Should You Buy or Rent a Car Hauler Trailer?
Car haulers are moderately priced open trailers — whether to buy or rent usually comes down to whether you move vehicles often enough to outrun the cost of owning one.
Quick answer: Rent a car hauler for a one-time vehicle move. Buy one if you move vehicles often — projects, track days, powersports — and can store a long open deck year-round.
What a car hauler trailer is for
Open decks with ramps and tie-downs for moving cars, project vehicles, track-day cars, and powersports — anything you drive or winch on and strap down.
What it costs
Typical purchase price: $3,500–$9,000 (a range, not a fixed price — condition, size, and features move it). On top of that, owning adds depreciation, insurance, registration, maintenance, and storage every year — see the full cost-of-ownership breakdown →.
To rent instead: Car-hauler day rates sit in the middle of the range — enter your ZIP to see real local rates rather than a made-up average.
Buy or rent — the break-even
A car hauler is cheaper to own than an enclosed trailer but still carries insurance, registration, storage, and depreciation year-round. Enthusiasts who haul a project or track car most months can reach break-even and benefit from owning. For a one-time vehicle move or a couple of hauls a year, renting is the clear win — no storing a 16–20 ft deck the other 350 days.
Buy if…
- You move vehicles regularly (track days, projects, powersports)
- You have space for a long open deck
- You handle your own maintenance and tie-down gear
Rent if…
- You need to move one car, once
- You haul only occasionally
- You’d rather not store a long trailer year-round
See your real car hauler numbers
The calculator weighs the full cost of owning a car hauler trailer against live local rental rates and gives you a personal break-even.
Run the car hauler buy-vs-rent calculator →Still deciding? Take the 2-minute quiz → · Car Hauler vs Flatbed Trailer: What’s the Real Difference? →
Rent a car hauler trailer near you first
The best way to test a purchase is to rent the exact type first. Showing live car hauler rentals near you.