Trailers? Buying one?

[Super Dave]

Ok, I sell trailers.

So, anyway, here's the problem in the industry right now.

Currently, there is some kind of steel and aluminum shortage.  I understand that copper is in short supply if you're making transformers and all too.

Anyway, if you're going to go out and get a trailer, expect the prices on them to be $100 to $300 more that what they were a month ago.  They might even go up from there.  I don't know the complete root cause of all of this, but all of our trailer manufacturers have been caught off guard by it all.  Even the manufacturers of hitches are having problems getting steel.  Their prices have gone up, and some things like Weight Distribution kits have been hard to some by...

Just though I'd pass the message along.

If you're looking for a trailer, hopefully, you can find one out of a dealer's stock that they won't want to bend you over for....

[OmniGLH]

Yeah, sure Dave - you're just covering for your increased commission rates...   ;)

[Super Dave]

LOL!  You haven't see where I work...LOL!

I've got a 8.5x24 for you guys here.

Not bad.  I think $5200 plus tax...Big, I know, but if you can use the dually...

It's black, ramp door, side door. 8)

[OmniGLH]

LOL!  You haven't see where I work...LOL!

I've got a 8.5x24 for you guys here.

Not bad.  I think $5200 plus tax...Big, I know, but if you can use the dually...

It's black, ramp door, side door. 8)

New or used?  Does it have the light package, etc?

I will definitely pass the info on to Mike and DanO. I think we're planning to move on something in the next few weeks, possibly prior to Topeka.  Right now we're talking to a potential new sponsor to help with the purchase price, and are also checking out the used market.  If we decide to go new - then you're our guy.  We will definitely stay in touch.

And I don't have the dually YET.  I haven't quite secured the fundage yet to cover the $49k pricetag of the truck my dad insists that I buy.  I'm gonna have to use the 'ol 1500 Silverado for at least a few weekends to pull it.  Thank God for trailer brakes...

[Thorny]

Hey Dave, just ordered 10 sheets of .040 guage 4'x8' from work here and I got it the next day, someone is shining your industry for a reemin'. I also asked about 10' sheets and they said they could have them next day also.The price was no more than last year, Russ buys them through me for doing signs for baseball parks.

[Dawn]

Himmm......

I asked Paul about it (he works for a manufacturing company that builds fire trucks, dry vans, etc).  He said that their costs for aluminum and steel has increased.

Dawn   :)

[Super Dave]

New or used?

New.

And we might have a used 20 footer in the next couple days...  $3200?  I don't know anything yet.

Don't wait too long.  Stuff is hard to get right now.

[Super Dave]

Hey Dave, just ordered 10 sheets of .040 guage 4'x8' from work here and I got it the next day, someone is shining your industry for a reemin'. I also asked about 10' sheets and they said they could have them next day also.The price was no more than last year, Russ buys them through me for doing signs for baseball parks.

Might have been in their stock.  And it isn't bulk, so you're getting it wholesale, but not like a trailer company that's buying 10,000 sheets.

The Chinese are apparently buying up lots of US steel, aluminum, nickel, stainless, copper, etc...even salvage stuff.  Thrown the supply side off here.  We're having a hard time getting weigh distributing hitches because apparently Reese/Drawtite is having a problem getting competitively priced steel.

Guess the dollar being weaker against the Euro has something to do with it.

The dollar is weaker against the Yen too, and the last time that was in like  early '90's when bike prices spiked.  Makes me worried that my Yamaha parts might cost more.

[Nate R]

Interesting. I know scrap prices are through the rough for some stuff now.

[Super Dave]

I know a guy that just scrapped out some copper and it was a huge amount of money....

[tzracer]

I work part time in a job shop; metal spinning, laser cutting, welding. The cost of metal has gone up quite a bit, steel from about $0.22/lb to $0.37/lb. Stainless and aluminum have also gone up. Thicker sheet steel (0.375 and up) can be more difficult to obtain.

[dwilson]

It's kind of strange considering that 5% of the earths crust is iron...  You'd think steel would be free  ;D

It kind of reminds me of Anthony Ward, a guy who in 2002 bought so much of the worlds cocoa beans that he raised the cost by almost 50%.  He was dubbed "Chocolate finger"  ;)