That's it! I'm getting a flat...

[tracer]

I'm trading up my 48 ft super-ultra-extra-uber low step for a flat. Here's the highlights of my future 'skateboard':

Make: Wilson
Model: CF-965 (heavy duty coil hauler)
Length: 48 ft
Width: 102"
Beam capacity: 65,000 lbs in 4 ft of deck's length; 67K in 10 ft; 73K in 20 ft
Fifth wheel height: 45"
Axles: tandem with a front axle slider; 121" and 72" position; the rear axle is at the very back (72" is legal in Western Canada; plus it gives you same weight rating in Ontario as 121"; good for tires and fuel mileage).
Kingpin: 30" (standard)
Composition: combo (steel frame + aluminum top)
Floor: 1 3/8" aluminum with 4 nailers (they now offer thicker floor; it was 1 5/16" before).
Wheels: aluminum, 22.5"
Tires: Yokohama RY023 295/75R22.5
Securement devices: in-rail chain tiedowns + quick tie-down plates (newly designed rail)
Winches: new design, where they don't scratch the heck out of the side of the trailer
Lights: 5 on each side (including the turn signal)
Tool boxes: 1 dunnage rack (10' long)
Approximate weight: 10,700 lbs
Price FOB Missouri: US$33,750

[Orangetxguy]

Dat'z a loooooooong wayz from being an RGN or lowboy!

[crb]

Maybe you should pur a Conestoga (curtain) kit on it too! only five lights you need more chicken lights!

[Mackman]

Dat'z a loooooooong wayz from being an RGN or lowboy!

I bet after 2 montsh he is on here saying. Hey guys i bought this flat and was thinking of trading it for a Lowboy. lol

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

I really think you should wait and go to MATS at the end of this month can go check out the hundreds of trailer vendors before you make a purchase. Not to mention the show specials and discounts.

[specialkay]

There are so many used flats for sale in Ontario I wouldn't even consider buying a new one. At Christmas a 05 MAC/side kit/michelins/good brakes/coil kit/extra led lights etc went for 15 grand. They're giving away plain jane combo's. Buy a cheap one and keep your drop.

[monale770]

yup thats what i would do, i would get a flay and keep the step. that way you will have the best of both worlds. i would also look into a mac trailer, there a very good trailer, their built in ohio, strong and light weight, and some pretty cheep ones online. and dont go and buy another brand new trailer, save money and buy a used one, the used one will do the same thing as a new one, but cheeper.

[tracer]

Guys, I'm TRADING the step. I'm not paying the full price for the flat. It's still financed through the same financial company. My monthly payments now actually will be smaller because the trailer is CHEAPER in Cnd Dollars thanks to the very favorable exchange rate and plus it's a cheaper trailer. If I had 20K cash, I'd definitely buy a used flat. I looked carefully into RGNs and such, and I'd love to pull them. Unfortunately I didn't see the amount of freight on LS boards that would justify the switch. You look at our board for 5 minutes and you see right away the best trailer to go across the border is a FLAT or - possibly - a 53 ft step. The step is $7,000 more for the same loads (90% flatbed loads). It doesn't make sense from the financial standpoint.

[tracer]

Dat'z a loooooooong wayz from being an RGN or lowboy!

it'll have low radius tires and my fifth wheel is only 45.5" high. i bet when it's dark it WILL look like a lowboy

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

The dealer and financial company will roll the difference between the two trailers into your new payment. Also, isn't the step a lease? So u won't own it anyways when your lease is up.

At least come to the Louisville truck show and talk directly with the Wilson rep and see what they have to offer and any discounts u can get. And personally, I'd get a Retinour

[specialkay]

If your bound and bent to be in debt up to your ass then at least get an aluminum one. Nobody in Ontario or the northern states are buying steel trailers because of the rust issues. Wilson makes all aluminum trailers too. Get what you need not what they're trying to dump off on you.

