Don’t Buy A Food Trailer! (Until You Read This)

If you’ve been following me, you know I love the food-on-wheels business. I’ve done street vending, I’ve run a snack bar, and I’ve catered. But I always come back to my first love, the carnival concession business.

One thing that I’d like to clear up is that I am not a carnie. I do not work for the show. Most people find this confusing, so let me clear it up. When you go to a fair, the rides and some of the food stands are owned by the show that the fair committee has contracted with for the event. The show pays rent to the fair committee for the time they will be there. Sometimes it’s a flat fee, and sometimes it’s a percentage of ride prices.

Either way, the food stands are with the show. While it is possible for someone like me to book my trailer on with the show, in 95% of the cases, the food stands on the midway where the rides are located are owned by the carnival show.

Someone like me is called an independent. That’s because I own my own business. I pay rent directly to the fair committee. Usually independents have their own midway, or several. Anywhere that the show does not rent is available for the fair committee to rent out to independents like me.

I hope that makes it clear. Independents do not follow one particular show. As well as their own locations on the grounds, we have our own camping area for our RV’s. We are clearly not “carnies” but instead, business owners. We just happen to have a business that travels!

New vs. Used Concession Trailers

Buying a new concession trailer is on my mind right now because I’m in the process of doing that very thing. I’m being extremely choosey this time, for a very important reason: although I’ve had six trailers, along with three tent operations and two buildings on fairgrounds, this will be only the second time that I have bought a brand-new trailer.

Honestly, if it were up to me, I’d probably hunt around until I found something used. The trouble is, my husband wants new. He doesn’t want someone else’s old junk, and he could be right. Used trailers these days are nearly as expensive as new; they really hold their value. And you’re buying someone else’s vision, and their set-up; unless you are going to sell the exact same thing (and you better be sure you can get it booked), you’ll have to tear it apart and retro fit it for your menu.

Now, if you can get a great deal on both the trailer and the route, that’s different. Just be sure the route is worth the investment; what are they selling, what events/fairs are they playing, , how long have they been there, and what is the attendance and their location at each fair? You’ll pay more for a trailer with a route—and if the route is so good, why are they selling?

So make sure that you complete your “due diligence” before making that big investment.

I have friends, husband and wife, in the business. They are selling a highly-profitable bakery trailer. They’ve had it going for 30 years. Why are they selling? Because they are older, their kids don’t want it, and they are down-sizing. They are both from carnival backgrounds; her father owned a show, and his parents owned 4 trailers—dough, pizza, fries, and floss. Now he has those plus two more. No wonder he’s tired and ready to do less.

Anyhow, back to buying a new trailer.

Choosing the Right Product for Your Trailer

So exciting, right? You’ll have to know what you are going to sell, because any reputable manufacturer will want to know your work flow so they can configure the equipment and hood placement.

Again, here’s the most important advice of all: make sure you’ll be selling something that you can book, and something with a BIG profit margin. This isn’t the local burger joint in your home town, where things are marked up maybe 3 times. At a fair, there are much bigger margins; try pricing out a lemonade—50 cents to make and serve, and 5.00 to the customer. A couple hundred a day and at the end of the week: four or five thousand after expenses. Not bad for squeezing lemons.

Also, make sure you’ll be able to book your joint. I can almost promise that you will not be able to get on with the common fair foods; these will be foods that are restricted because the same people, the same families, have been selling them for generations. Besides the ones I’ve mentioned above, some other foods that will be impossible to book are hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken tenders, fries, onion rings, blooming onions, fried dough/elephant ears, funnel cakes, ice cream, cotton candy, candy apples, shaved ice, Italian sausage, pizza, steak-and-cheese, deep-fried Oreos, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, turkey legs… Did I miss any? Hey, you get my drift.

Also, you want something that people have heard of. Pumpla’s may be great at your Hungarian grandma’s house, but they will be a tough sell at the fair, because nobody knows what they are.

And the stuff they show on that TV show you may have watched, Carnival Eats? Have you ever see it? It’s where the host, Noah Cappe, visits different fairs around the US and tries a variety of unique and often over-the-top food creations They always look amazing and delicious, and when he asks people to try the food, the customers always rave. Well, here’s a news flash: Most of that is strictly staged for the show; there is NO WAY that vendors have the time, or the room, to add fifteen ingredients, let it marinate overnight, slow cook it, etc. If you hit on the right product, you’ll be absolutely swamped at a fair, and it’s all about get-em-in and get-em-out. There’s just not enough time to get gourmet food out the window fast enough to make your crowds happy.

