We are the car and the pick up family, we use our pick up quite abit to haul our coal and wood for our outdoor furnace. I have to say that I never thought about the utility trailer though, that would be an excellent and cheaper option. I will think about it the next time I have to put $500 in tires, $20 into alignment and the next time those who don't have a pick up, but need one ask to borrow mine. Great post, I bet there are probably alot of folks out there who have never thought about this option.
Stash Your Cash: Utility Trailers As an Extra Vehicle Alternative
Photo: Drstarbuck
More often than not, if my husband and I need an extra vehicle on any given day, it’s for hauling one thing or another. Early in our marriage, we debated at length the wisdom of buying a truck as a back – up vehicle. On the surface, this idea can make a great deal of sense. But the more we thought about it, having an open bed truck didn’t seem to fit with our lifestyle or long term family plan. We opted for a tow-behind utility cart instead. Following are the reasons behind our decision. You may find they apply to you as well.
While it’s true any home or property owner has the need to haul large items and rubbish on a regular basis, this does not necessarily warrant the purchase of a second (or in our case, third) vehicle. For us, if one vehicle breaks down, we do not have the option of operating with less seating capacity which would be the case with a truck. I’m sure anyone with children or large pets can relate. Truck beds also don’t have as much storage space as you might imagine.
Additional automobiles also bring with them the duplicated maintenance, registration and insurance costs. Utility trailers do not. Ours costs less than $20 a year to insure and in Arizona, needed to be registered only one time. In Maine, it’s every two years, but still way less expensive per year than a traditional vehicle. Utility trailers do not come with gas bills, oil change requirements, or complicated engines to fix. You can also purchase them, even brand new, for less than the cost of a beat-up used automobile of questionable reliability.
This requires some power shopping, and probably going with an independent welder. However, it will most likely require much less time than shopping for a used truck. We were able to get a brand new, custom-made, single axle utility trailer with six foot mesh sides for well under a thousand dollars. The nearest place that sold them in mass wanted more than twice that . . . during their 50% off sale! We went with an individual who made them on the side for extra money. He exceeded all the industry standards and worked with us on all of the custom features we wanted. We have never regretted our decision and usually use our cart several times a month, conservatively. We can also haul more with it, because the steeper sides give us more storage capacity.
You do need a vehicle capable of hauling the cart and will need to make sure a hitch is installed. Our cart more than paid for itself in the first three months.
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Well, it's a personal decision for everyone, but for us it was the best thing. Much less expensive and I don't worry about it getting dinged up and retaining value like I might a pick up truck. Thanks for posting.
It's funny that you mention the idea of the utility trailer. I lived in Germany for a number of years. Of all the homeowners I've seen, perhaps less than 2% had a truck while a vast majority had a trailer of sorts. And that's because gas is over $5 per gallon, there is an annual tax over over $500 per vehicle, the streets are designed for much smaller vehicles and other reasons. It's a great idea! I had never thought of having a custom one built. I know of plenty of welders, so that probably wouldn't be a problem. Thanks!
We lived in Europe for a couple of years and LOVE Germany. But you're right, the roads are narrower and gas is WAY more expensive than here in the states (even though we complain about it lots). I didn't know about the 500 dollar a year tax. We were with the military when we were there, so that must have been waived. Thanks for posting your comment. I appreciate your time.
Amen! In 2002 my husband purchased a brand-new 16' tandem trailer for my 60th birthday. I had no idea of how to pull it much less back it up, but with determination and perseverance I can say I did learn to pull it and even back it up. Just yesterday was a first: I backed it into my carport to unload stuff. No, I did not take down the carport :) It has hauled a lot of stuff and has been a very useful little wagon. It is still running on the original tires, insurance and plates are cheap, it needs no maintenance except an occasional protecting coat of sealer on the deck boards. All in all a very thrifty investment and I would most heartily recommend it!
You beat me, Bobbie! I know it's going to bite me in the tush very soon, but I've been chickening out on learning to back up and deal with the trailer myself. You've inspired me!
I love mine utility trailer. I use it for so many different things. I haul garbage. I haul yard debris. I haul scrap metal. It is wonderful. And I get to help all my relatives move... not as wonderful. :-)
Ha! I hear you on the helping everyone move, Tim. But hey, at least this way, it's not putting extra wear on your truck bed. Thanks for chiming in.
My needs for a trailer are very infrequent. Lately, I have been doing major construction efforts (Hillside Stairs and a "Manspace" with deck).
I have the SUV to pull a heavy trailer, but not the space to store one. Uhaul has proven to be invaluable. Rent a trailer for approx $20/day with free mileage. Many different sizes are available, open or closed in, light/heavy duty and renting hasn't taken more than 20 minutes.
It would take me over 50 rentals to equal the cost of buying a $1000 trailer. Other benefits are no maintenance, no registration, no storage worries, etc. As an owner I would have all of these headaches.
The two rentals so far ($40) have resulted in significant savings. Picked up two kids ride on toys and a wheelbarrow from an in-law (Savings $600 +/-). Second rental resulted in picking up reclaimed lumber on the street (with permission) from someone that took apart a deck. Sourced approx. 40 2x6x20's of decent pressure treated lumber ($900).
From experience I have found that renting big bulky things (Boats, RVs, trailers, luxury cars, mansions for a social party, etc) to be far more cost effective than buying. Pay to play, Use it, and hand the keys back. Remember the memories...
For infrequent use, you raise a good point. We were using ours quite a bit for trash hauling, etc. So it made sense to buy. However, our lifestyle shifted a year or so ago and we weren't going to be using it as much. So we sold it, and would now likely do as you suggested. Going for the tow behind is a huge savings over the motorized truck. Thanks for dropping by with the suggestion.
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