(Editor’s note: This is the fifth installment in a series about opening a mobile pizzeria by Jason Cipriani, co-owner of Sips & Pies. You can read the other articles here.)

After choosing what style of pizza to serve – and then deciding what type of oven you’ll use – the hunt for a truck or trailer begins. The search for the perfect mobile food unit to showcase your vision can be intimidating, time consuming and as frustrating as anything you’ll experience in the process of opening a mobile pizzeria. But trust me: It’s worth every second of curiosity, wonder and frustration.

Used or new food truck?

If you’ve done any research into food trucks and trailers – both new and used – you undoubtedly have seen the sheer number of websites dedicated to the industry. The sites range from companies that will custom-build the food truck of your dreams for north of $120,000 to cookie-cutter trailers for as little as $15,000 to Facebook Marketplace listings and used food truck websites, where you can try to make a deal with the current owner.

I spent more hours than I’d like to admit on all of those websites, analyzing every listing to gauge what we should expect to pay while simultaneously looking for something that fit our budget and ever-changing vision. I messaged the seller for every listing I was remotely interested in, asking far too many questions for their liking.

All of my obsessive browsing – or research, as I like to call it – was valuable. At one point, we found a used, enclosed BBQ trailer with an open-air porch that was within our price range and only about 40 minutes away. It looked almost perfect.

After asking for pictures of the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) plate, which includes the trailer’s total weight to ensure our truck could pull it, I noticed a model number of the trailer. A quick Google search of that model number later, I discovered the trailer was manufactured in Georgia, was listed at $19,000 brand new and came with a warranty that lasted a few years.

I’d previously looked at and researched this specific brand of trailers, and while they looked nice, previous owners often complained about poor workmanship and quality issues, making a warranty a necessity. The manufactured date on the plate confirmed the trailer had only one year of warranty left.

The asking price was within $500 of a brand-new model, which I hoped we could use as a bargaining chip if the trailer was a good fit – and mostly it was, despite some cosmetic damage we’d have to fix. The owners would not budge on the price, however, so we left without making a deal.

Finding the Right Mobile Unit

About four months before we bought our trailer, a friend sent me a link to a Facebook Marketplace listing for a pizza trailer, saying they hoped it would be a good option for us. I had already seen the listing during my countless hours of searching, but wood-fired oven just wasn’t something we wanted to mess with – or so we thought.

Fast-forward to my return from Wood Fired University, and I immediately looked to see if the listing was still live. It was. There wasn’t a lot of information about the trailer, other than it was a Fire Within Concessionaire, and the sellers wanted $22,000. For reference, a new Concessionaire trailer costs a minimum of $32,000, depending on the build.

I sent the sellers a message, and within a few days we had arranged to go look at the trailer, located a couple of hours away. That next week, I made an offer of $18,000, which was accepted.

We picked up the trailer a couple of weeks later and immediately drove it to the manufacturer’s factory to have $3,000 of renovations performed. All told, we spent $21,000 on what was effectively a brand-new trailer. Our patience had paid off.

Mobile Food Truck Advice

Don’t rush into buying the first truck or trailer you find. Scrutinize every aspect of each setup and how your vision would work. Be honest with yourself, and don’t let the excitement rush you into making a decision you’ll later regret.

Your food truck is going to be the biggest financial investment you’ll make when opening your business, so make sure you get exactly what you want!

It’s not until you buy your food truck or trailer that you can start the process of getting licensed and ready to truly open – at least, that’s how it works in Colorado. You can’t get a Retail Food License as a mobile food vendor without your food truck, which has to pass inspection before you’re granted your license. Your local municipalities may be different, so check with them.

If you can afford it, buy a brand new truck or trailer. That way, you won’t inherit someone else’s problems and you’ll start fresh. That said, do your research before shopping for the cheapest option. Ask trailer manufacturers for references and then call them prepared to ask all of your questions. If a manufacturer won’t give you references, find another manufacturer. 

If you’re shopping on a budget, like we were, then there’s nothing wrong with buying used. Try to time the purchase between late summer and mid-winter, when those who’ve decided to close their business are looking to sell. And just as you would with a brand-new trailer, ask the manufacturer for references.

JASON CIPRIANI is the owner of Sips & Pies, a mobile wood-fired pizzeria serving Neapolitan-inspired pizza, in Colorado.