Feedback welcome:
I’m tinkering with the idea of designing and building a prototype of a tailer toolbox/work station and looking for feedback.
So far I figure on using a 6′ x 12′ ‘flatbed/utility’ trailer, single axle, with a GVW of about 3,500 lb, giving it a payoad capacity of about 2,600 lb..
Semi-permanent (bolted down) compressor on the front end and behind that a custom built ‘box’ with drawers-a-plenty. Have design plans for mounting a portable table saw on the backend of the ‘box’ to use the flat-top of the ‘box’ as an outfeed table. Also have design plans for mounting slinding compound miter saw onto side of box with collapseable ‘outriggers’ to support long pieces.
Spec pricing top of the line components for it all and the cost seems to come out to about #3,000.00 for materials only.
I know everyone has different needs but wonder if anyone would comment on price threshold and demand for such a beast, or any comments of any kind.
Daydream believer
Replies
Sounds sweet! The only thing I would look at would be trying to get such a rig into some of the tight places carps have to work in.
Any pictures or sketches?
Been making rough sketches but no facilities to upload them
Sounds like a fun project to me, but you might have to remodel a few times to get the perfect outcome. My only concern would be the weight capacity of the axle. If it was mine, I'm sure that sooner or later the boxes would have to come off so a big, heavy load of something could be hauled. Not sure how heavy MDf cabinets get, but that many cubic feet of overloaded drawers can hold a bunch of weight. Can you get a stronger single axle, or would you have to go tandem? Just my thoughts, cuz I overload everything sooner or later.
Dan
Thanx handydan, 6x12 trailers that I've been looking at come single or double axle,with or without brakes. Have to calculate weight of box plus tools in detail but 4x8 MDO's about 60lb or so I believe. Guess it would be better to err on the extra capacity side, or, as they say about an umbrella, better to have it and not need than to need it and not have it.
Sounds like an interesting project. IMHO, tandem axle with electric brakes would be the only way to go. They pull better and the brakes make stopping a whole lot easier. How about an awning that could be pulled out for shade or cover from a quick shower?TCW Specialists in Custom Remodeling.
GD, I was in a marine supply business the other day at Panama City,
FL. They had a large, maybe 30 inch deep ABS plastic storage box
designed to tuck into the bow of a pleasure craft, triangular in shape, about 60 inches to a side. Storage for life jackets and other plunder.
It struck me that this would be tremendously handy bolted into the tongue triangle of my utility trailer. You'd have to use good judgement about loading it (weight-wise), but the box itself was lightweight and rust and weather resistant. My thought was that it would make the trailer more aero-dynamic, too. This item was just
under $400.
Greg.
Edited 10/14/2002 10:32:20 AM ET by Greg Gibson
Thanks for the idea Greg, looking outside the box, so to speak, no pun intended
(much). Actually surfing the web looking for fold-upshelf supports to mount the
table saw I found some interesting possibilities in cafeteria supply
manufacturers, stainless steel no less! Could this be it's becoming a large scale
lunch wagon! Broadening market appeal!
Elsewise if any electricians wish to comment on supplying power to this baby
please chime in. Seems every piece of equipment you're apt to run on this rig
needs it's own dedicated 15 amp service. Wonder what code would be for
mounting a small electrical panel onto the box and having outlets incorporated
into the design, would conduit be the way to wire it? Question is, what gauge
cable would you need to feed the panel? How would your connect house supply
to trailer, big mother extension cord?
Which leads us to two other options. Having a dedicated gas powered generator mounted on the trailer, which means more code questions, more cost and perhaps a bigger trailer, which makes accessing some places more difficult. Or could the tow vehicle be equipped with it's own DC-AC inverter? Anybody aware of how many watts such inverters are capable of producing and what the ballpark cost is for same?
More musings from the daydream believer who is home sick today.
Edited 10/14/2002 2:12:47 PM ET by GDCARPENTER
Edited 10/14/2002 2:15:24 PM ET by GDCARPENTER
You must be talking about the Bahama Breeze model Tim. What if, given top of trailer box is about 3'-4" off ground level, you make a removeable frame top to stand about 3' above top of box, making it's roof abot 6'-6" above ground. This top could be framed of round tubing,the legs of which slide into larger pipes mounted to side of box, making it a drop-in/lift out assembly,albeit a heavy one.
The side curtains could be sheet metal panels or canvas, which when down provide further weather protection for the trailer, but which are hinged on the top and can be lifted up and locked into place, or in the case of canvas, rolled up or pulled up like roman blinds (that,s the inferior decorator side of me talking) to provide perimeter shading?
Sounds like expensive option, but whatever the cdustomer wants, and is willing to pay for!
As a PS the tandem axle busines about doubles the cost of the trailer, and a
single axle 6'x12' can be rated for up to 2,600 to 2,900 pounds of load capacity,
that would seem to be enough for most all loads short of a car, which probably
wouln't fit on 12' trailer anyway. Unless of course it's a Cooper S, but that's a
whole nuther ball game, being an old Mini fan from Way back.
