Trailer Frames and Axles

[Gene Newcomb]

Hi,
I am a first time poster and new to the teardrop club. My axle is ready for PU at Redneck. I got a 2000 Torflex with 14" white spoke wheels. I forget what my down angle and hub face is and I must have taken my paper work home. I bought the Desert Teardrop plans and will follow them approximately. I don't plan to bend the long frame members to a V to meet the coupler but instead make an A to the coupler to weld underneith a full 4x8' frame. Partially because Mike, the Ebay seller that makes a absolutely beatiful teardrop says that is what he does. It makes since especially since he uses a 2" square tube which I will use next time.
There will be a next time because I would like to manufacture and market powder coated frames specifically for home teardrop makers. I am an Ebay powerseller (oklahrdw) and make English wheels and supplies for Ebay and a catalog company. We also do a mess of other stuff, www.customdie.com We also supply hardware to Redneck and have for nearly ten years. I have taken them dozens of donuts over the years so I got a good discount.
I think I can sell the frame powder coated, with 14" white spoke wheels for $1200 or less. More than the HF but still a fair price.
So what do youall think,
Gene

[mikeschn]

Can I bring you my frame for powdercoating?

Mike...

[mikeschn]

I know, that's not the answer you were looking for. I'll have to let some of the other builders here chip in...

Here's what I paid for mine...
Steel: $242
Torsion Axle $189
Coupler $22
Safety Chain $6
Aluminum Alloy Wheels $160
Tires $80
Welding $195
Total Price $814




Are others willing to pay $1200? Don't know... let's change this into a poll to find out!!!

Mike...

[Gene Newcomb]

Mike,
I should be able to deliver it from Oklahoma to anywhere in the country for $150 or less. Powder coated, gussetted more, brackets for mounting to or holes to mount through. Otherwise exactly as you have pictured only with white spoke wheels. $1200 max, maybe $1k.
Gene

[Guest]

Gene,
Welcome! I think you'd have a niche, for those that don't know how to weld or have access to welding equipment. Furnishing a powder coated frame would be a strong selling point. You might want to consider an option without wheels. (People like to have choices and would probably want to select their own wheels)
So, you make English Wheels, eh?
What's one of those go for?
I tried your website, but it said it was under construction.
An English Wheel would be a nice piece to have for sheet metal fabrication, allowing for an additional design aspect in teardrops.
(Ever run your finger tip through one? HELLO!)

[ALAN GEDDES]

My frame is 2x2 box ($125 precut) 15 inch Chevy wheels and axle ($75) 500 pound springs ($15) shackle/light kit and 9 inch wide steel fenders ($65) and two coats of Rustoleum black under my color coat ($10) for total of $290.00. I don't have but about $1500 total in my whole trailer. Alan

[ALAN GEDDES]

Mike. Just noticed you paid twice as much for the same steel I used on mine and it is a 10 foot long frame. Amazing how much difference there can be in prices betwen one area and another. Alan

[mikeschn]

Yea... In Oakland County they want more for everything...

Mike...

[D. Tillery]

I think if word got out that a lot of people were willing to pay $1200 for that trailer frame you would have fabricators (like me) lining up to supply that trailer frame. After the competition for that business, God Bless Capitalism, with moderate volume, the price would probably shake out in the $700 range, if that much. The Dexter Axles, nice rims and tires make up alot of that. Mike's $814 is pretty darn close, but he took it a bit on the price of steel.

I know that in south and east Texas there a lot of trailer makers. I see those double axle, wood floor, trailers you can put a car on for $750 - $1000 barnd new. And you run across them used in the $200 range.

Anyway, as the teardrop bug spreads, there will probably be more tear enthusiast fabricators like me who would help a friend on the site weld up a frame for some good conversation and a bottle of sippin' whiskey (or a plate of cookies, etc.)
D. Tillery

[1FATGMC]

Just noticed you paid twice as much for the same steel I used on mine

I don't know when you bought your steel, but steel has just skyrockted this last year in price. I have three places I can buy steel in my little town and they are all different. One place if I buy full lengths, which I usually do, will sell it to me for cost plus 10%. This place is also a mortuary . People in small towns do a lot of different things to make a buck.

As to the question if you can sell bare frame trailers for $1200 I wouldn't be the one to encourage that endevor. I haven't had any interest in my rolling frame that is a lot more complex and has more to offer than a flat frame and I'm asking $995.00. It even has the teardrop sides framed in. In a few weeks the sides are going to come off and it is going to be converted into a trailer to haul firewood behind my jeep.

I think the problem is that a lot of the people on this board either have a teardrop, want to but a "finished" teardrop or want to build one from scratch. The builders like me are usually pretty tight with their money and will look at every option and most of the time will go with what appears to be the cheapest and/or simplest option.

If you are manufactuing frames for a living and not a hobby you have to make it worth your time so you get a paycheck out of the venture. So you are going to have to mark up the material, since you have money invested in it, and you are going to have to pay yourself some kind of wage and pay for other overhead.

Here's what I paid for mine...
Steel: $242
Torsion Axle $189
Coupler $22
Safety Chain $6
Aluminum Alloy Wheels $160
Tires $80
Welding $195
Total Price $814

So if you take what Mike has into his and said this is a business and not one trailer for myself you would probably have to charge $1200 to make it worth your time. I doubt mike would be interested in making 50 more trailers for $814 each and selling them for that. With that in mind I think his asking price of $1200 might be in the ball park if you are looking at it from the business side, but that only works if people will buy the product. Unfortunately I'm talking from experience and have a number of items in my store that I'll be lucky to sell for what I paid for them.

Well anyway good luck with your venture and I hope you can prove me wrong.

c ya, Sum

My Underconstruction Teardrop For Sale

[Gene Newcomb]

Sorry I have not answered up, reserve weekend you know. Did I say $1200, maybe I was beeing greedy. My steel cost is nearly 50% less than any quoted above, I buy several tons a week. My axle price is considerable less than Mike's but not as cheap as Alan's used set.
My Redneck man told me his wheel and tires is not the cheapest and I would probably ship with them not included.

D. Tillery, I have called on some of those Texas trailermaker and if Big Tex ever wanted into the market I would get out quick. I call on CM in Madill, OK quite a bit and his steel price is probably the better part of 50% less than mine plus he buys his tubing direct from Mexico. Mostly I call on aluminum horse trailer makers.

Dean, I wish I knew how to use an Ewheel well enough to think about skinning a trailer. I might one day after I retire but now I want to make one in a few months not years. Boy, you could make a cool one though. A cross between a teardrop and an Airstream without rivits. Web site should be up but it doesn't have any Ehweel stuff on it.

I am going to take a pictures of the frame I make for myself and use them for selling another unit. The buyer might change the down angle on the axle. I'll let you know what it closes at. Without wheels I will probaby start it at $600 but hope it will go closer to $1k.
Gene