Looking for a big enclosed/cargo trailer, bumper pull, 24-26' long x 8-8.5' wide. I realize I'm looking for something at the worst time, and honestly I don't expect a miracle here.
Here is the whole scoop. The theater needs a trailer for transporting set pieces, pianos, and other bulky items between our two performance spaces. The two places are only about 5 miles apart, but from time to time I will steal it to pick up a car, go to the challenge, or otherwise actually put road miles on it. Our last trailer (now wasted and sold) was a donation from a local trailer dealer (in about 1985 and that dealer is no longer in business). I have attempted to reach out to several dealers for some kind of sponsorship/free rental/invoice pricing, but with the pandemic they are not getting much inventory and what they do get sells high in a matter of days, so they're not motivated to help on pricing, let alone donate.
So; big, cheap, ugly, roadworthy. Those are the big things. Any of you know some big uglies for sale? Not looking to drive from PA to OR to get it, so something nearish to Harrisburg PA, say 250 mile radius?
Pickings are slim on FBM.
24 x 8, $4k
The one I want
May be way too big for you, but I get 40 foot containers for my farm, for $2600 delivered to my door. We have 3, 2 refrigerated, and one regular.
Normally, I rent a 26' box truck, but that limits my budget. That means I have to have everything built in modular sections and stored in the shop so I can only rent the truck for 2-3 days and not spend tons of money. I did give serious consideration to buying a 40' dry van and renting a day cab for a day. That way I own it for storage and can probably even find a donation of someone with a tractor to take it down. Two things put the nix on that. First, the cost of licensing, insuring, and registering a large commercial trailer wasn't something I could get the bigwigs to agree to, and second, the loading dock at the other theater looks like this:
I have seen 28' pups squeeze in there, but nothing bigger.
I also always dreamed about building a reverse dump trailer. Basically take a dump frame trailer and reverse it so that the back lifts up. Drop a 26' box on the frame, then I would have a normal, deck-over-height trailer that I could raise to 4' dock height for unloading.
But, until then, I think the secret is to just get an enclosed trailer.
Take something like this:
Modify it with something like this lift mechanism mounted at the back:
Then drop this on top of it:
But until I can accomplish ^ THAT.... Enclosed trailer might be the way to go
mr2s2000elise said:
May be way too big for you, but I get 40 foot containers for my farm, for $2600 delivered to my door. We have 3, 2 refrigerated, and one regular.
What where who?
weve considered instead of an RV just tossing beds and some fixins in an enclosed trailer and pulling it around but cheapest used is often more than that and my wife gets grossed out by the cleaning needed - and then thinking of sleeping in there
of course then there’s my emptied out church bus idea but that’s a bit too far off topic here
P3PPY said:
mr2s2000elise said:
May be way too big for you, but I get 40 foot containers for my farm, for $2600 delivered to my door. We have 3, 2 refrigerated, and one regular.
What where who?
weve considered instead of an RV just tossing beds and some fixins in an enclosed trailer and pulling it around but cheapest used is often more than that and my wife gets grossed out by the cleaning needed - and then thinking of sleeping in there
of course then there’s my emptied out church bus idea but that’s a bit too far off topic here
When I looked into maybe getting two containers and some trusses fro a garage, everyone that advertised in my area was about the same price, as well as some I found that did not advertise. I'm not all that far from a port. They had already gone up way too much for me; about $2600, delivered. But that price was several years ago... not they are advertised as being on sale for $3600. and at that price "delivery" means they come on a non tilting flatbed truck - you hook your bobcat or bulldozer to it and they drive the truck out from under it, and head on down the road. If it gets damaged by the drop, its not their problem.
Besides they are WAY too heavy for a private trailer.
I'm a little farther out than you are looking, but seeing how high trailers have gotten you may still be interested...
