Building vs. Buying (Re: Savings)

[Tom U]

I have $3,000 and 5 months of weekends invested into my teardrop including furnishings. The online manufacturer sells this model for around $10,000.00. It would be hard to get that in today's economy but 7-8 K would be a little more realistic 6k for sure. If you don't put a value on your time you will save 50-70% period. It is a no brainier. When you purchase a built trailer, no matter how it was created, you will be paying for someone elses labor and overhead. With the buying power of internet competition for parts, etc. HF Tools and big box stores, you are probably paying close to the same prices as manufacturers based on a single unit.

[Larry C]

OK guys I understand the pride and satisfaction of buiding something. But my question was simply about "cost" not anything more.

So if "quality" and "amenities" are equal, is there a savings if you had built the TD vs buying the "same" TD.

I am not looking to find out how much someone spent on their TD, simply what you think the "percentage savings" were, if any.

Chuck

One thing to consider, in the eyes of most potential future buyers, any commercial built unit will have a greater future value than a one-off home built trailer. It's just what's ingrained in our society. It is easier to sell the commercial unit in the future, and you will probably get more for it, not because it's better, but most people are more comfortable buying a manufactured trailer.

So... IMO the bottom line is the approximate savings of 50% mainly by doing your own labor is probably reduced significantly when you want to sell it. A store bought unit is probably a better value in the long run.

But... A large percentage of builders could care less whether they are saving anything over a manufactured unit, we just want to build our own trailer. In my case I am not even keeping track of my costs, it doesn't matter what it will cost, I just want the journey, not the perceived $ savings!

Larry C

[S. Heisley]

OK guys I understand the pride and satisfaction of buiding something. But my question was simply about "cost" not anything more.

So if "quality" and "amenities" are equal, is there a savings if you had built the TD vs buying the "same" TD.

I am not looking to find out how much someone spent on their TD, simply what you think the "percentage savings" were, if any.

Chuck

One thing to consider, in the eyes of most potential future buyers, any commercial built unit will have a greater future value than a one-off home built trailer. It's just what's ingrained in our society. It is easier to sell the commercial unit in the future, and you will probably get more for it, not because it's better, but most people are more comfortable buying a manufactured trailer.

So... IMO the bottom line is the approximate savings of 50% mainly by doing your own labor is probably reduced significantly when you want to sell it. A store bought unit is probably a better value in the long run.

But... A large percentage of builders could care less whether they are saving anything over a manufactured unit, we just want to build our own trailer. In my case I am not even keeping track of my costs, it doesn't matter what it will cost, I just want the journey, not the perceived $ savings!

Larry C

I you are buying used, quality and dollars (age and care become key elements in the 'quality' statement), IMHO, a manufactured unit will rarely compare. Therein lies your best choice: Watch for and buy a lovingly and conscientiously tended used home-built trailer.

[Chef_Stan]

It seems like we have started to talk about re-sale. I think another way to answer this is to ask how much people have made from selling their home made trailers. It seems like there are a number of people on here who have built several trailers. My presumption is some do it for the fun and then sell them, others make one then say I would like to do this or that differently and make another one. I would presume that people dont have a fleet of teardrops, so how have you done with selling?

I am thinking of building a no frills quicker one to get me on the road, then spending time to build more what I want for the long term while using the first. It seems like some of the best crafted trailers were built over 2-3 years, I dont want to wait that long for the first. So I am going into it expecting to sell my first one after a few years of use.

Stan

[PKCSPT]

For me it was cheaper to by premade (homebuilt would have been fine but I found my Little Guy first)

I probably would have started to build one, gotten fustrated and impatient and bought a premade one in the end. That would not have been saving anything.

[mikeschn]

A few years ago when the economy was better, you could build one, sell it, and build another.

But things have changed. We went into a recession... and things stopped selling. We are about to go into another recession... I don't expect things to sell well.

Build what you want the first time, and keep it for the long haul.

The option is to build a temp teardrop, and when you are done using it, throw it away, and build your final one.

I know, it's the times we live in...

Mike...

[Wolfscout]

I you are buying used, quality and dollars (age and care become key elements in the 'quality' statement), IMHO, a manufactured unit will rarely compare. Therein lies your best choice: Watch for and buy a lovingly and conscientiously tended used home-built trailer.

Oh yes, I definitely think the care and maintenance given to the camper is what makes or breaks it on resale, Not whether it was manufactured or not.