When you see long lines that are hardly moving, and people with angry looks on their faces, it’s usually a food truck guy or gal who is used to a slow pace by the side of the road and has no idea how to put out food quickly because their menu is filled with gourmet choices that take 30 minutes to make.

OK, so now you have a great product in mind, you can get it booked at multiple events, it’s quick and easy to prepare, the profit margins are high, and people buy it in droves.

All you need now is something to vend from.

Key Features to Look for in a Concession Trailer

I’m going to start on the outside, then I’ll move in.

There’s a lot more than color and size, but let’s start there.

The best color is white, because it’s like a blank canvas.  You can wrap it any way you want, if you have thousands to spend; or, you can get decals and apply them yourself.  The latter is so much less money, and not very difficult.  

When you think about size, you’ll need to consider the equipment you’ll need.  Some folks have a stock truck to make life easier.  If that’s not an option, you’ll need to allow for every single thing you’ll need to prep, store, and serve your menu.  

I use graph paper.  I draw out the size of the trailer and then I place the equipment squares inside.  I figure one square equals one foot.  I cut out the graph paper equipment pieces to size.  That tells me what will work and what won’t.  

Right now I’m planning on an 8 x 16 trailer.  The tongue is 4 feet.  Fairs charge by the foot, and more and more are going to 10’ increments.  So sixteen plus four puts me right at the twenty-foot sweet spot.

Another thing about length; sometimes if your trailer is too long, they won’t be able to accommodate you in some of the best locations.  Twenty feet is pretty standard, and that’s including the tongue.

If you have windows on one end, it may be possible to back the trailer in.  Then you’ll be paying on ten feet instead of twenty.

It’s always better to be more visible by parking the long way, but sometimes you may go sideways just to get a location.

As for the actual structure, some trailers have totally square corners, while others are a bit more rounded.  Look at Google images for concession trailers, and decide what you like.  This is really a personal choice.

If you want to play the fair circuit, don’t get a v-trailer; many of them are cargo trailers that have been converted, and they look exactly like what they are.  Get a real concession trailer, not a conversion.  The v-neck will make you look inexperienced.  A real vendor would not be caught dead in a V-trailer, and many fair committees will not book you just because of that.

Moving on, you’ll want to think about height.  In my favorite-of-all-times trailer, my Wells Cargo, the floor dropped in the middle so the counters were closer to the ground in the back end of the trailer.  Otherwise, the customer’s face is even with the knees of the person taking the order.  

Awkward.

If you don’t have the luxury of a dropped floor, you can have your counter helper sit, like on a cooler.  That puts them face to face with the customer.

You’ll work it out.

But as for height, your choices are usually 7’, 7.5’ and 8’.  My husband is over 6 feet so we like a taller trailer.  It’s less claustrophobic as well.

The outside of a trailer is called the skin.  It may be smooth, or it may be constructed with riveted panels.  The rivets are a real pain if you try to put a wrap or decals on the outside.  Your wrap company may even charge you extra.  Smooth is better in so many ways.

Now let’s talk about windows.  The more windows, the better.  In this business, the old saying is Flash is Cash.  Your customers, and would be customers, want to see what you are doing, for multiple reasons.

Are you clean?  Did you touch the hot dog after handling the money without a hand wash or gloves?  Is the cook smoking over the grill?  Are the flies outnumbering the guests?  

Cleanliness is a big thing.  

AS well, people want to watch you.  You are the entertainment while they stand in line and wait.  Anything you can do that will amuse or draw attention is something that will attract more business.  In our Awesome Blossom blooming onion trailer, people were absolutely fascinated to watch us cut, bread, and drop their onions into the fryer.  We provided free entertainment while they waited.  Priceless.  The same goes with pouring a funnel cake, tossing a pizza shell, or gathering floss on a paper cone.

Windows are good, and if you can have them on all three sides, even better.  

In fact, the wrong windows or too few windows are reasons I will walk away from a trailer manufacturer.  Way too many so-called concession trailer builders put in tiny serving windows.  This is so bad!  It is an instant turn-off to customers.  Builders do this because it’s a much cheaper alternative to putting 6’ serving windows on three sides.  It’s just one of the ways that they get away with cheaper pricing.  Believe me, if you want to look like a newbie on the fairgrounds, pull in with one of these so-called concessions.  They are a joke.

Sorry if I hurt anyone’s feelings.  I’m just saying, your window is your attraction, your billboard, your show, all in one.  You have to invite the customers, not repel them.  There are some things you just can’t skimp on.

