Trailer crew, help me make decisions
#1
Tour de Franzia
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
Trailer crew, help me make decisions
I'm getting very close to buying a van. I need to get a trailer, and I live in an apartment so I'll need a place to store the trailer. Here we go with the facts:
Fees:
Trailer storage is no cheaper than $45/month
$50 annual registration
~$300 Title fees
bullshit maintenence
So we're looking at $600 in annual expenses.
Renting a trailer is $25/day.
I'll probably need 4-days if I leave on Friday, and return on Sunday to return on Monday morning.
If I use the tire trailer for local events, then I'll only use the van and trailer for over-night stuff.
I plan to attend:
MSR-H
College Station
HHR
Hallett
Hallett
HHR
College Station
NOLA
So, that's roughly $800 before tax to rent the trailer from Penske. What do you guys think about all this nonsense?
Fees:
Trailer storage is no cheaper than $45/month
$50 annual registration
~$300 Title fees
bullshit maintenence
So we're looking at $600 in annual expenses.
Renting a trailer is $25/day.
I'll probably need 4-days if I leave on Friday, and return on Sunday to return on Monday morning.
If I use the tire trailer for local events, then I'll only use the van and trailer for over-night stuff.
I plan to attend:
MSR-H
College Station
HHR
Hallett
Hallett
HHR
College Station
NOLA
So, that's roughly $800 before tax to rent the trailer from Penske. What do you guys think about all this nonsense?
#2
Think of it as paying $100/year for someone else to do maintenance on a trailer for you. (w/maintenance, it's really $700/year if you do all the work involved and not $600 to own).
Is it worth $100 a year to you to have someone else do all maintenance/et al for you?
(Edit: Hint, if your answer is no, your free time isn't worth very much to you.)
Is it worth $100 a year to you to have someone else do all maintenance/et al for you?
(Edit: Hint, if your answer is no, your free time isn't worth very much to you.)
#5
Boost Pope
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,046
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Personal opinion:
I've used Penske's 4-wheel car carriers to haul my vehicles across the country several times. They are big and very heavy, but quite nice.
Minuses: you probably won't be able to open the door of your Miata while it's on the trailer, as it won't clear the left fender. I've learned over the years to carry some pieces of wood which I park the Miata on top of in order to raise it up. Also, they don't really "maintain" the trailers as such- I've never gotten one with working brakes.
I've used Penske's 4-wheel car carriers to haul my vehicles across the country several times. They are big and very heavy, but quite nice.
Minuses: you probably won't be able to open the door of your Miata while it's on the trailer, as it won't clear the left fender. I've learned over the years to carry some pieces of wood which I park the Miata on top of in order to raise it up. Also, they don't really "maintain" the trailers as such- I've never gotten one with working brakes.
#9
Tour de Franzia
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
Personal opinion:
I've used Penske's 4-wheel car carriers to haul my vehicles across the country several times. They are big and very heavy, but quite nice.
Minuses: you probably won't be able to open the door of your Miata while it's on the trailer, as it won't clear the left fender. I've learned over the years to carry some pieces of wood which I park the Miata on top of in order to raise it up. Also, they don't really "maintain" the trailers as such- I've never gotten one with working brakes.
I've used Penske's 4-wheel car carriers to haul my vehicles across the country several times. They are big and very heavy, but quite nice.
Minuses: you probably won't be able to open the door of your Miata while it's on the trailer, as it won't clear the left fender. I've learned over the years to carry some pieces of wood which I park the Miata on top of in order to raise it up. Also, they don't really "maintain" the trailers as such- I've never gotten one with working brakes.
The real pain here is that I'm giving away $600/year in storage fees just to own the god damned thing.
#10
Former Vendor
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Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 15,442
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Find a place to store the trailer that doesn't involve paying $45/mo. Mine sits on the street half a block from the shop.
Texas really rapes you on licensing fees. In CA, trailer fees are $38 for the plates plus $10 every 5 years.
Texas really rapes you on licensing fees. In CA, trailer fees are $38 for the plates plus $10 every 5 years.
#11
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Falls Church, VA
Posts: 1,361
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The main issue is the storage fees. Can you not leave it parked on a public street somewhere near your house/apt.? I see a few street parked around here that never seem to move, though I admit I don't know if it's legal. Just leave a sawed-off hitch ball locked into the trailer so someone can't just hook up and drive off with it.
#16
Supporting Vendor
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: atlanta-ish
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You can take a few measures to prevent trailer theft, but at the end of the day, if someone wants to steal it they will. Insurance is cheap. My trailer is insured for $5k comp/collision at $100/year. Liability is on the tow vehicle when coupled.
My trailer is boss, but I am lucky enough to be able to leave it in a secured area, behind a fence and a lock. If I didn't have a place to store such a large trailer, I'd have a 14' single axle that fit in the garage, and would store the car on it.
#18
Boost Pope
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Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
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I didn't really think that one through ahead of time...
One interesting design feature about the trailers I just remembered is that when you're loading and unloading the car, there's nothing supporting the back of the trailer, so as you drive the car onto the trailer, it tries to see-saw on the axles and pick up the back of your tow vehicle by the ball. Hardly noticeable on a 16' box truck, but it might be interesting on something lighter-weight.
#19
Move to Houston and store your trailer at my shop for free. Problem solved.
If you could really rent the trailer for that much and you know you will always be able to, then that would be my route. You will have a fixed cost with it and little to no variable cost. I do agree that they do not maintain their trailers worth a crap, but you can give it a good once over before you get it to make sure it is road worthy.
Eventually, if I were you, I would buy a trailer when I knew I was going to be in one spot for a while or knew you were going to at least have space for it wherever you go. My single car stays at the house with the bus and the two car is locked up at the shop. Having all your crap easily accessible is awesome, but having too much to have to pay to go store it somewhere else can be stressful and a pain in the ***.
If you could really rent the trailer for that much and you know you will always be able to, then that would be my route. You will have a fixed cost with it and little to no variable cost. I do agree that they do not maintain their trailers worth a crap, but you can give it a good once over before you get it to make sure it is road worthy.
Eventually, if I were you, I would buy a trailer when I knew I was going to be in one spot for a while or knew you were going to at least have space for it wherever you go. My single car stays at the house with the bus and the two car is locked up at the shop. Having all your crap easily accessible is awesome, but having too much to have to pay to go store it somewhere else can be stressful and a pain in the ***.
#20
Supporting Vendor
iTrader: (33)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: atlanta-ish
Posts: 12,659
Total Cats: 134
One interesting design feature about the trailers I just remembered is that when you're loading and unloading the car, there's nothing supporting the back of the trailer, so as you drive the car onto the trailer, it tries to see-saw on the axles and pick up the back of your tow vehicle by the ball. Hardly noticeable on a 16' box truck, but it might be interesting on something lighter-weight.