Trailer Restoration in Des Moines, IA | Ames Hydraulics

Trailer Restoration Serving Des Moines, Iowa

Trailer restoration is different than trailer repair. Repair fixes what broke this week. Restoration takes an older trailer — 15, 20, 30 years old — and brings it back to working, DOT-legal condition. Frame welding, cross-member replacement, floor rebuild, wiring, brakes, hydraulic hoist service — the full package. If you’re in the Des Moines area and looking for a shop that does trailer restoration in-house rather than farming pieces out, we’re the right stop.

Our shop is in Ames, 35 miles south of Des Moines on I-35. Trailer restoration customers regularly bring trailers to us from Des Moines for the same reasons: dealer restoration quotes are punishing, general shops don’t have the full-service capability, and the trailer needs to be done right so it lasts another 10-15 years.

What Trailer Restoration Actually Includes

Every restoration is a little different but a full trailer restoration covers structural, mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and cosmetic. Structural: frame straightening, cracked cross-member replacement, floor plank replacement, hitch and coupler repair. Mechanical: suspension service (springs, torsion axles, or air-ride), axle inspection and possible replacement, drum-and-brake rebuild. Hydraulic (for dump and lift trailers): hoist cylinder rebuild, pump service, hose replacement. Electrical: full harness replacement, LED upgrades, 7-way plug rebuild. Cosmetic: sandblast and repaint or aluminum polish as needed.

Trailer Types We Restore For Des Moines Customers

Semi trailers, dump trailers, livestock trailers, horse trailers, grain hoppers, aluminum tank trailers, flatbed and stepdeck, gooseneck, utility, boat trailers. Every type has different priorities. Dump trailers focus on hoist rebuild + floor plate. Grain hoppers need aluminum wall repair + hopper-gate work. Livestock trailers need floor rot repair + gate rebuilds. Horse trailers need interior + ventilation work. Semi trailers get frame straightening + brakes + lights + kingpin service.

Free Pickup And Delivery From Des Moines

Trailer restoration is usually a case where the trailer can’t be safely towed to us — that’s often why it needs restoring. We offer free pickup and delivery on trailer restoration jobs within roughly 60 miles of Ames, which covers Des Moines and most of the surrounding area. We come get the trailer, do the work, and return it. Simple.

Timeline For Des Moines Trailer Restoration

Partial restorations turn in 2-3 weeks. Full restorations take 4-8 weeks depending on scope, parts availability, and shop load. If you have a specific date you need the trailer back — a hauling season, a show, a work project — tell us and we’ll plan the restoration backwards from that date so it’s ready when you need it.

Cost Ranges

Partial trailer restoration (deck, brakes, wiring on a 10-year-old dump trailer): $1,500-$3,000. Full restoration on an older grain hopper or dump trailer: $4,000-$8,000. Ground-up restoration on a vintage or heavily-abused trailer: $8,000-$15,000+. Every restoration gets a written estimate before we start, and we call before doing anything not in the original scope.

Honest Assessment First

Not every trailer is worth restoring. If the frame is rotted through and the axles are non-repairable, we tell Des Moines customers to move on to a different trailer. Restoring a $2,000 utility trailer that needs $4,000 in work is the wrong math. We give an honest assessment before we start. That approach is why Des Moines-area customers come back — no upsold restorations.

What Sets Us Apart For Des Moines Trailer Restoration

Everything happens in our shop. Frame welding, aluminum welding, hydraulic rebuild, brake service, wiring, cosmetic — no shipping-out to specialty shops for parts of the job. That means faster turnaround, better coordination, and one point of accountability. It also means one written estimate, one invoice, one warranty covering the whole restoration.

Common Questions From Des Moines Trailer Restoration Customers

How long will a restored trailer last? A properly restored trailer with new brakes, wiring, welded frame, and replaced floor will run another 10-15 years easy with normal maintenance.

Will the restored trailer pass DOT inspection? Yes. Full FMVSS inspection is included and documented for your records.

Do you restore aluminum trailers? Yes. Aluminum welding on grain hoppers, livestock trailers, tank trailers, and horse trailers is standard trailer restoration work in our shop.

Can I get a rough quote from photos? Yes. Text photos of the trailer inside and out. We’ll ballpark trailer restoration cost over the phone and firm the quote when we see the trailer.

Written Estimate, No Surprise Invoices

Every trailer restoration gets a written estimate before we start turning wrenches. If we open the trailer up and find damage that wasn’t visible externally — hidden frame cracks, floor rot under a good-looking top layer, corroded brake components — we call before doing extra work. Des Moines customers hate surprise invoices and we hate delivering them. The number we quote is the number you pay unless we mutually agree on additional scope.

Independent Shop Advantage

We are not a trailer dealer. We do not sell new trailers. We do not do warranty work on newer trailers under manufacturer coverage. What we do is out-of-warranty trailer restoration, faster and less expensive than dealer service, and we specialize in it. That specialization is why Des Moines customers keep coming back — dealers restore trailers as a side job; we restore trailers as our specialty.

Getting Started — Des Moines Customers

Call or text 515-292-2599. Send photos of the trailer if you can. Describe what’s wrong and what you want at the end of the restoration. We’ll ballpark trailer restoration cost over the phone, arrange free pickup from Des Moines if the trailer needs it, and give you a written estimate before we start work. Iowa’s largest metro, biggest fleet market in the state — we already know the Des Moines area and the kind of equipment that runs there, so scoping the restoration is quick and accurate.