Temp Work Shop.

[Gale Hawkins]

Outside view. You can see the RV roof AC and like an 8'awning and the AC shore power cable.

The guy had used it for a work trail, sold funnel cakes and recently had a frig, etc and actually camped in it.

I came across the ad for this trailer today and with winter here again with no chance to get a shop building near term it caught my eye. Has anyone worked out of a 100 sq ft shop?

What is now standing needs to be torn down so I can start over by first doing a lot of filling. I have looked at portable buildings but if very large they can be a pain to move.

While it is a 1995 I had not seen one with factory air before. It being wired internally/externally has appeal too. I buy filters, supplies, tools and now misplace them before I can use them now.

There is a fold out step for the front door and the rear has the traditional hinged doors. While it is far from ideal having a warm place this winter to get in and do things would be nice. The AC is such an over kill for the size means in the matter of minutes it could be cooled down if needed in the summer.

It can be parked so it is handy to pull the vehicle/tractor in need of service along side or at one end of the 7x14 foot trailer. It has a non leaking roof per the seller and the awing could be handy when doing a task outside like painting/chemical use yet still have a roof over your head.

While it is over an hour away the guy will bring it for my inspection at no charge if I purchase it after first dropping the price to $1800. If he would do this I offered him $100 for dragging it 120 miles should I decide against it after inspecting it. So delivery is free if I buy and that is a plus since there is no way I could do the drive both ways in less than three hours of drive time only due to the location just to inspect it and return.

Not sure if it is a good deal but $18 sq ft for a wired and cooled work area does not seem like a lot of money for a temp shop. If kept dry it should be worth more than the same price portable building five years from now. Being able to move it as often as needed when we get to building a shop would be handy.

 

[Army grunt]

It will be great for storing your tools, Build a work bench agenst the long wall.It will get small fast, but if you have a good size overhang outside say its10 ftx 14 your good to go. Good luck keep us posted.
Army Grunt

 

[BeezFun]

I used a trailer like that when I was doing contracting, didn't have electric or air/heat. But I had my chop saw setup inside against one wall, could run wood out the open doors so it handled long trim, and had all my tools in cargo boxes that I could carry into job site. Yours looks like a great deal to me, just a trailer like that new is probably $4-5K without any of the accessories he's put on. I'd jump on it for what you want to do. He must have been storing seafood in there, can't imagine why it would need such a large AC unit.

 

[slowzuki]

I've worked out of a building that small, its ok. Awning helps a lot.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Well the guy just called to say he was heading my way. I was concerned about the winter storm blowing in but it had already crossed his location and is just passing here now. It was as bad as I ever seen for a storm but the temps started out at 67F and are to be 25F tonight. Thankfully the storm part seems to only be about 10 minutes long based on his statement and the radar.

If the trailer is dry after this storm with horizon rain I plan to do the deal. :thumbsup:

The price seems OK. A trailer like this is kind of like an old tractor. If they are doing their job OK they retain their lower price point OK. Three years ago I paid $2150 for a 6.6x10 cargo trailer with a ramp and side door but at the time the Blazer was my largest tow vehicle.

For the MH I have a 30 amp outlet near where I am going to park this trailer for now. I may build me a 24" treated bench outside where the awning is and put a back splash on it to protect the side of the trailer.

Not sure why it came with the AC unit but he said it would make a meat locker. Maybe a past owner got kicked out of the house often.

I will let you know if it was deemed a keeper when it shows up. We are going to my courthouse and bank to make sure the trailer is mine and my money is his. He was OK with a check but even as the buyer I like clean clear deals.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

The guy showed up with the trailer. One of the tires was smaller and the tread was starting to come off and it was letter at one time for a mobile photo business but you could still read the text especially on the other side not seen in the photo. The roof is starting to show light rusting.

On the plus side it is insulated. The AC ran but it was too cold for the compressor to kick on even on the coldest setting. Looking under it I could see foil coated underlayment and there is NO give to the floor but due to carpet I can not see what it is made of but it is strong. Since it has factory air it my guess it was built to be cooled and heated hense the insulation board in the floor and walls.

He did agreed to come down another $50 due to the tire and other things not mentioned over the phone or in the ad. I could tell he needed to make the sale and the issues I found we can address. It was going to cost me $100 per my agreement to send him home with it so we did the deal since it was setting in the driveway and I had spent ZERO time/money looking at trailers/portable buildings.

A roof coating and a deep cleaning on the outside will make it look much better. It would be hard to find one with AC,any kind of insulation and well wired with 120 volts. The underside did not show rust and actually the first owner only lived 5 miles from my office so it is a local trailer after all.

With the 40 degree temp drop underway I am glad the deal is done.:thumbsup:

One thing that has caught my attention on the last few things that I have purchased is that people just put them one the market and spent ZERO effort to clean them up. Yesterday it was 60F when he listed it and in 30 minutes it would have shown much nicer. The roof was dry after the storm that hit right before he left home with it because I checked that out.

I need to go to Lowes and pick me up a 30 amp RV connector for the power cord.

 

[nue2farm]

Looks and sounds like a great deal. Good luck with it. I am sure you could sell it and get your money back, even after usage. Have fun and stay safe.

 

[Damifino]

I think you couldn't go wrong with that deal, considering the options and delivery, well :thumbsup:

Once you get in it, you will be able to lay out most efficient use of space for your requirements. Good luck with your endeavors.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Thanks for the thoughts. I was not planning to spend more money at this point but felt it would be hard to go wrong when the ad popped up on a local Craigslist type board.

This morning I got to looking at in more detail and comparing it with the 6.6 x 10 enclosed trailer setting nearby. The frame including around the three doors is massive compared to the single axle trailer even with both being the same brand.

This 'new' one has the 2 5/16 ball vs 2" on the 10 footer and the tongue is so much heavier. I am sure the AC will be nice next summer but having it wired with two 30 amp circuits on the inside with an external disconnect plus to 4' light fixtures will be nice every time I use it. There is an outlet on the outside under the awning.

When it warms up a little I will measure and get me some 6x6 treated pieces to block up under each rear corner and where the tongue connects at the frame so it is very stable with some of the weight off of the tires. It is parked on 25 year old gravel so it will not sink much with freezing.

My 14 year old son approved the purchase and has already started making design plans so we can get our tools organized in one place finally. :thumbsup:

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Garage Workbench w/ Lighting and Outlets

After getting sidetracked on fixing up the enclosed trailer we picked up a few months back Friday HF emailed the $79 coupon so we picked up two today to get that project moving. They are 4' and weight about 90 pounds each. They get OK reviews and felt strong at the store today.