The short answer
If it's metal and it's dead, it's worth something — and the heavier and more awkward it is, the more you want us to take it, not you. An aluminium boat, a steel trailer, a caravan chassis or an old farm implement all carry real scrap value, and often more per kilo than a car. The bigger win is usually just getting the thing gone: free collection, cash on the spot, and no trip to a tip that wouldn't take it anyway.
Northland is boat, trailer and farm country. Drive from Mangawhai to the Bay of Islands and you'll pass a dead runabout on every second lawn, a caravan slowly sinking into the grass, and trailers rusting behind sheds from Kaipara to Kaitāia. Most people assume this stuff is worthless, or that shifting it is more trouble than it's worth. Neither is true. Here's what each type is actually worth, and how we make it disappear.
Why Northland gear dies young
It's the salt. Northland's coastline, humidity and sea air are punishing on metal — the same reason coastal cars here rust out faster than anywhere else in the country. Trailer axles seize, boat rivets weep and stress-crack, and farm implements corrode from the inside out while they sit in a wet paddock. The upshot: a lot of Northland metal reaches the end of its usable life while still holding solid scrap value — especially the aluminium, which doesn't rust the way steel does but does fatigue and pit.
Boats — the aluminium is the asset
This is the one people most underestimate. Marine-grade aluminium is worth well more per kilogram than the mild steel in a car, so a dead alloy hull isn't rubbish — it's a chunk of high-value non-ferrous metal sitting on your lawn.
- Aluminium (tinny / alloy) boats: real value in the hull itself, plus the trailer it's sitting on. A dead outboard adds more aluminium and copper on top.
- Fibreglass boats: the glass hull has little scrap value, and honestly it's mostly a disposal problem. But the alloy fittings, the outboard and the trailer all have value — and we still take the hull away, which is the part you actually can't deal with yourself.
- Dead outboards and inboards: aluminium blocks, copper wiring and other non-ferrous metals. Worth pricing separately even if the boat's already gone.
The awkward truth about a dead boat is that it's the ideal thing to abandon — too heavy to move, too fibreglass-y for the tip, too far gone to sell. That's exactly the job we're built for: we bring the gear to lift and load it, from a driveway, a boat ramp or a back paddock.
Trailers — almost pure recoverable metal
Trailers are the cleanest scrap of the lot. A boat trailer, box trailer or car trailer is nearly all sellable metal — chassis, drawbar, axle, springs, rims — with very little waste.
- Steel / galvanised trailers: mostly recoverable ferrous metal. Simple, heavy, and worth collecting.
- Alloy trailers: worth more again, for the same reason boats are — aluminium beats steel per kilo.
- Registration: trailers are registered in NZ, so have the plate and papers if you can — but a lost rego doesn't stop the sale, and we'll walk you through the notice of disposal.
Caravans — value in the chassis, relief in the removal
Caravans are a mixed bag, and it pays to be honest about it. The steel chassis and any aluminium cladding have genuine value; the timber framing, lining, upholstery and fittings are disposal rather than income. So the metal pays, but for most people the real value is simply making a large, immovable, slowly-rotting thing vanish for free — including the parts the tip won't accept.
Like trailers, caravans are registered, so bring what paperwork you have. And check for personal belongings and any gas bottles before we collect — those come off first.
Farm machinery & implements — Northland's hidden scrap
Every Northland farm and lifestyle block has it: a seized implement in the long grass, a dead ride-on, an old topper or slasher, a rusted-solid piece of gear that hasn't turned in years. This is often the heaviest, densest metal of all — and the hardest to move, which is precisely why it gets left.
- Implements, toppers, slashers, old trailers of gear: mostly heavy steel, good ferrous weight.
- Ride-ons and small machinery: steel plus aluminium and copper in the engine.
- The farm ute that finally died: we cover that separately in cash for Northland farm utes — often worth pairing the two into one pickup.
If you're clearing a block, it's usually most efficient to have us take the boat, the trailer, the caravan, the dead ute and the paddock of implements in one visit. One call, one collection, one payment.
