Guys with experience, what’s the Pros and cons of slide-in mounted in a trailer.

[icleancarpetz]

Wondering what are the pros and cons of mounting one in a trailer?
What are best trailers and cost for this type of set?
Are there trailers with side doors?
Do you mount a waste tank and fresh water tank in it?

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Ok, I guess I’m prolly about it here now. If you’re doing residential, there’s not any pros. It can work, but it’s not easy. If I did resi., with one, it would be
5/8. I pull a 6/14 with truckmount in the front with hose reel in the side door.
120 gallon water tank next to the truckmount in the middle of trailer. There’s no wasted space for scrubbers, portables, whatever. I pull with an avalanche
and put chemicals in the back of it covered. My trailer has a ramp. But now I have 2 trailers for floor equipment. Soo, my setup is likened to a box truck.

 

[BIG WOOD]

I pulled both a 6X12 single axle and a 7X12 double axle trailer with a truckmount in the side door and pointing out the back. If I had no other choice, or I needed a backup trailer...I'd look for a 7X10 double axle and I'd mount the truckmount pointing out the side door. Fresh tank? Nope. Waste tank? No problem.

For residential, the 10' long is about the best you need. Make sure your truck isn't too long. A single cab long bed or a crew cab short bed.

Pros: Extra Room, easy to set up a backup machine if you already have a pickup truck

Cons: You go through tires like it's candy, you need 4X4 Pickup truck for the redneck gravel driveways, and it can just be a bitch trying to back down and up these crazy steep driveways. I did it for 14years, so getting the hang of reversing isn't too bad. You'll lose an average of 5-7minutes per job just parking your rig sometimes, and when you get busy, you'll be more miserable at the end of the day.

 

[Jimmy L]

PROBABLY!

 

[Mrice]

IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE HOUSES IN YOUR AREA. I'LL SAY THIS ONCE MORE. IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE HOUSES IN YOUR AREA. I've used a trailer since I started -+5 yrs. There are very few jobs that I have logistic problems. Maybe a couple a year that I encap or use a portable on that a van could just pull up to. I love my trailer but I provide many services (carpet, tile, upholstery, stone) and haul rugs. I have room for everything, I can stand up, it never smells and I can cool off my tow vehicle fast in summer. I had an 10x6x6 and now have a 12x7x6 (lwh). It's a little more time consuming than a van for sure but not when I count always having what I want to use on every job. I can't imagine stuffing everyting in a van. It's easy on my back too. With some suspension beefing up mine pulls with an 07 xterra just fine. My service area has a radius of 10 miles, I drive on the freeway some but mostly surface streets. If I had long hauls on the freeway it might not be much fun. If your curcumstances fit I think you would really like a trailer. The perfect trailer for me would be a 12x6x6 with dual torsion axles. As a bonus you can detach your trailer and you've got a car and your insurance is cheaper than having a dedicated van and personal vehicle. Lastly if you lived in an hoa, you could drop your trailer somewhere and pick it up in the morning...if they would not let your letered van into the develoment.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

This would be the perfect carpet cleaning trailer, but it’s my perfect floor care trailer. The side door is 6’3” tall, with a ramp door that is easy to open and close.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

PROBABLY!

Not when you don’t do residential, unless it’s in a #trailerpark.

 

[bob vawter]

then stick a gun in yor mouf every
time you gotta BACK in the driveway....

PLUS you look lik a goof that can't afford a truck!

 

[Kenny Hayes]

I can afford a truck

 

[hogjowl]

But you look like a goof

 

[Mikey P]

PROBABLY!

Worse is Prolly....

 

[icleancarpetz]

How bout landscapers? What do they look like?

Who says you look like you can’t afford a truck? That’s a brick in your head that needs to be removed.

So long as it looks clean, neat, lettered or wrapped and you present yourself well backed up by a great service experience, i say most folk don’t care what you haul van or trailer.

 

[hogjowl]

If it mattered what you LOOKED like, not one of you idiots could stay in business!

 

[bob vawter]

How bout landscapers? What do they look like?

Who says you look like you can’t afford a truck? That’s a brick in your head that needs to be removed.

So long as it looks clean, neat, lettered or wrapped and you present yourself well backed up by a great service experience, i say most folk don’t care what you haul van or trailer.

 

[Old Coastie]

Clean shirt, long pants and decent shoes.
They help me make up for the world’s ugliest van, a little. I don’t understand why some guys spend $3500 wrapping their vans, then go to the door looking like a ditch digger.

Van or trailer.

 

[hogjowl]

Have you really convinced yourself of that?

 

[Kenny Hayes]

Hey, I’m not bragging about pulling a trailer, but not sad about it either. I’m the dang #janitor so it works for me Sides, the bar is set pretty low in the looks department in that field

 

[Cleanworks]

Trailer works good in a rural area. Hell the city. Couple of advantages, you can drop the cleaning unit off at a job site with a worker and take the truck somewhere else. If your truck breaks down or needs service, you can rent a truck with hitch and keep on working. Want to dual wand, you can have a cleaning unit in your van and pull another in a trailer

 

[bob vawter]

If one has to argue the pros and cons of a trailer. ...

All is lost and there is absolutely NO hope for mankind....

 

[Living The Dream]

I work out of a 7×12 and really like the extra room. My mechanic is an hour away so it's nice to be able to drop off and leave and not worry about trying to line up a ride home. I've never had an issue backing it up and I've never heard that it doesn't look professional other than on here. Like it was mentioned above keep it neat and clean and let your results judge your professional appearance.

 

[Small town janitorial]

I'd pull a trailer over a van where I live. Most residential has huge driveways for their own trucks and trailers. Van's are for soccer moms out here in the country. I'd get more respect pulling a nice roomy enclosed trailer with my cummins powered ram than any van. Plus I've towed trailers for many years so I have no problem backing into any space it will fit first time.
If I lived where many of you do then I'd have a van. For my janitorial I have a 6x10 enclosed trailer. Love it.

 

[Jimmy L]

PROLLY PROLLY PROLLY!

 

[Dolly Llama]

How bout landscapers? What do they look like?

they look like they park on the street
not in and out of res drives a half dozen stops a day

I pull a trailer pretty often for non CC'ing work related stuff.
I'm quite capable maneuvering it in and out of tight spots too

If a part timer, and/or couldn't afford a decent looking dedicated van, and already had a sound, solid, decent looking vehicle that would handle pulling a 3000-5000 pound trailer (without killing the vehicle in short order)
I could make a trailer mount work....but sure wouldn't want to

..L.TA.

 

[hogjowl]

Yeah, you can get a huge load of drywall and paint cans in a trailer.

 

[Dolly Llama]

just have to make sure the pig chit is washed off first

otherwise it'd smell like you....

Curly




























..L.T.A.

 

[Old Coastie]

Have you really convinced yourself of that?

At moments like this I just remind myself that a Mother’s love is unconditional.

 

[Kenny Hayes]

One more thing that I or anyone else mentioned. The gas tank situation is a real pain in the ars. I’m on my second one. The first was plastic, and both heat and cold effected the cap. The second is aluminum fuel cell. Weather affects the cap on it also. It’s not ideal.