Comp trailer question

[grill 'em all]

This is unchartered waters for me.Looking for advice from those who've been there & done that.I'm the crawl before walking type.In the market for a trailer to vend,comp & hit the festival loop..

I've run across the Diamond Cargo brand..Snazzy enough looking rig.The price tag is def in my wheel house.Its a 7x14 tandem axle v-nose.

First off I know some corners had to be cut to get the price down.
Pros/Cons?

My first thought was snag it in the complete raw & redneck it to my specs on my own(residential home depot windows,wally world AC in the v-nose,jerry rigged sinks,cabs,electrical,etc.)

Upon reviewing their website I think it would be better if I had them build one to my specs..While I love the looks of the stainless steel looking walls & checker board flooring,I can go for cheap interior wise..The exterior is where my worries start.

I really dont wanna cut those walls.I fear the results..It may go smoothly BUT...

They offer a concession & electrical package..While not cheap I think it would be best in the long run.

What say yall?

The big ticket item is the factory installed Coleman 13,500 btu roof air.
I know I could get by with the $169 8K btu wally special.
How would it fare over time swinging in the wind stuck out in the nose of said trailer?

I'm sure I've left some things out but that covers the main concerns now.

Thanks for any & all help.

Jay

 

[wjwheeler]

Take a look at Freedom trailers and see how they price out. We use one for competition. The KCBS number 2 team sells them.

 

[Ron_L]

We started out with a 6x12 V-nose that we had customized to our specs and it worked well for us at the time. We added finished walls and cieling (not stainless, just finished), ceiling lights, 30A electric, a couple of extra outlets, an RV-type screen door and two RV-type windows and rubber coin flooring. I also had it built 6" taller so I could stand in it.

At the time our tow vehicle couldn't handle anything bigger, but I wish I had at least gone to a 7 ft. wide, maybe 8 ft. We set up our prep table in the trailer and it was tight with two of us and the table.

The rubber coin flooring was fantastic since it was very easy clean up and gave us some padding, so take a look at that. It cost us about $400 to ad dit to the trailer but it was worth it.

We sold the trailer a couple of years ago to another Brethren but I still have pictures if you want to see it...

https://plus.google.com/photos/1130...s/5585939970726373665?authkey=CMP3jtWZz7i7mQE

 

[rolfejr]

Here's the thread to our trailer build out.

PM me if we can help

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=187012

 

[sdbbq1234]

Take a look at Freedom trailers and see how they price out. We use one for competition. The KCBS number 2 team sells them.

Beware of the Freedom trailer and other Georgia trailer builders. While my experience was not horribly bad, it was not good either. The workmanship leaves a HUGE amount to be desired.

If you do order something, make dead sure you get everything, and I mean everything in writing. This includes brand names of axles, tires, wheels, A/C unit, thickness of metal being used (especially the roof), type of frame, etc...

Get the builder to send you a diagram of the unit showing overhead, side, front and back dimensions.

It will save you time and unexpected surprises.

Again, while the surprises I got were not as bad as some others I have heard from since purchasing ours, you need to be on your toes and check everything before spending one dime.

Some of my examples are: horrible weld joints, not the axles I requested, improper wiring in the breaker box, wires not connected in the trailer brake break-away box (this could have been a nightmare), roof metal looks like somebody has been jumping up and down on it.

Not blaming anybody but myself, but I should have not my homework.

wallace

 

[The_Kapn]

Have you looked at the used market?
Lots of comp/vending/concession trailers out there on any given day.

A few years back, I was looking at a "scratch build" comp trailer and found many used ones at less than my cost to reinvent the wheel from new, even with the sweat equity. 8)

Just a thought.

TIM

 

[Porcine Perfection]

Can't comment on a trailer but can on the AC. A 7X14 trailer is less than 100 sq. feet. No need to spend big money on a RV air conditioner. A small window unit or even a stand alone will freeze you out with the doors closed.

 

[grill 'em all]

Have you looked at the used market?
Lots of comp/vending/concession trailers out there on any given day.

A few years back, I was looking at a "scratch build" comp trailer and found many used ones at less than my cost to reinvent the wheel from new, even with the sweat equity. 8)

Just a thought.

TIM

Yes sir used is the way I want to go! I stay on Craigslist.Problem is 98% are SUPER complete w/deep fryers,frig,vent hoods etc..While I'd love to have those add ons,I really don't need them(they also push the price way outta my budget)..Another trend I've noticed is they all tend to be in the 8.5x20+ sizes..
I fear our 1/2 ton truck would strain to pull it..I'll keep my eyes peeled for a used one in my budget..Sooner or later one will show up!

Thanks Kapn,
Jay

 

[grill 'em all]

Beware of the Freedom trailer and other Georgia trailer builders. While my experience was not horribly bad, it was not good either. The workmanship leaves a HUGE amount to be desired.

If you do order something, make dead sure you get everything, and I mean everything in writing. This includes brand names of axles, tires, wheels, A/C unit, thickness of metal being used (especially the roof), type of frame, etc...

Get the builder to send you a diagram of the unit showing overhead, side, front and back dimensions.

It will save you time and unexpected surprises.

Again, while the surprises I got were not as bad as some others I have heard from since purchasing ours, you need to be on your toes and check everything before spending one dime.

Some of my examples are: horrible weld joints, not the axles I requested, improper wiring in the breaker box, wires not connected in the trailer brake break-away box (this could have been a nightmare), roof metal looks like somebody has been jumping up and down on it.

Not blaming anybody but myself, but I should have not my homework.

wallace

Yep I assumed they're cutting corners in South GA for the prices to be so low.
I kicked the tires on a Diamond Cargo at a local dealer here..They seemed to be built well enough for the money but I still have concerns how they'll hold up over time.

 

[cpw]

Yep I assumed they're cutting corners in South GA for the prices to be so low.
I kicked the tires on a Diamond Cargo at a local dealer here..They seemed to be built well enough for the money but I still have concerns how they'll hold up over time.

We went with a Diamond Cargo for our trailer (build thread here, still ongoing: http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=176694)

It's not perfect, but it seems to be built and finished a lot nicer than the other "south georgia" trailers we looked at. Since we were on a budget, the way we approached our purchase was buy anything that would require structural changes from the dealer, and do the rest ourselves. If you follow that approach I would make sure to pay for the roof brace for the AC (they double up the rafters where the AC will go in place of the roof vent) and If you plan on putting in a water system, check to see if they will make a 24" wide joist space for the grey water tank. We did not do that so we're limited in the size of tank we can use to fit in the 16" joist space.

PM me if you have any other questions.