Motorcycle Trailer Guide

Photo Courtesy of Alan Cleaver

Thinking about buying a trailer, but need to get it past the home budget czar? Really like a particular trailer but find it’s just a little out of your range? Here’s a list of ways you can save money when buying a trailer. Depending on your circumstances, it is entirely possible to cut your cost for a trailer by more than half. So, I hope this helps you get the trailer you want, and a price you can afford!

Buy Off-Season

This may be the most obvious of suggestions, but making a trailer purchase in the off-season will save you money. In October, we’re still mourning the loss of fair riding weather for the year, and haven’t started looking forward to next year’s rides. Very few people are thinking about trailers. As we begin to approach riding season on the calendar we suddenly remember – Oh yeah, I guess I’d better get that trailer ordered!

Do yourself a favor and budget for your trailer purchase between November and January. There’s a good chance you will find special shipping deals, discounts on leftover models, and incentives on orders for the new year.

Buy a Complete Package

Do you need a hitch and wiring for your bike along with the trailer? You may be able to get a package deal and save money on the extras when you buy everything all at once.

Buy a Trailer Timeshare

Have you and a buddy talked about buying trailers for your future trips? If you have similar tastes in bikes, you may be able to save by splitting the cost of a trailer with your friend. Think of it as a “trailer timeshare.” People buy timeshares of beach condos, exotic sports cars, and airplanes, so why not a trailer?

When traveling together, you’ll find that a 25 cubic foot cargo trailer can easily handle the gear of two couples. You’ll also have the use of a trailer when you go off on solo trips. You’ll need to agree on a common color choice, how the trailer will be stowed, and how to allocate its use when you are not riding together. But if you find you can agree on these things, sharing a trailer means you’ll get all the trailer you want for half the money.

Make a Group Buy

Maybe you and your friend like to travel together, but you know a trailer sharing agreement would never work.  You can also save by buying with a friend or with a group if you purchase trailers from the same place at the same time. A package deal will allow a willing dealer to create some incentives for a group purchase.  Shipping two or more units to the same location can also help reduce your freight costs by as much as a third.

Terminal Pickup

Speaking of shipping, it’s possible to save a big chunk on freight by picking up your trailer at the freight terminal of the truck company handling your delivery. Often, delivery to your door is expensive because the shipping company will need to run a special truck to your house. If you have a pickup or a flatbed trailer, or access to either, picking up your trailer at the terminal will often save you $150 or more.

Make It a Vacation

I’ve sold trailers to many riders who avoid crating and shipping fees altogether by making a vacation out of picking up their trailer. Escapades are manufactured in the Virginia mountains while American Legends are made in the midwestern heartland. Mini Mates come from Pennsylvania and WAGS are in Iowa. All are great riding destinations.

Cash Talks

Dealers who accept cash or personal checks for payment may be willing to give you a discount.  They would be paying the discount to a credit card company, so why not give it to you instead? Card discount rates usually run 1.5 to 2.5 percent. Potential savings: A cash discount on a $4,000 trailer would put $100 in your pocket.

Go Color Neutral

If you’d like to have your trailer color-matched but want to keep your costs down, consider buying a neutral color. Most trailers are available at no extra cost in stock colors. Fiberglass trailers are usually available in a white or black gel coat.  Gel coat is a hard finish used to give fiberglass a finished look.  It is not as glossy as paint, but if a black or white trailer would look good with your bike, even if just for a year, you can get it painted later and spread the cost of the trailer over time.

Get Only the Critical Stuff

Finally, take a really hard look at what you absolutely need and order only the most critical things with the trailer. Most trailers have a long list of options you can bolt on to the trailer.  Many of these are cosmetic enhancements that may add to the appeal of the trailer, but don’t necessarily change its performance. Many options such as coolers, luggage racks, spoilers, chrome trim, extra lights, can all be added at a later date.  There are a few options that make sense to have installed at the factory.  For example, if the trailer you choose offers interior carpet as an option, have that installed by the factory.  It would be difficult, time-consuming, and probably more expensive to have carpet added later to your trailer.

Let’s take a real example. Let’s say you’re interested in an Escapade LE trailer (25 cubic feet, air suspension). You really want it color matched to your bike but you need to keep the price down. On an Escapade, as I mentioned above, the only critical factory-installed option is the carpeting. That’s it. Don’t let another dealer tell you otherwise. Everything else can be bolted on later. Chrome wheels? Chrome tongue? Luggage rack? These can all be added later with no problem. Stone shield? Skip that and have a car detailer install a clear stone guard on the front. Cooler? Bolt on.  Garmet bag? Bolt on. Spoiler? Bolt on. Not as easy as adding some of the other things, but it’s still a bolt on.

When you take off all the things you can add later, guess what?  A color-matched Escapade LE that would have cost you $4590 with all the popular options is now $2,865.  Later, if they’re important, you can add your accessories. But for now, the important thing is, you have a color-matched trailer for almost half the price of a full-loaded trailer.

How Do You Save?

I’ve shared a handful of ideas for saving money on a trailer purchase. What’s your strategy?