I still remember the first time I got behind the wheel pulling an offroad trailer. It was just my husband and I – the way we usually travel. At first, it felt unreal to leave the beaten path, something I had longed to do so many times, and here it was actually happening. Then, I relished the opportunity.
It’s something I’ve thought about many times since, and I know many RV owners in the same situation. They’re eager to own an offroad trailer, but the cost holds them back.
You’re in the right place if you have questions, concerns, and curiosities about the costs of off-road trailers and whether they’re worthwhile. Make sure you stay tuned, as I’m going to share my favorite offroad models in an upcoming post to complement this one!
How Much Do Offroad Trailers Cost, Anyway?
Buying an offroad trailer isn’t always as easy as spotting a model you like online, finding a dealership that has it, booking a time to come out and test-drive, and driving off with the trailer in your possession.
Sometimes, trailers are built custom for off-roading. If you think that drives the cost up, you’re absolutely right.
The baseline price of an offroad trailer is $19,000. That’s before any customization. If you’re not building a from-scratch trailer, this base price doesn’t include add-ons or extras that make your vehicle uniquely yours.
It’s not unheard of to pay $40,000 to $80,000 for an offroad trailer. Maybe that price isn’t so shocking for an RV, but it is a lot for travel trailers.
Why Are Offroad Trailers So Expensive?
It’s tough to pinpoint one reason precisely why offroad trailers are priced as they are. Instead, it usually boils down to a couple of factors, so let’s review.
Long Waitlists
Did you know that some offroad models have waitlists of a year or two? Yes, up to two years! I wish I was kidding, but I’m not. Since people are willing to wait years for the perfect trailer for them rather than months signals to offroad manufacturers that they can keep driving up prices or leave the high costs where they are.
Custom Designs
Whether we’re talking about a pair of shoes, a couch, a car, or an offroad trailer, customization options make everything more special but also pricier. You can always cut out the customization and buy a trailer as-is to save some dough, but then you still have to slog through this next money pit…
Add-ons and Extras
Every RV and trailer manufacturer offers these, so it shouldn’t surprise you to see them available with offroad trailers as well.
While it varies by manufacturer, here are some add-ons you can generally opt for when buying this type of trailer:
- Aluminum skid plates or steel cargo areas
- Powder-coated sides, hatch, and roof
- Anodized aluminum sides
- Exterior colors
- Interior colors
- Window type, size, and placement
- Additional batteries or a different type of battery, such as a dual six-volt battery or a lithium-ion battery
- LED lights and backup lights
- Solar panels or additional solar panels
- Additional storage space
- Larger stove area
- Kitchen cabinetry color, design, and number of drawers
- Fridge type and size
- Countertop material, like laminated Formica (usually standard) or stainless steel
- Cabinetry color and style
- Inclusion of a television and/or stereo system
- Additional storage space
- Extra bunk beds
- Heating and cooling, or augmented heating and cooling
Heavy-Duty Weight
Although they’re sized about the same as your standard travel trailer, an offroad trailer is incomparable in the weight department. Even an offroad teardrop weighs more than you would expect.
The lightest offroad trailer is probably about 600 pounds. These vehicles are designed for rugged terrain so you can expect the unexpected when adventuring and come out unscathed. You’re paying for quality, and it shows.
Since offroad trailers are heavier than what you may be used to, you might have to consider upgrading your towing vehicle to one with a greater towing payload. This too can drive up the costs of your purchase overall.
Rugged Reinforcements
Between stainless steel, anodized aluminum, and powder coating, you can enjoy each offroad experience rather than worrying whether your vehicle can handle it. Trust me, it can handle it. Your peace of mind is what these manufacturers desire most, so offroad trailers are built to handle sand, grass, dirt, rocks, and hills.
Amenities
Besides all the add-ons you can select from that jack up your bill, there are also the standard amenities offered in any travel trailer. You know the ones: kitchen area, seating space, bedroom nook, maybe some bunk beds, and perhaps a bathroom if you’re lucky.
The costs of these features get rolled up into the overall price of the offroad trailer. The more deluxe features you have, like a full bathroom or a spacious indoor kitchen, the costlier the trailer should be.
Can You Lease Offroad Trailers? What About Renting Them?
With such high costs that are often unyielding, you may wonder if you have to give up on your dreams of offroad trailer ownership.
Not necessarily! Depending on the manufacturer, you might be able to take out a lease to afford your trailer. If not that, you can always look into a loan.
Let me present this caveat though: don’t buy what you can’t afford. While offroad trailers are cool, they’re not worth negatively impacting your financial health.
Renting 101
I recommend renting an offroad trailer before you buy. Towing and living in one of these babies is not your run-of-the-mill trailer experience. You very well might like life in an offroad trailer, or perhaps you find that roughing it isn’t for you and you wish you had hookups like water and electricity.
And hey, there’s nothing wrong with that! Off-roading isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine. Variety is the spice of life.
So, what will you pay to rent an offroad trailer? It varies based on:
- Type of trailer
- Who you’re renting it from
- Trailer size
- Amenities and features
- How far you take the trailer
- How long you rent
- The time of year you rent
That said, based on my own experiences with renting an offroad trailer and the prices I researched when I sought one to rent, most prices for these trailers start at $150 a night. If you keep the vehicle for three nights, that’s only $450.
Keep in mind that, just like when renting any type of vehicle, other fees apply. You might have to pay for the gas (if you drive beyond a certain mileage), cleanup fees, and other miscellaneous costs.
Plus, some trailers don’t include amenities you might want, like generators, which you’d have to rent separately.
Even if you spend $500 or $600 on an offroad trailer rental, that’s still a fraction of what you’d pay to own one of these vehicles. You can take it out for a long weekend, pretend it’s yours, have a blast, and get to know what the offroad life is really like.
After all, it’s one of those things you truly have to see and experience to understand.
Are Offroad Trailers Worth the Cost?
So, are offroad trailers all hype, or are their inflated costs worth every penny?
There’s definitely some hype around them, which happens with anything trendy in RVs, but I think they’re capable enough to warrant the high cost.
Offroad trailers are built differently, with heavy-duty exteriors, tall bellies, and durable wheels that can roll on tough surfaces without popping.
Inside, they provide the comforts and amenities you’d find in a traditional travel trailer, allowing you to live in some degree of luxury, even if you’re sacrificing creature comforts like running water and electricity.
Yes, they’re expensive, but welcome to all RVs and trailers these days, especially if you buy them new. However, there are workarounds for the high cost of an offroad. As I discussed before, you can lease or take out a loan. You can also look for used trailers.
If you’re on a waitlist, hoping and praying you get a call or email soon announcing that your trailer is finally available, try renting that vehicle or a model like it in the meantime. You can get a feel for how it controls, where everything is, and how convenient it is to travel your way with a rig of that size.
Wrapping Up
Offroad trailers cost far more than your average teardrop, but that’s only because they’re built tough for those dusty deserts and wooded areas you’ve been eager to explore. Despite the high cost, they’re more in-demand than ever, with waitlists stretching on for a year or longer for some manufacturers.
That said, they’re not for everyone. If their high prices give you pause, or you don’t love the idea of extended living without water and electricity, there are plenty of other trailers on the market that will suit you better. Best of all, they should be more affordable.
For those of us who long for life off the beaten path, offroad trailers are the only ones for us.