Question People keep asking to buy my trailer...

[GuyInSoCal]

As of the time of this post, my trailer is not for sale.. but that doesn't stop people from asking..

For those that don't already know, I am building a Cargo Conversion from a 7 x 16 x 7 Pace American Outback DLX. I have a friend that owns a boat repair business, and I rented some space in his side parking lot to build it.

Clients from the boat business are always poking around my trailer asking questions. There is at least two a week that ask if it is for sale.. Even as few people at the surrounding business' have asked.

Yesterday someone came at me with a different twist. He said that he has the dream and the funding, but doesn't have the time to build one.

I walked him through my build. We talked about needs, wants and desires of a trailer build.. both his and mine. We crawled all over it. Inside and out. We spent about two hours talking. In the process I explained to him that he could do it at whatever pace he chooses to go. Don't think of it as a race, because thats when things go wrong.

In the conclusion of our talk he said, "I will pay you to build one for me".... I didn't know what to say.

He wants the same size trailer I am building now.

So here are my questions:

Do I place my trailer on hold and build his? My trailer is 99.999% done

Is it worth the time and energy to build one for someone else?

If I was to take this on, I would not even know what to charge for my time..

Side Note: I am an engineer, so I am more than capable to design and build one for him.

Vernon

 

[team bradfield]

Only you can answer these questions, personally I wouldn't want the liability, JMHO

 

[GypsyR]

Usually in deals like this it's not practical to charge the man an amount that's fair to you. As it would be actual work, you'd have to bill your time an amount at least fair to you. Then at the end of the job he would be right to exclaim that for that much he could have bought a bigger better one right off the lot.
I've done a few creative things over the years and have had people offer to pay me in the same way. It just doesn't work out. I just do them for free. For myself and on rare occasion for someone else. I make my money at an actual job.
So I'd say if you would be happy building such a thing out of the love of the process and don't really care about putting a monetary value on your time that's probably the only way it would really work out.

With exceptions for those very rare people who say "cost is no object" and MEAN it. It has been my pleasure to work for one. Once. Money meant next to nothing to him when it came to the project. No compromises were to be made and no corners cut. It was great but I doubt I'll see his like again.