Teardrop Trailer Manufacturing Business

[Wrecit]

Little back story. I am a 50 year old union carpenter. 2 years ago I tore my bicep tendon on the job. 2 years and 3 surgeries later I am finally on the mend but my new surgeon has all but come out and said the first guy that did first 2 operations made several mistakes and I will never get full use. I can weld and do carpentry still but not at a "professional" pace.

I am looking to "reinvent" myself and am looking at possibly going into the custom enclosed trailer conversion business where I can be my own boss and set time tables that are within my new limits.

So the story is to say this. Over the years I have made alot of work doing side jobs for people that want custom work but do not actually have the ability or time to do it themselves. If you have an eye for detail and can sell yourself and your product then there's a good chance that people will pay you to do it.

Do alot of home work on the current manufactured TT's then when you think you have done enough do some more. Use quality products and materials rather than what the companies use. If a customer complains you could use cheaper material like the companies do have the strength to tell them that they should buy from them then.

If you want to build TT like the big companies then don't bother because you can't compete with their material bulk price. Build Cadillacs and those that want them will pay.

[Gsaunders]

Thanks everyone for the advice. You have given me hope, that I can make a few bucks to expand my Wood Shop and do something I like doing.
I can probably make more building beds, kids furniture, and small items, that are quick and easy, but the reality of it is that those will get boring after awhile. Small items cost little and profit is large. Teardrops cost alot to build and profit margin is so-so. Building small items I figure my time is worth 40 dollars an hour, so if I make 3 small items an hour the cost is 10-15 dollars per item. I dont think I could make that much on building teardrops, so if you put in 100 hours building a teardrop can you make 4000 dollar profit? Can you even build a tear drop in 100 hours? That is what I am going to see.

I figure for just a basic tear drop, with the prices of material the way they are, I figure 3000 for material including Northern Freight 5 x 10. Add 4000 for my time, and that is 7000 for just a basic teardrop.

As for quality of materials, I hate cheap junk. I look at it like this. If I was spending that kind of money for a trailer, does it have everything I want and need, then the quality of the material, how is it constructed would all come into play. s to do woodworking.

As for the liability issue, there is manufactures insurance. I use to build utility trailers and still have an LLC, I am not building trailers anymore, but I think I will fire it back up and change type of trailers on the LLC. However first I am going to try building a few, and see how it goes.

As for supply issues, I will warn everyone right now, get what you need while you can. I drove a Semi for 11 years, the lowest price of fuel I have found is 5.40 cents a gallon. Here is what I fear. There are alot of independant truck drivers out there, and it is going to force a lot of them to throw in the towel. I would say about 35 percent of the drivers you see on the road are independants. As fuel prices go up so does shipping rates, then higher costs in the end. The trucking industry is down 100,000 drivers, companies are hurting for drivers. It has been 3 years since I have sat over an hour waiting on a load. We lose that 35 percent, and stores are not going to be able to keep stocked.

[tony.latham]

Can you even build a tear drop in 100 hours?

How's your endeavor going?

Tony

[Nanny54]

Any updates on that business?
The teardrop trailer industry seems ripe for some high-quality, personalized options, going against the "cookie cutter" approach used by the major RV dealers.
In terms of marketing and identifying customer demands, this AdSpy tool can be extremely useful. I personally use it to observe trends, see what competitors are advertising, and find inspiration for my business. It could assist you in understanding what potential customers are looking for in a custom teardrop trailer.