How the value is actually set
Scrap isn't a fixed price — it moves with the global metal market and the New Zealand dollar, and it depends heavily on what the metal is. As a rough hierarchy, per kilogram: copper and aluminium sit well above steel, which is why an alloy boat or a copper-heavy outboard punches above a car for its weight. We explain the mechanics in how scrap car prices are set in NZ — the same logic applies to marine and farm metal.
Everything we quote is indicative until we've seen it. Condition, completeness, how much non-ferrous metal is in it, and the market on the day all matter. What we won't do is quote you a fixed number sight-unseen and then chip it down at pickup.
The real reason to call us
Honestly, for a lot of this gear the scrap value is a bonus. The main thing you're buying is the problem going away — a heavy, awkward, weathered thing removed from your property for free, by people who bring the equipment to lift it, and who pay you rather than charge you. That's the difference between a dead boat that sits on your lawn for another three years and one that's gone by Friday.
What we collect across Northland
Aluminium & fibreglass boats · dead outboards & inboards · boat, box & car trailers · caravans · ride-ons & small machinery · farm implements, toppers & slashers · and of course farm utes and 4WDs. Anywhere from Mangawhai and Kaipara up through Ruakākā & Marsden Point, Tutukākā & Whangārei Heads, the Bay of Islands and the Far North.
Frequently asked questions
Do you actually buy boats and trailers, not just cars?
Yes. Alongside cars we buy and remove aluminium and fibreglass boats, boat and box trailers, caravans, and end-of-life farm machinery across Northland. If it's metal and it's dead, weathered or unwanted, we'll price it and collect it — running or not, on a trailer or off it.
What is a dead aluminium boat actually worth?
More than most people think. Marine-grade aluminium is worth considerably more per kilogram than the mild steel in a car, so a stripped alloy hull carries real scrap value. A dead outboard adds aluminium and copper on top. Fibreglass hulls are different — the glass itself has little scrap value, but the alloy fittings, trailer and motor do, and we still take the hull away so you're not left disposing of it yourself. Every figure is indicative and confirmed on inspection.
Are trailers and caravans worth scrapping?
Trailers are close to pure recoverable metal — a galvanised or steel trailer chassis and axle is almost all sellable, and alloy trailers are worth more again. Caravans are a mix: the steel chassis and any aluminium cladding have value, while the timber, lining and fittings are disposal rather than income. The value is in the metal, but the bigger benefit is having a heavy, awkward thing gone from your property for free.
Do I need the registration or papers for a boat, trailer or caravan?
Trailers and caravans are registered vehicles in NZ, so ideally have the plate and any papers — but a lost registration doesn't stop a sale, and we can guide you on the notice of disposal. Boats aren't registered like road vehicles, so ownership is more straightforward. Bring whatever you have; missing paperwork rarely blocks a scrap sale.
Why does Northland gear rust and corrode so fast?
Salt air. Northland's coastline and humidity are brutal on metal — trailer axles seize, boat rivets weep, farm implements left in a paddock corrode from the inside out. It's the same reason coastal cars here don't last as long. The upside is that a lot of Northland metal reaches end-of-life while still holding real scrap value, especially the aluminium.
Can you collect from a farm, lifestyle block or boat ramp?
Yes — anywhere in Northland, from a Kaipara farm to a Tutukākā driveway to a Ruakākā back paddock. We bring the gear to lift and load heavy or awkward items, so you don't need to move the boat, trailer or machinery yourself. That's usually the whole problem: it's too heavy to shift and the tip won't take it. We solve exactly that.
What's the difference between the metal in a boat, a trailer and a car?
It comes down to what the metal is and what it's worth per kilo. A car is mostly mild steel (the lowest-value ferrous metal) plus some aluminium and copper. A trailer is mostly steel too, but with very little waste — nearly all of it is recoverable. An aluminium boat is the standout: marine alloy sits well above car steel in value per kilogram. We explain how these rates are set in our guide on how scrap car prices are set in NZ.
Get it gone — and get paid
Dead boat, rusted trailer, rotting caravan or a paddock of scrap? Call 0800 600 069 or request a free quote. We'll give you an honest indicative figure, bring the gear to lift and load it, collect anywhere in Northland, and pay you on the spot. Free collection, no obligation.