FEMA has some used trailers (41,000 of them) to sell and so far, they’ve been netting “about 40 cents on each dollar spent by taxpayers,” according to the Washington Post.

That’s OK, because taxpayers can get a good deal on a trailer if they need one, right? Nah. FEMA is selling the trailers 300 at a time to RV Dealers so they can be resold to consumers for profit. From the Washington Post:

“As you can imagine, a public auction of so many vehicles could devastate the market for travel trailers,” Michael A. Molino, president of the 2,700-member Recreational Vehicle Dealers Association, said in a letter Friday to FEMA Director R. David Paulison.

Molino’s group and the National Association of RV Parks & Campgrounds asked last week that the trailers be sold in lots of five or more so dealers can buy and resell them. Both groups said that selling directly to consumers could pose safety hazards if adequate training is not provided.

FEMA is working with the General Services Administration, the federal government’s real estate arm, to auction trailers in batches of about 300 at a time “so we do not flood the market or harm business,” FEMA spokeswoman Deborah Wing said.

So we guess the real question is, does anyone want to buy a FEMA trailer… again? —MEGHANN MARCO

FEMA Taking Hit on Sale of Surplus Trailers [Washington Post]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.