[jagerbomber3.0]

I absolutely love following Tracer and his travels but if any of you have not figured it out yet, he is not going to heed your advice. If you follow him here or on his blog he seems hell bent on being in debt. I hope it works out for him in the end one of these days but it seems he is content to simply finance things and tread water. He was warned about using crazy specs and having that custom brand new step built, he did it anyway. Got tired of tarping and just had to have that expensive custom made conestoga that people said was not a good idea. He did that and now its setting in storage and now he is hell bent on speccing out another brand new trailer. And correct me if i am wrong but is this trailer not going to get turned upside and rolled into the trade? And I recently even saw you make mention on your blog not to long ago about brand new trucks. Man you gotta get smarter with htis stuff. I wish you all of the luck in the world and you are a very interesting subject to follow but man oh man, Its frustrating to watch as well. Listen to some of these guys, they have been right for the most part on every piece of advice they have given you.

[rank]

I wish you would have bot a 53'.....I could've made you a good offer on it. How much are they giving you for the step on?

[tracer]

If your bound and bent to be in debt up to your ass then at least get an aluminum one. Nobody in Ontario or the northern states are buying steel trailers because of the rust issues. Wilson makes all aluminum trailers too. Get what you need not what they're trying to dump off on you.

An all aluminum flat (same model) is extra $6000.

[tracer]

I wish you would have bot a 53'.....I could've made you a good offer on it. How much are they giving you for the step on?

Probably 25K in trade. Dealer said the retail value should be around 27K. I still have the Conestoga for it too...

[Mackman]

I would look at an EAST. If they make their flats anything like their dump trailers then it would be one hell of a trailer.

[tracer]

2011-03-09_10-33-35_839.jpg

Click on the picture above and you'll see an example of my typical (not so typical in some respects) freight. This time I got light posts, 50 ft long, 27,000 lbs total. I AM hauling them on my step, but it'd be much easier and less stressful to carry them on a flat. By the way, this baby pays over 3 bucks per mile from Oklahoma to Alberta. So you cannot do it on a regular flat: you need either a 72" axle spread or a tridem. That's why I'm spec'ing a front axle slider.

In response to folks who hate leasing and financing: either you use new stuff and make payments for it or you use junk with no payments but then you have to take out a mortgage on your house each April when taxes are due. With my truck paid off and the $32,750 LEASED trailer, I'd be able to write off $10,000 in taxes during the first year. The payments are going to be the same or lower per month, but I'll get a much more useful trailer. The lease is structured in a way that I buy the trailer back at the end for $1. It WILL be mine.

I'm also getting rid of my apartment and that will improve my cashflow by almost $1,000 each month. Next in line is the car that is costing me $600/mo.

I know what I'm doing.

[jagerbomber3.0]

Am i just completely clueless and off base when i ask why would you have to go broke and mortgage your home every april at tax time to pay the taxes? Shouldnt you be anticipating the cost of your taxes throughout the year and stashing some back into your savings or business account to cover this every year if you do end up having to pay? Im not an owner yet but I kind of just figured you would need to set aside money for taxes every settlement just like you would for maintenance or anything else involved in the cost of operation? Am i wrong or just missing something?

[crb]

I see guys hauling loads like that all the time on a step they use a bridge or whatever its calle on lower declared to even them. What happened to hauling equipment?

[Steel Horse Cowboy]

Am i just completely clueless and off base when i ask why would you have to go broke and mortgage your home every april at tax time to pay the taxes? Shouldnt you be anticipating the cost of your taxes throughout the year and stashing some back into your savings or business account to cover this every year if you do end up having to pay? Im not an owner yet but I kind of just figured you would need to set aside money for taxes every settlement just like you would for maintenance or anything else involved in the cost of operation? Am i wrong or just missing something?

I put $500 each week into my savings. I use ATBS for my accounting and pay their estimated quarterly taxes, which is about $2500, then once my final return is completed, I pay that. This year I paid $7800 so far, and going to owe $0

So now I get to decide what I want to spend the $12k I still have in my savings. Most likely gonna just keep it un there tho just in case the new rig takes a crap.