It's not the fading, but the wear factor that is important, at least to
me. Is all the powder coating still on the trailer? Has it worn off?
Chipped off?

Seems a lot of effort for a trailer, though. I like all alum trailers,
with stainless hardware.

My situation is quite a bit different than most as it comes to boat
trailers. In its six and a half years, the thing's probably only got maybe
3,000 miles on it, maybe less. What few times it's been dunked, only in
fresh water. When I took the boat to San Diego for a summer, I had it
lifted off the trailer and launched with a travel lift, and did the same
when it was time to go home. So yes, all the powdercoating is still there.
No wear, no chips. But in my case, the same would likely be true of
automotive paint. The real enemy in my case is the relentless Arizona sun,
and it seems to be having its way with the powdercoating just as it would
with paint.

You don't see very many aluminum or galvanized trailers inland. Dealers
aren't stupid. They want as much showroom glitz as can be mustered, and
nothing quite does that like a shiny painted or powdercoated trailer, with
maybe some chrome diamond-plate trim. Where I come from boats are almost
always entirely an emotional purchase with form always winning out over
function. That completely drives what a dealer puts in his inventory.