Alan writes:
When I see prices of $500 for a flimsy 12 inch tire trailer I cringe. A well built 14 or 15 inch wheeled heavier welded frame should cost a lot less. Buy a Dodge caravan axle assy, a hack saw and some steel. Cut it and pay some one to weld it and have 3 times the trailer for 50 or 60 percent of the cost.
Yes, I suppose I could save some money by cutting my own steel and scrounging an axel and wheels out of a junk yard. However, I don't think $300 - $350 total cost for a welded trailer is very realistic.
In my neck of the woods, skilled labor is very expensive. Plumbers get $50 - $60 /hr. The company I work for bills my time at $75 / hr for web site design and maintenence. My dentist gets $60 for a 45 min. apointment with the hygenist. I don't know what the going rate is for a skilled welder. But, based on the above figures I believe it's got to be at least $40 - $50/hr. Probably more. How long does it take to weld a trailer together? 5 to 6 hours? At $50/hr you're looking at $250 to $300 for welding alone. On top of all that, you still have the cost of raw materials and parts.
The RedTrailer 4 x 8 model is only $10 more than the HF 1800# trailer. I've been looking real hard, and this is the only 5x8 bolt together trailer kit that I've seen anywhere. I do think these guys are demanding a premium price for the extra width. The material and fabrication costs can't be that much more than the 4 x 8. I bet their margin on the 5 x 8 trailer is much higher than the 4 x 8.
I know there are other folks out there who paid to have trailer frames fabricated. I'd be interested in knowing how much they paid.
Finally, if there are any welders out there interested in fabricating a 5 x 8 trailer frame for the kind of money we're discussing here, I'd like to talk to you. I don't mind cutting my own steel.
by mikeschn » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:31 pm 
What street did you say you lived on? 
