How to Sell a Broken Bike Trailer

A broken bike trailer is still worth selling — typically £10 to £50 at For Parts, against £40 to £200 in working order.

Can you sell a bike trailer that does not work?

Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.

What actually goes wrong with bike trailers

These are the faults that move a bike trailer down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:

Missing or incomplete harnesses
Bent frames from impacts
Missing hitches, which are model-specific
Perished fabric and torn covers

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £18 to £90. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £10 to £50. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:

Check the harness is complete and fastens
Sight along the frame for bends
Confirm the hitch is included

Photographing the fault

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

The trailer set up, whole, from the side
The harness inside, laid out
The hitch and safety strap
The frame folded, plus the cover, tyres and any tear or crack

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken bike trailers want these confirmed:

Number of child seats and the maximum weight per seat
Whether it converts to a buggy, jogger or stroller, and whether those parts are included
Whether the hitch and safety strap are included
Frame, harness, tyre and cover condition, and folded dimensions

Capacity, brand and conversion: “Double Child Bike Trailer, Converts to Jogger, with Hitch”. Single or double is the first filter and conversion kits are a real selling point. Say whether the hitch adapter is included, since they are model specific.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“Is the hitch included?”

Confirm, and name the type. Hitches are model specific and sourcing one separately is both awkward and expensive.

“Is the harness complete?”

Check every strap and buckle on each seat. It is the safety component and replacements are rarely available for older models.

“Does it convert?”

Say what conversion parts are included. A trailer that also becomes a jogger is worth substantially more and buyers search for it.

Is it worth repairing first?

Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:

Complete five-point harnesses
Undamaged frames with no bends
Hitches included and matched
Recognised brands with a following

If the work would cost more than the gap between £50 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

March to August is the window, peaking in spring. Convertible models from known brands sell within a fortnight in season.

Getting it to the buyer

Folds flat but is still bulky, so give the folded dimensions. Include the hitch and any conversion wheel, which are the parts most often left behind.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full bike trailer selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken bike trailer worth anything?

Yes — typically £10 to £50 at For Parts against £40 to £200 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Missing or incomplete harnesses

Should I repair it before selling?

Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are complete five-point harnesses and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty bike trailer?

The fault itself, in detail. Confirm, and name the type. Hitches are model specific and sourcing one separately is both awkward and expensive. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.