Edited 10/14/2002 2:10:31 PM ET by GDCARPENTER
Edited 10/14/2002 2:15:05 PM ET by GDCARPENTER
Well let's bat some ideas around here. I'm thinking about the same thing.
I was going to go a little shorter in the interest of maneuverability, but I'm not married to the idea. I'm thinking about a larger Knaak job box bolted to the trailer, a small compressor, table saw mount on the back, and if I can figure it out, maybe a miter saw cut station. Pre-wire a bunch of outlets so I can plug the trailer into the temp power with a 10 ga. cord and we're in business.
Right after we get done designing this one we have to come up with the flatbed trailer complete with hot tub, gas barbeque, and all the accessories for a bring-it-yourself party.
DRC
My old neighbor in Little Rock had the party trailer, took it with him to the Memphis BBQ. Two tier BBQ, collapsible dance floor, mega amps of music and kegs and kegs of beer. Trouble was it seemed he partied too hearty and won't be invited back, so I'll put that one on hold til I make my millions on the work trailer. Did I say I was a daydream believer?
I too share the concerns of a 12' trailer, but looking at all the 'stuff' carpenters tote I just can't get it to fit into anything smaller, and want the 6' width to be able to rip 4x8 sheets in half or thin strips, ergo the table saw blade must be offset from center at the back. Also (prepositional starts are my bane), don't plan to mount the table saw permanently, to susceptible to walkaway, rather store it in a drawer and have folding supports to mount it on the rear of the trailer, ditto for the chop saw station on side of trailer.
Not an electrocutioner but don't know if 10 gauge will carry compressor, chopsaw and table saw, besides, most residences wouldn't have a circuit to carry the load. Thought rewind reel would be handy for air hose, at least from compressor to house, ditto for tailer power supplycord. Good quality hinges designed for heavy loads and a moving platform are dearly expensive, but if you're going to do, do it right.
Figure MDO for the shell, easy to work with and long lasting, but again,not cheap. Have to limit body of cabinets to cover trailer to about 22'' high so top of finished tailer build up is still low enough to use as outfeed table for saw, say about 40" (given most trailers are 18" off ground to begin with)
Plusses are security, have scheme for one main door to be locked with deadbolt and all drawers to be locked and unlocked only once main door is accessed. Should save set up and knock down time, and you use every cubic inch of storage space, unlike enclosed trailers where you have to leave room to walk. Also leaves truck free for supply. Table saw and chop saw also not to be permanently attached as they're probably used indoors as much as outdoors.
Options could be ladder racks on one side, or even full, removable top, not to mention AM/FM/CD player.
Food for thought, appreciate your feedback.
Edited 10/13/2002 11:17:30 PM ET by GDCARPENTER
I thiught about designing/building such a trailer- but I ended up buing one of these:
http://www.tooltrailr.com
Hey JAYZOG thanks, I think. Seems I was reinventing the wheel. Shame on the search engine 'google' for not finding the product you indicated. By the way the link didn't work with 'trailr' but did with google search for 'trailEr'.
Any comments on how it's performing for you? Does it have most of the features I've been mentioning?
Sorry about missing the e in the link-guess I type about as well as I speak.
The trailer is great. I used to have a 10' enclosed single axle utility trailer. This one is 16' but is easily as manuverable as the 10'. Because of the single arm for the hitch you can jacknife to almost 90º,which allows you to get into some pretty tight drives.
When I had the enclosed trailer , it would carry everything,but you had to drag everything out,setit up,work ,breakit all down and packit up,hopefully without getting rained on. Now break down and setup is rolling out a cord and plugging in the trailer. It is all prewired with lights and 16 outlets. The tablesaw fits at the back with an outfeed tabe . The slidemiter fits on one side, lining up with the table saw outfeed and a small door at the front. Plenty of storage and easy to keep clean and organized. Tandem axels is the only way to go, it rides smooth enough so things stay on their shelves. With my other trailer with a single axel, every thing would bounce all over, you would open up the door after a bumpy ride, and it looked like there had been a tornado in there.
If I were going to make any changes to the design, I would make it taller- being 6'2 I am constantly bashing my head into the gas shocks that hold the doors open.
Other than that , it is a very productive solution .
after talking to the guys on here , we bought a 7x14 dual axle.. cost about $4500... with the signage, electric brakes and truck towing package .. the whole thing came to about $5K... this one is a CarMate..Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
GD,
I have a 12' car trailer with twin axles, and brakes, it is the only way to pull. I have towed everything from materials to a small pickup and it does nicely with a Kubuta 7300 with attachments. The big thing to check before you start is if you can get it insured. Out here in the Pacific Northwest it is getting hard to insure as the thieves now are hooking up to the trailer and down the road they go with ALL your hard earned tools.