Owning trailer vs. renting trailer

[baz]

I decided not buy a trailer with my new R25. I did so, because I felt that being in the PNW with all the unexplored waterways, inlets, islands etc I would not really have a need for a trailer. At least not for quite a few years.

So, now I have the opportunity to buy a used trailer for around $4K including getting it here.

I'm trying to figure out how cost effective owning this used trailer will be for me.

If I use a 20 year timeframe and assume I would use the trailer once per 2 years (could be that for first 10 years I never use it and then in remaining 10 I use it more frequently as unexplored areas in PNW get rarer etc) this works out to be $400 per year. Of course on top of this would be state license fee and insurance. I will assume this to be $100 per year. Using this we get $4000 + $2000 or $6000 over 20 years. I will also assume market value for the trailer after 20 years would be $500. Thus we have $5500 over 20 years... and in my usage case this works out to $550 per year.

Storage of a trailer is another concern of mine. Today I have no issue as I could store the trailer on my property. However, if I were to move there could be restriction on storing a trailer in and around my home. Thus I may need to consider trailer storage costs over some of the 20 years.

With all the R25s in the PNW and having the possibility of renting a trailer from the factory I'm wondering if it will be possible to rent a trailer from local R25 owner or the Ranger factory instead of owning one and dealing with ownership chores/issues.

Do local PNW Ranger R25 owners think about renting out their trailers ?
Have any PNW R25 trailer owners lent/rented out their trailers ?
What would a reasonable trailer rental cost per day be I wonder ?

I know there are various uses a trailer can be put to and maybe other owners can chip in and say what they might be.

Thanks... 🙂

I should add that at this time I consider keeping my R25 in the water all the time for the foreseeable future.

 

[tuggin aweigh]

You have approached another issue of boat ownership with logic.

I have always tried to seperate financial logic from boat expenditures.

To do otherwise can ruin the enjoyment of boating.

Godd luck.

Tuggin Aweigh

 

[walldog]

Another use for the trailer is pulling it out for bottom cleaning. Or do you have another way to accomplish this? Down here we need to do this more like every year or more.

 

[baz]

N.B. I also do not own a vehicle that would be capable of towing the R25. 🙁 Thus I would have to beg and borrow each time I wished to use the trailer. 😉

 

[bluebayou]

First of all, let me be up front. Mine is the Boat Trailer that baz was considering.
Secondly, baz quoted a $4000. cost to purchase, including $250. for expenses to move the trailer to Seattle. BUT WAIT.
Thirdly, if you look under Ranger Tugs for Sale on this website, you can see that I have lowered my price quickly (in about 3 days from the first posting). New price is $3000. FOB, less than half its cost one year ago.
Someone wrote a good comment that you need to simply haul your boat out for bottom cleaning, regardless of whether you trailer it long distances. Also for inspection, after you have hit a log in Puget Sound (I saw quite a few that I dodged while there).
Further, wintertime storage of the boat under a roof, on the hard pavement, is not only easier on the exterior (mould, leaks, and bird dropping can be avoided) BUT, it can be way cheaper. Here, covered storage "on the hard" for my boat and trailer is $100. per month. That factors into Cost of Ownerhip. The boat trailer will soon be amortized away, with a few winters dry land storage.
Those of you with an R-25 but not a Trailer---you can pick mine up for a fraction of the cost new, and you can decide later how to pull it with a pickup. Meanwhile, friends with a pickup or Excursion, or Suburban can at least pull you up the ramp and put you back in. For longer trips, a good towing vehicle is a must.
Charles

 

[baz]

I do understand the cost savings of having the boat out of the water during winter time vs. keeping it in the water, be it open or covered slip.

However, I would have concerns/thoughts

1. Giving up my covered slip during winter would likely mean I could not obtain it after winter time as there's always a waiting list for covered slips in my Marina. This is something I need to explore with my Marina Moorage Administrator.

2. I plan on using the boat during the winter time -- many people in PNW have told me that some of their best times on their boats have been during the winter time. The PNW is a moderate climate.

3. My last use of the hoist at my Marina cost me $21. This seems quite reasonable cost for hauling the boat out and placing on chocks/stands for hull inspections and/or cleaning etc.

4. $3000 will easily buy 1200 gals of diesel fuel today. This is 16 full tanks for R25. This is some 4,800 R25 cruising miles.

 

[bluebayou]

Gill & Barry,
Yes, where you are, in the salt water surrounding Seattle and British Columbia, you really don't need a trailer, for you have almost unlimited water to explore.
Of course, you will miss the joys of using the R-25 Swimming Platform, well, to swim. Also the ladder. I strongly recommend Lake Powell in the month of September.
Perhaps you've seen the website of Bill & El Fiero, Halcyon Days. That's what inspired me to buy a Ranger 25, and the promise of seeing as much of the whole USA as I could, with the boat trailered behind, stirred my imagination.
For those of you who DON'T live on Puget Sound, my one-year old boat trailer, with bunks fitted to an R-25, is For Sale on this website, under, Ranger Tugs For Sale By Owner. My boat is sold, but the trailer was declined by someone who thought San Francisco Bay was enough water for exploring.
De Gustibus non Disputandum, the Latins said, or, "you can't argue taste."
Charles

 

[rustednail]

I'm not sure what kind of stormage you guys get up in the PNW, but here on the east coast, having a trailer handy to pull the boat out for a storm/hurricane is an absolute must for me. Just something to think about...