I’d rather see you with rivets and with decals instead of a wrap; save money there, but don’t build your trailer with a stupid looking window.  Trust me.

You’ll get an awning with each window, most of the time.  The awning should absolutely NOT be tilted downwards.  It should be completely flat when it is up, or it may even slant upwards a tiny bit. 

On my old Wells Cargo, it was a split awning.  One third of it folded upwards and formed a place to put a sign.  All three window awnings had this feature, and then there was a “pie” wedge that sat between them on an angle that also held a sign.

That was a great set-up; I don’t think they do that anymore.

OK, moving on, here is a list of some other things to consider, in no particular order.

Wheels—I prefer a dual axle trailer.  It’s so much easier to tow. And make sure you get Buddy bearings, which help keep dirt and water out; you will need to grease them periodically.

The tongue of the trailer should have a steel plate like a triangle. It’s usually black and it’s textured so that it’s not slippery.  The tongue can stay attached or it can be detachable.  You can research that; I’ve never had a tongue that was detachable.  A tongue is heavy, and you’ll have to store it under the trailer, then drag it out and lift it into position when you need to travel.  Of course, there are retractable tongues if you pay 150,000 for the trailer.  That’s not in my budget.  

Also, you can look into an electric jack for the tongue, or you can have the hand-crank kind.  I’m not sure of the price of that option, but it would be handy for someone like me who may not have the strength to crank it up.

When the trailer is being designed, you’ll want to think about where the door will go.  That will be part of the puzzle when you are doing the work flow.  I like a wide door, and always get a screen.  A cool little breeze in the summer is so nice.

Make sure your door has a lock.

Your trailer will need a rack for your propane tanks.  We use the smaller tanks, but not the kind for the BBQ grill at your house; I think they are 40-pounders, and they stand about 4 feet tall.  They are just easier to handle than the 100 pound ones.  Be sure to lock them so no one can steal them; we once had two new tanks stolen off our trailer after the last night of the last show of the season.  

You may need a cage for your tanks as well.  Check the codes in your state.  

If you plan to use a generator, you’ll need a rack, a lock, and a cage for that as well. We’ve never traveled with a generator, but I if you plan to play certain types of events, you may need one.

You’ll need jacks on each corner.  These help level and stabilize your unit.  Usually these are scissor jacks that are attached underneath each corner of your trailer.  You have to crank them down.  I think you can get electric ones, too.  More gadgets to play with.

Bring wheel chocks so you don’t go rolling down a hill.  Very important.

You’ll need electric brakes.  We’ve had a brake apparatus that sits next to the regular brake pedal in our truck.  Honestly, I don’t know how this works except it’s an extra system that will help slow you down if you are in hilly terrain.

You’ll need stairs to get into the trailer unless you are going to hop on the tongue if your door is in the back.  We always stuck a milk crate there, then used the crate for extra hoses when we packed up.

Sway bars and chains should come with the trailer.  These help to stabilize your unit when you travel; the chains are an extra precaution in case the trailer jumps the ball and falls off.  Thankfully, that’s never happened to us!

Make sure the floor is made from pressure treated plywood.  Floors and roofs are the first to go.  

Exterior lighting is SO important.  You’ll want customers to know of your presence after dark; you’ll need LED inside and out, and lots of it.

You may opt for a marquee.  That’s the big sign that wraps around the top of the trailer.  Usually the builder does NOT include that, although on the higher-end trailers it may be an option.  A big marquee is awesome, and if it’s in your budget, go for it. A four-foot marquee with signage on it, on all four sides of your trailer, is an average of 10k.  Some of them fold down, others stay upright even when traveling.  A marquee is like a big billboard for your business; get one if you can, and the bigger, the better. 

I have a friend with a BBQ unit; his marquee is eight feet tall.  It actually has a door in it should he need to get on his roof during a show.  It folds down against the sides of the trailer when he’s traveling.  It’s elaborate, and I shudder to think what it cost him, but wow, it sure makes a statement when he’s set up on a midway.

Well, that’s where I’ll stop on the exterior.  I’m going to publish another article about the interior, hopefully within the month.

Please let me know how you liked this, and if it is helpful.  Also, if you’re in the middle of a build, or just finished, I’d love to know of your experience, and who your builder is.

Thanks for reading this article.

You can download your Quick Start Guide to the food truck world here —  https://www.myfoodonwheels.com/quick-start-guide

Got questions? I’d love to hear from you! Just send me an email at [email protected].

Bye, see you in the next article!