New comp trailer dilemma

DR · Jul 30, 2015

I have been designing a new comp trailer for the past year. I was set on a really nice, custom, double axle set up that has 3 storage compartments, sink, offset smoker, BBQ grill, water tank and on demand hot water heater. So with everything its right below $20k. Everything was stainless steel with custom paint. So i was good with that until i started looking at toy haulers this past weekend. Man i can get a really nice, used, bumper pull toy hauler that is less than 10 years old for around $10k. Put a smoker inside the back and have everything i need along with a place to sleep, AC, Tv, awning, shower, toilet etc…. Or i can even buy an unfinished porch trailer, put living quarters in the front, prep area in the middle and smoker on the back all for under $20k and have the luxuries listed above. I won't have the super nice BBQ grill but for $200 i can get a kettle or a drum cooker and that problem is solved.

Im just so torn as i was set on this nice trailer and its what i always wanted for comp bbq. Its very flashy and very cool looking. Yes $20k is expensive, but i am fortunate to have some extra money at this time and dropping it on a comp trailer is ok.

So anyone that can give me some in-site on the pros and cons of what i have listed above please do.

ALso i would love to hear from those that have switched to a toy hauler or visa versa and sold the hauler and got a pit trailer.

Thanks for any help as i can absolutely drive myself crazy on crap like this.

cpw · Jul 30, 2015

For me it's a no brainer. Get yourself a porch trailer with a kitchen and sleeping area, and mount the pit to the back. I think you'd be surprised what you can get in a porch trailer for under $20k, and still have have money to purchase a nice pit.

Smokin J's PIts · Jul 30, 2015

Bottom line is, don’t settle for something you really don’t want. If you have had your heart set on the flashy stainless trailer set up then that is what you need to get.

masque13 · Jul 30, 2015

my thoughts are always to get EXACTLY what you want within reason. for many years I would find something I liked and then talk myself out of getting the "one" I wanted, whether it was music gear, fishing gear, yard equipment for the house and now BBQ stuff.

i would buy the one that was a couple of notches below the one I wanted and would never be happy, and eventually end up getting the one I wanted the first time. but now stuck with the one I no longer want or having to sell it for pennies on the dollar.

dont skimp, buy the thing you want, decked out like you want it, all assuming you have the money and a wife that supports your hobbies. dont get yourself in over your head, make sure you can actually afford what you plan to buy.

Ribeye Republic · Jul 30, 2015

I was in the same situation with the same thoughts. I ended up with a true BBQ trailer. Toy haulers are nice but they are not a true BBQ rig, which is what I wanted. I love having specific toys for a specific purpose so that is the route I went. But remember when you sell it, you will have to find someone who wants a BBQ rig and that market is a lot smaller than the one for toy haulers.

alexf · Jul 30, 2015

I bought a toy hauler for the creature comforts and I love it. Sure, I still do a lot of work outside on folding tables, but I also have a bed, a shower, and most importantly a toilet.

It's a hit with the family as well!

Ron_L · Jul 30, 2015

We like our toy hauler for the comfort, too. It has a bed up front for my wife and I sleep on one of the fold down couches, and we put our prep table in front of the other couch. I put the ramp on jack stands and use that as a platform for my cooker.

We bought the TH because we could use it for camping, too, but in 5 years we haven't gone camping yet

DR · Jul 30, 2015

Everything mentioned above has went through my head. I almost put a deposit down on the for mentioned rig but it hit me that the toy hauler or porch trailer is very appealing because of the comforts.

Blanton · Jul 30, 2015

For me, it's all how I could maximize its use. A porch trailer is dedicated to bbq. Would you use a toyhauler for other camping beside just comps.

sitnfat · Jul 30, 2015

2 years ago I wanted to upgrade from cooking inter tents to something better. Cooking maybe a dozen contests a year I looked at BBQ trailers. In the end I went with a rv and use my stick burner. If I cooked 30 contests a year and Orr worked a lot selling BBQ the cook trailer would be worth it. I like the rv better I get way more use out of it. If I hade a ton truck a toy hauler would have been an option.

alexf · Jul 30, 2015

sitnfat said:
2 years ago I wanted to upgrade from cooking inter tents to something better. Cooking maybe a dozen contests a year I looked at BBQ trailers. In the end I went with a rv and use my stick burner. If I cooked 30 contests a year and Orr worked a lot selling BBQ the cook trailer would be worth it. I like the rv better I get way more use out of it. If I hade a ton truck a toy hauler would have been an option.

I have a 3/4 ton with my 27' toy hauler. You probably wouldn't want to go any larger (tongue weight, total GVWR, etc).

GreenDrake · Jul 31, 2015

I wanted something like that too, then I started looking and considering what I could to. Enclosed trailers at a basic level take a lot of work to finish, custom trailers cost an arm and a leg. So I convinced the wife that I was going to try and find the right camp trailer that could do both.

I ended up scoring a sweet 19 foot camp travel trailer that does everything I need. I can toss my pit in the truck, hook up and go. Now pulling up to a comp is luxurious. I have a home I bring with me that fits in my pit space. No more packing everything, setting up tents and kitchens, I roll up, pull out the awning and get the pit set up.

Plus, I have everything I need in there already dialed in, for about $10k. It was a previous year leftover and the dealer made me a deal. I love it. Those Work and Play trailers are pretty sweet too.

Gowan · Aug 3, 2015

All rigs are a compromise. You have to decide what is most important to you at this moment. The bad part is what is most important in the next moment will probably be different!

As you team roster and goals change, so will your wants in a trailer. Take a look at any of the used gear pages and you'll see that most of the rigs for sale are less than five years old. My preference is to let the first buyer take the depreciation hit and buy that rig that was his dream a couple years ago at half the new price. The market value drop between the first and second owner is huge, but after that it levels off to a more reasonable decline assuming no damage.

I guess what gist of what I'm saying is when you are shopping for a BBQ rig, keep in mind the odds are you won't hold it for more than a few years.

New comp trailer dilemma

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