Long story short .... I'm looking at a 6x12 enclosed trailer for my wares.
I'm looking for insight and what problems people have in various jurisdictions n for the trailer and tow vehicle since both are being used for commercial purposes.
I doubt everyone has their vehicle and trailer licensed as commercial (although technically they are) and that most of us exist in that grey area.
I'm looking at making the trailer 'pretty' with logo and name etc etc on it but does that raise red flags in different states and provinces.
What do you do !?
Thx
Steve
You need to be a member of Art Fair Insiders to add comments!
You mention Vermont. There aren't a lot of shows up here, so I'm curious, what shows did you do here? Craftproducers?
Edwin Schmidt said:
I have a Dodge Sprinter and Trailer for my business in Ohio. They are registered as commercial vehicles. You pay commercial rates usually based on the weight of the van (truck) and a flat rate for a trailer of that size. License plate rates vary but I pay $125 for the Sprinter (9500 lbs empty). Trailer is around $35 a year. I have not had any problems anywhere. From Ilinois,to Massachusetts, to Vermont, to Florida and points in-between. As long as you are properly registered in your own state, you shouldn't have any problems. I personally wound not 'pretty' up the trailer though. No red flags from states but potential problems with break-ins. Keep it plain and simple. No need to ask for potential problems. Get a good lock that covers the entire hasp. I had a no cut lock on mine so they simply cut the hasp. Fortunately they only took a lug wrench.
Not only breakins. MY husband and I had to move from our first townhouse because the association declared no more commercial vehicles could park in the parking places for the townhouses. At the time he worked for an HVAC company and that was the only vehicle he had. And in Virginia you can't park them on the street overnight either without getting a ticket.
I have a Dodge Sprinter and Trailer for my business in Ohio. They are registered as commercial vehicles. You pay commercial rates usually based on the weight of the van (truck) and a flat rate for a trailer of that size. License plate rates vary but I pay $125 for the Sprinter (9500 lbs empty). Trailer is around $35 a year. I have not had any problems anywhere. From Ilinois,to Massachusetts, to Vermont, to Florida and points in-between. As long as you are properly registered in your own state, you shouldn't have any problems. I personally wound not 'pretty' up the trailer though. No red flags from states but potential problems with break-ins. Keep it plain and simple. No need to ask for potential problems. Get a good lock that covers the entire hasp. I had a no cut lock on mine so they simply cut the hasp. Fortunately they only took a lug wrench.
I have a 5x8 and just had to buy a bigger vehicle to pull the darn thing. My v6 van did not do the trick. Ended up with an Expedition with the larger v8. Just keep in mind what you will be able to pull with your vehicle. For small, indoor shows, I can stuff everything in the Expedition. I sure love having a trailer most of the time though- less unloading and loading.
Another thing- get AAA + RV. It is so worth it! The +RV covers your trailer. I had an instance where I was going to a show and the tow truck driver dropped myself and the trailer and the show and brought the broken down van to the repair shop. With a little help from my friends at the show- I still had a great weekend and was able to get to and from my hotel.
Also- make sure you have a spare for the trailer. I delayed on that and that bit me in the behind.
I had a 5x8 trailer for about 2 years and sold it for the same price I bought it new. It was great to hall the art in the trailer but I had to drag my husband to all my shows because it was his truck with the hitch. lol My car was too little. Definitely practice parking, backing up and turning around. For two years I just shook my head while I watched the spouce bounce, skip and land everywhere but the right spot. It was comical to watch. I mainly cringed at all the near hits or misses. He nearly tore off the hitch a couple times. So do practice alot. It was not considered commercial here in VA. The tags were inexpensive as well as the insurance and property tax. I knew if I kept it clean it would sell quick. The lights were finiky and so I needed to check that they all work each time we use it. We also built compartments inside to hold things better and that worked great too. I finally bought a minivan which was why we sold the trailer.
I got my first trailer (a 5x8 Haulmark) in 1994. It's grey and matched the truck I had at the time. In 2004 I got a 6x12 trailer from a local dealer. Within a year I sold it as it was just too big for my stuff and went back to the 5x8. And even now I don't use it that much as all my stuff fits into the Expedition.
We have a normal trailer plate on it and take it all over the northeast with absolutely no problems. And yes, make sure ALL the lights work, including the license plate light.
And when you get it, take a day to practice backing up! Learn how to put it into a parking place using just your mirrors. Learn how to back up down a row of exhibitors. If you need to use that knowledge only once, it'll be worth every minute.
I agree with the keeping it plain white theory. I raced sports cars for many years, and my friends that had enclosed trailers kept them plain on the side. They didn't want to attract any attention to the trailer and risk it being broken into when it was parked overnight. Unless you are planning on putting a great alarm system on the trailer, don't advertise that it's full of art work.
From what others have said, it sounds like the price of a ticket would be far less than the cost of a commercial license.
I pull a trailer all over the Midwest and East Coast. I would not recommend putting anything on the trailer. It may be good advertising, but there are also alot of nuts out there. Draw the least amount of attention to yourself when traveling. Most important thing of all is make sure ALL the lights work!!
Kevin
I guess you'll have to judge how important it is to you Steven to have it "pretty". We've done much research on this topic. We have stayed with our 5x8 trailer because in Wisconsin anything under 3,000 trailer weight does not require any license or DOT sticker unless you are considered "commercial". We have also kept the outside plain white so as not to draw attention to ourselves. Here's the rub.... if commercial, the hundreds of dollars for a DOT sticker is the least of your costs. In some states, not only will the trailer have to be considered "commercial", but in some states so will the vehicle you are pulling it with. Also, in some states you would be required to have a "commercial license" HUGE costs. Another cost factor would be the requirements you as the driver would have to meet annually as well as the tests the vehicle and trailer would have to meet. Again, depends on the state and what states you drive through, but that "commercial" thing requires you to adhere to far different sets of laws. Can get rather pricey for a weekend artist, even if you would be doing 52 shows a year methinks.
Replies
You mention Vermont. There aren't a lot of shows up here, so I'm curious, what shows did you do here? Craftproducers?
Edwin Schmidt said:
Ed Schmidt
Toys 'N' Stuff (wooden toys)
Another thing- get AAA + RV. It is so worth it! The +RV covers your trailer. I had an instance where I was going to a show and the tow truck driver dropped myself and the trailer and the show and brought the broken down van to the repair shop. With a little help from my friends at the show- I still had a great weekend and was able to get to and from my hotel.
Also- make sure you have a spare for the trailer. I delayed on that and that bit me in the behind.
We have a normal trailer plate on it and take it all over the northeast with absolutely no problems. And yes, make sure ALL the lights work, including the license plate light.
And when you get it, take a day to practice backing up! Learn how to put it into a parking place using just your mirrors. Learn how to back up down a row of exhibitors. If you need to use that knowledge only once, it'll be worth every minute.
From what others have said, it sounds like the price of a ticket would be far less than the cost of a commercial license.
Kevin
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next