Open vs enclosed transport for a 500 mile trip, the cost difference shocked me

I had to ship my 2018 Mustang from Denver to Salt Lake City last month and I compared quotes for open and enclosed trailers. The open trailer was $450 and enclosed was $875, so I almost went with open. But then I thought about all the gravel trucks and bugs on I-70, so I paid extra for enclosed. When the car arrived it was spotless, not a single rock chip or bird dropping anywhere. My buddy did the same route with open and his paint had like 3 tiny chips he had to touch up. Is enclosed really worth double for a short trip or am I overthinking it?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryan_nelson1mo ago

I get where you're coming from but honestly I think you overpaid by a lot for a 500 mile trip. That $425 difference could have covered touch up paint and a full detail plus some lunch money. Unless your Mustang is a garage queen worth six figures a few tiny rock chips are just part of driving. I've hauled cars on open trailers for years and never had anything worse than light bug splatter that washes right off. The gravel truck thing is overblown too, most drivers give your car enough space if you look at the bigger picture. For a 2018 daily driver paying double for enclosed feels like throwing cash away for peace of mind that's not really needed.

elizabeth43828d ago

You ever have a friend learn a lesson the hard way? Ryan Nelson, I hear you, but a buddy of mine hauled his old Camaro on an open trailer 600 miles and came back with a windshield crack and a dent the size of a quarter on the hood from a kicked up rock. Cost him almost $700 to fix, and the paint match was off, so he was never happy with it. I get most trips go fine, but that one bad day wiped out any savings real quick, and for a 2018 Mustang that's not a garage queen, that kind of damage still stings when you're the one paying for it.