Today's trailer is 37', an impressive amount of trailer for anyone who has ever pulled a trailer! This is not a trailer you just hook on to and drag around through the neighborhood for funsies. No, this is a trailer where curbs are jumped, small cars are pushed off the road, takes four lanes to make a right turn and three for a left. This is the mother of all trailers. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of long trailers out on the road, I just never noticed how long they were until buying one.
What's more impressive is the fact it used to be 40'. Bob, the older man who sold us this massive beast, has been pulling this around all over Texas and back just for work. He had it shortened for ease of maneuvering and load hauling. Load hauling, yeah right, He probably shorted it in order to get in and out of his suburbia neighborhood. I mean seriously, he had a driveway installed just for the trailer! Even though Bob was reluctant to part with his beloved trailer, he completed a final walk through. Trailer geek! He checked air pressure, tightened some loose boards, greased hubs, and found an extra tire for our usage. And these were only just a few of the many things he did to "prepare the trailer for its next trip".
Why would anyone not in the business of needing a trailer like this buy a trailer this specialized? Well, I am glad you asked. Plan473 is now in the business of hauling shipping containers. When all things are said and done, Plan473 will have purchased 8-10 shipping containers. Four for the shop, two for the house, one for the kid, one for storage, one for the business, and one for rentals/guests. Buying locally means that the seller has tacked on the shipping costs to his base purchase price. Depending on the seller, the costs can be as much as double of the wholesale prices. Sellers in Houston or San Antonio, where boxes are much cheaper, will ship to a destination at a price of $4 a mile. At a minimum of 300 miles round trip, it became financially clear we would be hauling our own shipping containers. Even with wear and tear on truck and trailer and time investment of each trip, the trailer will have paid for itself in the purchase of three shipping containers. Besides, once completed with this project the trailer can always be sold. Honestly, what I am gonna do with a 37' trailer? Take it to the grocery store?