Enclosed Trailers What Has Everyone Had Good Luck With

TurnkeyConst

Hey guys well asking your advice on enclosed trailers. We mainly stick to remodeling but also do New Construction and we are licensed. Looking for what yall have had good luck with as far as trailer designs and brands. Dont really want one that sits on the ground so to speak because some places we work we back up steep grade driveways. But we dont want a skyscraper either. Will be pulling it most of the time with a 1997 F350 crew cab long bed single rear wheel. What lengths do most of you have good luck with? We know we dont want to get anything without tandem axles. If anyone has any recomendations on styles and things or things to look for if we look at used trailers please let me know. Thanks for everything guys!!

firemike

I had a 14 foot dual axle Wells Cargo. It had dual rear doors and the side door. Pulled like a dream, you hardly knew it was back there. Lots of room (got the 7 foot high one) well built, and worked great for me. Can't say a single thing bad about it. Bought it for around $4200, had it for 5 years, and sold it for $3000. The guy I sold it to uses it every day and loves it.

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-Mike-

Mike Finley

16 footer with extra height, tandem.

If you can go to 16 foot I recommend it, since it allows you to haul 16 foot sticks of molding or other materials. I designed ours so the very top of the 3 shelf stacks on one side of the trailer form a continuous 16 foot tray to store and haul that kind of stuff in.

Ordered ours with the inboard wheels instead of the outboard fender models, figured it was going to last longer before somebody crunched something plus it reduced the width.

Greg Di

Mike,

What is your contract language for parking something that big on someone's property for any length of time.

By me, peoples' driveways aren't usually that large to begin with, so it's rare I can bring my trailer anywhere. I can usually stick my dump trailer someplace, but barely. Two trailers would be guilding the lilly.

Are you parking it on the lawn? If so, how do you handle tearing up the lawn, jumping curbs, etc.?

Inquiring minds want to know!

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SmithBuilt

The best investment I made is an Isuzu truck with 14' bed and lift gate. Used to be an Arron's rent a center truck. It is much easier to maneuver and park than a trailer. Turns a lot sharper than my F350 CC. We can lock the lift gate in the up position and I feel much better about security than the trailer we had. The only thing I need to do is make some fold out steps for getting in and out. Height is the one thing I was worried about but we leave the lift gate up about 1/2 way and its not a problem.

Mike Finley

Greg - so far so good, we simply park it on the street in front of the house. Haven't had any problems so far. It's just about the size of a car or truck when it's disconnected. No contract language about it. Never even considered needing any.

KillerToiletSpider

I have owned several Featherlite trailers, and they are great trailers, I don't use them for work though. I can only say good things about the 34' race car trailer I recently sold.

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A flush is better than a full house.

quadcustoms

ive had alot of trailers the most bullet proof yet is a pace 14fter
torsion axles,i bought used and have run the wheels off for 2 years and have slammed plenty of curbs and keeps going good,have a stand up compressor with big hose reel inside.
have had plenty of the 6x12 etc non torsion and the axle springs have always broke away from the shakle at about a year,get what you pay for.

Greg Di

Wow...In NJ, they'd have it towed in by the time I had it unhitched if I left in on the street overnight.

I have to leave it on the actual property.

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AtlanticWBConst

We have and prefer ... 14 footers.....

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- Build Well -

AtlanticWBConst

On a major project (large addition, large deck, or major remodeling, etc)....I can't see (and haven't experienced) a property owner having a problem with bringing and parking multiple trucks and trailers on or near their property. These are needed to get the job done for which they have signed the contracts for.
I do see the point about "hogging up" someone's driveway or parking area. Usually, we just simply discuss this prior to the work start date.

If it is an unusual situation that may cause work delays (having to park faarrrrrr away), we will then place information in the contract under a section titled: "Important Notifications"....and clearly list the fact that we will need designated location(s) to place equipement, materials, 14 foot trailer, 10 foot dump trailer, etc....requesting discussion and determination of the locations, prior to the start of work.

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ApgarNJ

i've been holding off on a trailer simply because so many of the recent jobs are tight. i bought a new truck, crewcab short bed and thought i would buy a trailer for it, and someday might but i'm still keeping my old truck a reg cab with util body. it just needs a new body. i'm not sold on the trailer being good for anything but big projects with room for the trailer to park. i don't want to tow it daily and deal with backing it into tight driveways. 16' is what i wanted though.
or 18

Mike Finley

Dan - yeah for small handy man jobs like 1-2 hours I can see how the trailer could do more harm than good.

On the plus sides of more substantial work consider - getting ready to go to the job site on day one - your prep for getting ready will be : drive trailer to job site.

Also if you ever decide to get a helper or employees, think about how that would work with your tools. Try sending one off to a job and relying on them to pack the required tools for it.

hatchet

I purchased a new 8.5'x20' Loadrunner for $5250. Tandem torsion axles - 10,000 gvw, ramp door, 4' side door. Great trailer, pulls nice but is a little wide if you don't have mirror extenders

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Rich
WIT Construction Co.
Superior MT Contractor

dougchips

Horton 6x12.

If you are getting a smaller trailer (single axle) get a double wheel thingy for the front like you would use for a boat. With the double wheel I can push the back of the trailer and move it around with ease. $80 +/- at most boat stores.

The pvc tubes on the inside left are used for holding:
2.5" colonial molding
2.5" ranch molding
window stops
lattice
1/2x3/4 molding
6' and 6'8" levels

Attached Thumbnails

     

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RobertCDF

I have a 6x12 2000 WW tandem axle trailer with side door and ramp door. I want to get a 8x16' with barn doors and a side door. The 6x12 is a little too small for my taste.

I do put in my contracts that I will be supplied with a place to park the trailer on the property or in the street in front of the house.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

ApgarNJ

mike, i don't do 1 day handyman type jobs, not that there is anything wrong with it, i am on jobs for usually weeks and months at a time, but i know that there isn't always a spot on the jobsite unless it's new construction which isn't often in my area anymore because of land cost, but anyways. i have always used a util body up until i bought my new truck and planned on having a trailer for it. i found that i missed being able to just walk around and keep almost every power tool i own, in the util body and then the larger stuff just needed to be loaded in the back IE chop saw, table saw etc. i do see where the trailer is handier. I do have people working for me, they just come to the jobs and meet me there. or sometimes meet at my house in the morning.

someday i'll have one but my focus now is to get my old truck back on the jobsite each day and put a new util body on it, since the old one is rusted badly. then the new truck someday will have a trailer. and the old truck will have an employee that will run jobs for me with a helper in that.

ApgarNJ

mike finley, one more thing, maybe i missed it when you posted it, but do you have pics of the inside of your trailer that you got. i remember when you were going to buy it, but then i didn't remember to check back to see the pics of it all outfitted.

AtlanticWBConst

WOW...that's got to be one of the emptiest trailer pics I've seen on here yet.

You can almost find whatever you need. That's not normal.
You better get that thing filled up and start making it harder to find things..... like the rest of us.

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dougchips

I cleaned it so one of my subs could use it on a job. I took the pictures to prove how clean it was when he picked it up............I forgot to take a picture after he was done and he left 15 old storm windows in it for me.

After a couple of mishaps with new products getting damaged by a poorly loaded trailer I generally try to keep it really clean. Speaking of which, since today is a rain day I might go clean it out.

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To get the best replacement windows, or sun rooms contact the replacement windows experts at FHI Vinyl Window Company.