[doug hodder]

so how have you done with selling?
Stan

My builds aren't inexpensive to do as I build them like I'm going to keep it for myself. I camp in them for a couple of years, then offer them up for sale. I've sold 3 of them, haven't tried on the last 2, always got my materials cost back, and some wages + I got the enjoyment of using them for a couple years. I think I price them very fairly, because when I want it gone to start another, I want the dough to build it. I usually start in the fall, work weekends and some nights, and have it done for May camping.

I think a big issue, is to make sure it's a finished product. This whole "they're never done" thing doesn't work if you want to get a decent price on one. If I were looking at a used trailer and saw that something wasn't finished....I'd wonder what else isn't done and what other corners were cut.

I never build the same thing twice, that's the creative opportunity...so many different ideas and not all can be incorporated into any one build.

With a custom built product....you'll never see the same critter running down the road or sitting on a lot. Doug

[wincrasher]

I think if you have the skill, and the patience, then building your own is a great option. Cost savings? Don't know - probably could still spend alot if you went hog wild, selected exotic materials, etc. I think, to be fair, you need to factor in some value for your time - it ain't free - you could be doing other things with it.

Personally, I can't hang a picture without hurting myself, so that wasn't an option for me.

One of my big concerns when I was looking at manufactured tears was weight. Most of these home-builts appear pretty heavy, even though they may look beautiful and well made. I was impressed with a few of the manufacturers that appeared to provide a fair bit of quality, yet something that was still lightweight.

I think that with my LG, I got a fair value for the money. I had it quickly, and I had it built exactly as I wanted it.

[bdosborn]

I built because I didn't like the quality I saw in *very* expensive trailers. You'll never get anything like this in a commercial trailer, you have to do it yourself:



So the cost savings wasn't a consideration for me, being able to control the quality of every step was.

Bruce

[honeask]

Well from the original post, it certainly appears to be cheaper to build, if you are inclined and able, it seems a smart and fun thing to do. That being said, we are not building and not getting a brand named trailer either. It's gonna be homebuilt, starting with a iron made trailer frame created from scratch, going on to a teardrop with choices available and camping supplies offered with it. It will have nice storage, A/C and nicely equipped galley. It will cost more than some but way less than others. After looking at all of the builds I would never order a high dollar empty shell trailer. Everybody has a right to be proud of their trailer no matter how they come to have it, pride comes from many different places. We may build, just not any time soon. And UTMCK, you have already seen mine before me, is it a quality build?

[Kharn]

A few years ago when the economy was better, you could build one, sell it, and build another.

But things have changed. We went into a recession... and things stopped selling. We are about to go into another recession... I don't expect things to sell well.

Build what you want the first time, and keep it for the long haul.

The option is to build a temp teardrop, and when you are done using it, throw it away, and build your final one.

I know, it's the times we live in...

Mike...

My GF's looking at it from the other angle: She doesn't want to deal with me building two of them, so she's demanding our first (and only, if she gets her way) be sized for us plus potential kids.

There is also no substitute for considering your own labor to be worth zero when trying to save money. I get a ton of compliments on my kitchen renovation (cabinet behind my avatar photo) and my friends asked which contractor and how much. Until I show them the "Made by ..." brands they do not believe my father and I made all of the cabinets from plywood and oak planks.

[utmck]

And UTMCK, you have already seen mine before me, is it a quality build?

Sandy, yours is what has me where I am today. I would love to build one, but not sure if I could pull off the quality that one like yours has. I love the fact that yours is built by 1 guy who builds 1 at a time.

Chuck

[gregp136]

We could not have bought anything as nice for the $2000.00 we spent on building. And we could have gone cheaper, but we spent a little more rather than looking for deals as we were getting close to finishing. And yes, it was my first big project, and taught me a ton.

Greg(and Laurie)

[Mojave Bob]

A big question that comes into play is what are your skills, and how well equipped are you to use them? If you want a professional-grade finish level, you will need a professional-grade shop and tools. Do you already have a good tablesaw, trim saw, jig saw, 1/2" router and stand w/ rail & stile bits, etc? If you don't, you will either have to buy them, or else you will make do with what you have. There is NOTHING wrong with making do, but it does involve certain sacrifices or compromises. You may get a completely outstanding non-professional result, but you won't get a true professional result. So, what are your expectations? Do you have a welder and the skills to use it, or will you have to hire the frame build out? Or, will you buy a pre-built trailer and build to fit on it? Again, there are sacrifices and compromises.

On the other hand, if you have all these tools and the skills to use them, you can build a totally custom trailer with outstanding fit and finish, at virtually no additional monetary cost than building a rough-and-ready paint-on-plywood trailer. So, for a couple of thousand dollars, you could build a trailer that is worth anywhere from couple of hundred dollars, up to $10k or more. But savings of 50% or more are very realistic with moderate skill and equipment.