M416 trailer build question

[prairiecruise1]

I know this can be debated a million times but here we go. I am in the market for an expo trailer the question is build my own or buy something. It all starts with the needs vs the wants. I need a simple trailer to haul gear but I want the best of the best. With building my own you get what you want but with that comes time and money. Buying one you may not get what you want but you can use it and int the future spend the time and money to modify it to get what you want. I was all set to build my own when I came across a m416 trailer which in most respects is new, I don't think it was ever taken of the base. Not one little dent or rust it's in perfect condition. Seller wants 1200 for it which I think is fair. I could use it as is for now and modify later. Am I crazy not to buy it. Not listed for sale so hurry to have to buy it. Any advise is appreciated.

[m101a3]

The thing with these M416 trailers is this: you can always buy/build a generic expo trailer, but there will come a time when you won't be able to buy an authentic M416; especially one as good as you're describing.

[prairiecruise1]

I agree but if I modify it to my needs as most people do how authentic is it? I guess I need to decide buy and use as is for now and modify in the future or sell it and build in the future either way it's 1200 which from what I have seen my be in the higher end but given condition is fair I believe.

[1 Bored Clerk]

I'd be tempted to leave the pristine military trailers for the parade/collector crowd. Or, at least, keep it uncut and nice as possible since, as mentioned above, they don't make them anymore. Ultimately, though, do what ya want and have fun.

[fxk142]

We went through the same thought process, but another thing that we considered was the title issue. In PA you need to have a titled trailer, or you need to apply for a home built trailer title which can be a pain. Most M416s we have found for a reasonable price only come with a bill of sale, no title. A way we have found to get around this issue is to title our trailers in Maine, because you do not have to be a Maine resident to own a trailer titled there. Maine does not require annual inspections of trailers under 3000 lbs, and you can register the vehicle for longer periods of time without having to renew every year. We registered our trailers for 10 years, they mailed us the tags and we are good to go. I know this has been an issue for a lot of guys in the past.

If the M416 you are looking at has a clean title, then that adds significant value, and in the condition it is in would lend itself to be more of a collector item. You could buy it and flip it to the collector crowd, and then use the profits to purchase a project M416 for cheap, in our case we paid less than $250 for each. Then go to town modifying it to your liking.

[prairiecruise1]

I wish it was that easy to find a project trailer. I live in Canada and this is a newer Cdn 416 1987 I believe. Project ones just aren't around and if you are lucky enough to find one they still demand top dollar. As far as buying and flipping it that may be tough because of shipping what's the most you would get maybe 1500 plus shipping plus the hassle of selling $300 profit is not really worth the effort of selling besides I probably would not want to sell once it's in my driveway

[General Automag]

I know this can be debated a million times but here we go. I am in the market for an expo trailer the question is build my own or buy something. It all starts with the needs vs the wants. I need a simple trailer to haul gear but I want the best of the best. With building my own you get what you want but with that comes time and money. Buying one you may not get what you want but you can use it and int the future spend the time and money to modify it to get what you want. I was all set to build my own when I came across a m416 trailer which in most respects is new, I don't think it was ever taken of the base. Not one little dent or rust it's in perfect condition. Seller wants 1200 for it which I think is fair. I could use it as is for now and modify later. Am I crazy not to buy it. Not listed for sale so hurry to have to buy it. Any advise is appreciated.

$1,200 is cheap. The M416s I've seen in great condition are in the $2,000 - $2,500 range. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/for/2980164652.html I'd go ahead and grab it!

[Mark Harley]

I vote to Expo or at least match the tow vehicle.
They look so cool as a combo!

[Squatchout]

Depends on what you need for an Expo trailer. For just hauling stuff the M416 is just about perfect as it comes out of the box. You can do a lot of usefull mods without messing it up. Most of the bling mods are great and look cool but don't really improve the trailers that much in my opinion. Many of them get modded to the max and then end up in the classifieds a year later! Just project junkies. If it ain't broke don't fix it. The less you mod it the more use you get. Hard to haul firewood, mulch and gravel in a trailer full of cabinetsand propane tanks unless they lift out.

[Woods]

This is sort of off topic, but another thing to consider is size. The 500lb. military trailers are small. When I started my build, I thought I'd have plenty of room and more for all my stuff. Not so. I ended up building a larger (taller) lid, to create some more storage. The lid became a major project. One thing I wish I'd done was pull out all the gear that I wanted to travel with and measure how much space is required to carry it. Just a thought, since you're in the beginning stages...