. The color is called Prairie Lilly. Ours does not have the wooden box on the front. The door paint color is right. The door is always white.
Chuck

See, you can't always tell something by just looking at a picture! Thanks for the clarification.

A few years ago I made a commitment to buy a 16' Casita from a woman in Texas.
I had her take pictures of certain areas and verify the exact condition of the trailer in several specific areas before deciding to buy it.

The pictures went a long way toward helping me decide as I was sure they represented the areas I was concerned about.
I sent a deposit via Fedex Next Day to hold the unit till I could get down there.

So I drove down to San Antonio 16 or so hours one way and when I arrived and found the trailer I could not believe my eyes!

What an absolute hunk of junk!!!
She had somehow managed to capture the photos without revealing the true nature of the condition,I WAS SHOCKED TO SAY THE LEAST.

Things got fairly heated and I could easily see the police being called as I was livid.
I guess she just expected me to accept it all and pay her and tow it away.

That is not what happened.

There was even a Camping World Store less than 1 mile from the location and I was afraid the trailer might not make it that far!

The owner seemed dumbfounded with my reaction and could not understand why I was even upset?

There was another Casita there,17' and much nicer but se refused to work out a deal for that one at all.

I got my deposit back only after threatening her boyfriend with a fight and turned around and left.

some moths later I saw an ebay listing for what was clearly the same trailer but fixed up nicely?
I contacted the seller and he told me of the same exact routine being run on him but he did it anyway and for $1000.00 more than I had agreed to.

He ended up having a new frame made ad after that and many major repairs could not afford to keep the trailer.

Anyway....now i know that I may end up seeing just about anything in person and no matter how careful I have been to qualify the seller as an honest and decent person,I am prepared to walk away if it is not as promised.

It can be a lot of fun but not without its risks.
And this is after buying 5 trailers now ,none local to me.

Each deal has had some issues it seems but that is just part of the adventure I guess.

Good Luck

Ed

It seems strange to me that they allow that pink blob to show on the front of the counter.

Caveat emptor!

How about getting it back across the border and then licensing it in WA? I would surely check into the hoops you will have to jump through to do that.

Took another look at the door. It doesn't even look like it is the same shape as the opening. I can see the inside edge of the opening at the top rear. Look at the side view of the door opening shape. Notice how it raises at the left side. The door looks like it is horizontal. Maybe it is a replacement door from some other brand.

Thanks for all the replies. It has been very enlightening. I think with us being newbies who really don't want a "project," buying something close to home that we can see in person is going to be important. I work in real estate, so I know how photos can be deceiving.

In a way, it's good that none of the really interesting-looking trailers have been close enough for us to buy, as we would prefer to wait for a few months to save more money. I have this sense of urgency to grab every good-looking trailer, though, because I so want to have one for next summer! Patience, patience.

Amy,

You get tons of trailers for sale in WA, OR, Idaho and N. CA that you can get to quickly. I'd recommend being patient and seeing one close by and in person since you are in a very good location for Eggs. If someone is on the East coast or in the Deep South they have very little to go look at and sometimes have to take a gamble.

As we go into winter some of the best buys will present themselves, so you should be able to find what you want easily by spring.

It's more money, but I think this would be a much better buy than that Boler previously discussed:
1978 Trillium 4500 located on Vancouver Island BC

That one does look nice. Two major concerns for me would be weight (since we're towing with a Subaru) and the fact that the double bed is permanent. We are a family of three and so need the larger table option. And the price is higher than what we have assumed we would need to spend. I know the value is good for the larger size and good condition, but this is already a big purchase for us in iffy economic times.

Thanks for the reassurance!