who runs a trailer set up?

[Mikey P]

Whats in it and what do you tow it with?

 

[Dolly Llama]

you're not thinking about one are you???
for anything but a very limited occasion back-up outfit...you'll hate it.

Hook up a 12ft trailer and drive around with it for a week.
that will tell you all need to know

That 1/2 ton dUdge you own will handle a 3000 pound (any single axle) trailer just fine.
Get into 3500-4200 pound class and I'd rather be towing with a 3/4 ton and up


..L.T.A.

 

[Vincent Feehan]

6x12 enclosed single axle, side door.. Only for back up.. Total pain trying to work out of it.

 

[Jim Pemberton]

Hook up a 12ft trailer and drive around with it for a week.
that will tell you all need to know

Everyone who asks me about putting a truck mount into a trailer gets the advice Uncle Larry just gave. Very few follow through and put a truck mount in a trailer afterward.

Most guys who put truck mounts in trailers have had a business that required one to be used previously, or worked for someone who did.

The other thing I tell them, even if they are comfortable with the trailer, is imagine what will happen when they are looking for an employee and they have to find that "perfect fit" that is so hard to find, and THEN find one who can also handle a trailer.

 

[Louis]

I did for a little over 2 week when my van blew up. It was the biggest pita. Pulled it with my s-10 that I had . Loved not smelling the cat pee I sucked up but it was a pain parking. Every morning and evening hooking up or dropping the trailer. A lot of extra work if you don't have a safe place to park it and leave it hooked up. You can stand up in them and have extra room but not worth all of the headache that comes with it.

A landscaper that lived 4 doors down had has trailer emptied twice. The second time they took the trailer and left it in a parking lot with the doors ripped off. Maybe a backup unit so it's cheap to insure but that's it.

 

[adamh]

I had one for awhile. Hated it!!!

 

[Lee Stockwell]

I'm trying to talk someone out of that idea too.

However I envision a smaller version similar to what towable generators or welders use. Only 6' wide, 5' tall, dual axle for better towing and parking. No "interior", but doors all around, sloped sides and front. Bladder tanks, apo. Built around a transverse 405.

 

[dgardner]

similar to what towable generators or welders use.

Interesting - in AZ (and other places I suspect) towable equipment (gennys, welders, cement mixers etc.) is exempt from trailer licensing. I wonder if you could....

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Most trailers are exempt in KY

 

[hogjowl]

That dude that moved here from Mussissippi has his EZ in a trailor. Says he loves it.

He's also a Rob board poster ...

 

[kingjoelking]

In my market it wasnt a huge deal. But phoenix is totally spread out. Times it sucked. Any apartment or condo job blew. I dont do alot of that work but when I did I hated it. But having everything truckmounted is sooooooo much easier.

 

[bob vawter]

HEY...look at me....
i can't afford a real truck.............

 

[hogjowl]

Please, no pictures.

 

[Donwand]

I kinda like the idea of using an enclosed trailer to pickup area rugs only.

 

[Blue Monarch]

I ran that way in Phoenix. Loved it actually. Totally depends on the area though. I'd never even consider it here in Lincoln.

Pulled it with a Jeep Cherokee. Ton of room in a 6x12.

 

[Desk Jockey]

One of my friends worked for a competitor for awhile and they had one of their TM's in a trailer. He said they were on their way to a job one day and their trailer passed them.

He said they were lucky and it only ended up tearing up someone's front yard.

 

[Blue Monarch]

Thankfully, I never had an incident. Broke leaf springs a couple times though. That would be a normal thing here.....the roads are horrible.

Smooth as glass in AZ. Damn I miss that place!

 

[Charlie Lyman]

I used one for a year. Pulled it with my Expedition. It wasn't bad. Apartments sucked. Anywhere in Boise sucked, but I hate working over there anyways. I am good at backing one, but I always knew I would never send an employee out with it. When I got back in a van, It was soooo much better. I had an ETM in it. Mounted the Genny on the tongue, Got a propane holder for the outside of the front. Had little giant, machine and hose reels on the inside. It did the job, but I wouldn't ever go back to one unless it was a backup.

 

[tcdepot]

I'm really surprised that people don't even like the idea of a unit in a trailer. We have a handful of customers that have units in trailers and they absolutely love them. I think there are advantages and disadvantages for a trailer, but that's the same with any type of equipment. The biggest issue with a trailer is a fuel source for the truck mount. We won't even touch a trailer unless they have the fuel tank completely enclosed and mounted on the exterior of the trailer.

The big positive with a trailer is being able to have a vehicle that you can drive around without carrying equipment if you want.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

A newbie won't know to hate it until they've gained experience.

 

[Andrew McCabe]

I see using a trailer setup as a great way to keep a van as multi-use. Truckmounts and tanks take a lot of space. I've used a trailer-mount unit for extraction quite a bit, and it allowed my crews to do different things with the truck/van on different days.
I can see if all you do it carpets, that a trailer may not make much more sense. But in the "restoration" world, it's nice to leave the big sucker behind when you don't need it.

 

[Lee Stockwell]

Welcome to Mikey's board Andrew!

I see using a trailer setup as a great way to keep a van as multi-use. Truckmounts and tanks take a lot of space. I've used a trailer-mount unit for extraction quite a bit, and it allowed my crews to do different things with the truck/van on different days.
I can see if all you do it carpets, that a trailer may not make much more sense. But in the "restoration" world, it's nice to leave the big sucker behind when you don't need it.

That's the theory, but the devil is in the details, and when a trailer is the MAIN carpet cleaning platform everything is a compromise.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Welcome Andrew!

I'd much rather use the trailer for the infrequent use and have the TM in the vehicle for everyday cleaning.

 

[Jeremy N]

I've got a TM in a trailer that I have yet to use. I'm thinking I'll hook this sucker to my van for a commercial job that I have and hit it Saiger style.

 

[Steve Lawrence]

I cannot fathom using a trailer for our jobs in Ann Arbor. Too many tight parking situations. We can hardly do some with a standard van.

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

I live in a little town and I am going to be using a porty with a trailer. Been working on things quite a bit lately. I will post some pictures someday soon of what I have done with the thing. Feel free to bash on me if you think I am an idiot as well More to follow someday soon

 

[hogjowl]

I love bacon

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

I love bacon

Click on the profile picture. You can watch it sizzle.

 

[Dolly Llama]

. Feel free to bash on me if you think I am an idiot as well

I won't call you an idiot ...you're a rookie (we all were at one time)
if you last long enough to make a living in this biz, you won't make the same mistakes twice
(unless you ARE an idiot fo-reel)
But i don't think you are


..L.T.A.

 

[J Brown]

Whats in it and what do you tow it with?

Here's my trailer