Most of the time, repair. A new trailer of the same size and rating runs thousands of dollars, and a structural weld that restores the load path is usually a fraction of that. Repairs starting at $200 cover a lot of ground.
Replacement makes sense when the frame has been bent badly, the metal has fatigue cracks running in multiple directions, or the rust has eaten through enough material that a weld doesn’t have anything sound to bite into. Send us a photo and we’ll give you the honest read.