Is it me or has trailer prices gotten insane?

It's called supply and demand. Even if the trailers used USA steel there is less other steel from other sources coming in. That drives the prices of steel here in the US up. It doesn't stay cheap when there is more demand for that product.

It's the same reason wood prices are out of control. Everything that requires metal or aluminum or wood has seen its prices go up.

 

Well, I did but it's the same thing. If you make imported steel more expensive then the demand for local steel goes up but so does the price because the demand goes up. Then you start running into the issue of can you still get enough product that you were previously getting because more people are buying it and now the prices go up.

It's simple supply and demand, it's not a case when you slap tariffs on Chinese or Canadian steel to make American steel more attractive and then American steel stays the same price. The demand goes up along with the price. It's why everything costs more now because of the trade war. China isn't paying the tariffs, we are the end consumer...

 

Well back on the topic....

So I looked up my trailer from the same dealer I bought mine from at the end of 2019. It's now almost $2k more than what I paid for it and the dealer said they might consider buying my trailer back if I want to sell it.

Seems inventory everywhere is sold out. I was considering picking up 40ft flat deck with the dovetail and taking the ramps off and putting 3ft flip out extensions on the back. That would let me haul freight 2 over sized trucks/vans or 3 small cars.

That dealer had no 40ft trailers and said soon as they get them they are sold. I have a Big Tex dealer near my house so I checked there and they said the same thing no 40ft in stock. I put myself on their waiting list just in case for a 40ft 26GN because they are only $14k with 12k axles which is about $3-4k cheaper than every other quote I've gotten...


On a side note, anyone wants to lease/rent a 3 car?

 

I think I'm going to end up buying a BixTex 26g 40ft or similar and having it modified.

I want 40ft flat deck with 12k axles but I want 2 stips of punched hole runners where a vehicle's wheel's will be so I can use over wheel straps then I want the rest of the decking as wood but I want it all level. That in and of its self isn't an issue I can take any flat deck remove the boards and add the strip of punched hole decking. The issue is I don't want the trailer as a goose neck, I want it made as a mini step-deck so I can run 3/4 cars on it.

Honestly, it would be the perfect hotshot trailer yet no one wants to make it. A few companies get "close" but they always miss a few key features.

Like Shipshe's low boy is close but it's set up as only an auto/trailer hauler no wood decking so can't do freight and the dovetail kills too many freight options. Same thing with both Take 3 step deck and Appalachian's step deck. But they just want to build as steel decks and I don't want a steel deck. Steel decks always end up beat to hell and freight slides on them.

Added to this all 3 of them want around $20k by the time you're done.

I've come to the conclusion the only way I'm going to get what I want is to just buy a 40ft flat deck and modify it to what I want. I can buy a 40ft 26gn from Big Tex for $14.8k I think it was then get the modifications done locally


Shipshe is like $20k plus and it's not everything I want.
Take 3 is 20k plus and again not what I want
Appalachian wanted almost $17k and still not what I want..

So it's better to buy the Big Tex and have it modified. Even if I spend an additional $5k getting it modified I then have what I'm after vs buying one of the other that are crazy prices and still don't do what I want.

I haul not just cars but I often haul equipment and freight as well. I want a trailer that lets me do all options so I can grab anything I want vs being stuck just doing only cars or just doing freight. However, for freight, the 40ft flat deck is kinda essential but for cars you need to do at least 3 to stay in consistent money so the step deck up front is the key feature to adding both more room for freight or the 3rd car.