We had this 26 foot made for us, to pull my wife's truck and my bike behind our Coach. Only pulled it a few times, and now we may never get the chance to use it again. She has been talking about we ought to sell it, since I'm just using it to store the stuff I brought down from my dad's garage, 2 yr. ago! Lota nice upgrades... extra foot of height, heaver duty tongue and hitch, semi-air ride, (tandem leaf's w/air bags on equalizer) 4' x 4' door on "port" side to assist getting out of truck. Almost double the "basic" they advertise in Douglas GA.!!
Won't be a cheap trailer, since its quite new, and more than you were hoping for, but I know she'd take $8K for it.
That picture is it on the lot... if interested, I can get some current pictures to ya.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:
(1) Marketplace - 1985 Pro Trailer Duralite Enclosed Trailer | Facebook
That was a good deal. Nice trailer with the extra ramp and AC. Hope you grabbed it.
In reply to 03Panther :
Damn that's nice. I sold my open trailer a year ago. Now I'm annoyed because I need to rent a trailer for a week to drop off and pick up a car out of state. These rental prices are either crazy or they don't allow you to take the trailer out of state.
And all my buddy's suddenly don't have a trailer or they're broken. I am starting to realize I was the dependable friend with a trailer lol
My fiancée told me not to sell it. I should've listened
03Panther said:
I'm a little farther out than you are looking, but seeing how high trailers have gotten you may still be interested...
We had this 26 foot made for us, to pull my wife's truck and my bike behind our Coach. Only pulled it a few times, and now we may never get the chance to use it again. She has been talking about we ought to sell it, since I'm just using it to store the stuff I brought down from my dad's garage, 2 yr. ago! Lota nice upgrades... extra foot of height, heaver duty tongue and hitch, semi-air ride, (tandem leaf's w/air bags on equalizer) 4' x 4' door on "port" side to assist getting out of truck. Almost double the "basic" they advertise in Douglas GA.!!
Won't be a cheap trailer, since its quite new, and more than you were hoping for, but I know she'd take $8K for it.
That picture is it on the lot... if interested, I can get some current pictures to ya.
That is exactly what I'm looking for in every way. I was hoping for more of a 10-year-old, oops it has a dent, needs two tires for $3500, but that is a drool-worthy piece, and it was probably $16k new.
The local dealer quoted me $8900 on a new, basic-model 8.5 x 20, and $10k and change on a new, 8.5 x 24 with some bells and whistles. The basic one had studs 24" OC and the upgraded one has them every 16" OC, 7k vs 10k, etc.
hobiercr (FS) said:
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:
(1) Marketplace - 1985 Pro Trailer Duralite Enclosed Trailer | Facebook
That was a good deal. Nice trailer with the extra ramp and AC. Hope you grabbed it.
Wish I had. By the time I sent the message it was sold.
In reply to yupididit :
I'm such a pack rat; my friends don't even try to borrow any of my trailers... I have too much stuff piled on/in them!!!
I don't want to give up the storage, but my wife would love to sell it... And since I now make less than gets doesn't every month, I can't disagree!
In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :
I told my wife (she of the dry wit...) you wanted one dented up with bald tires; before I could finish, she said "we can add some dents, and throw some old tires on it if that's what he wants.. 'long as he still pays the price..." 
Someone at a truck stop “punished” me, I guess didn’t like where I’d parked for the night... loosened some lug nuts. I looked at all rims/tires during my "pre-trip", and did not notice anything.
anyway, looks like loose wheel did some damage as she left me...
hobiercr (FS) said:
Slightly out of your 250 mile radius, but big and cheap.
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/781157159178982/
I sent a message, but it's already pending.
03Panther said:
In reply to Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) :
I told my wife (she of the dry wit...) you wanted one dented up with bald tires; before I could finish, she said "we can add some dents, and throw some old tires on it if that's what he wants.. 'long as he still pays the price..."
She sounds like a keeper.
Marketplace - 2021 Cynergy 8.5x24 | Facebook ....Ad says Chicago and trailer is in Georgia......
