# What vehicle setup works for you?



## JKRasku

Right now I do mostly small remodel type projects. I have a pickup truck that I use for hauling tools and material and waste. If its raining, cant haul tools. I need something different, so here are my options:

Pickup truck for material and waste, enclosed trailer for tools.

Van for tools, open trailer for materials and waste.

Or something else?? What works for you?


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## AustinDB

your choices will in part be dictated by how much you are willing to spend. A Sprinter 170" and aluminum dump trailer makes a nice combination....but a one ton van w/ limited slip differential and a single axle trailer may help you grow. Consider a box van-the added width provides a LOT of extra room, enough to load debris and take back to the shop to off load.


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## mikeswoods

I use a ford E-150 van with extra heavy springs. A 250 would have been my first choice-However I got a super price on this one.

I do mostly kitchen and bath work(and anything else that puts bread on the table)

That is tool intensive work so the van with its shelves,drawers and roof rack are O.k.

Material hauling and trash is a hassle. I've got a trailer but I seldom use it.

Used vans are a lot cheaper than a pick-up of the same year. I think they start life with out all the fancy work that pick-ups come with.



Hope that helped--I picked up most of my van outfitting used also.---MIKE--


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## Warren

Vans can work fine for hauling scrap too. If you have so much scrap that a van doesn't work then you probably should avoid the hassle and get a dumpster. I have a one tone van and find that it works well. I have had pickups before, as well as a box truck. The worst part of having a van is the noise when you are driving.


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## The Coastal Craftsman

There was a few reasons i went for a trailer. i can leave it where it is and not have to take my whole kit with me when i go home or go get materials. That way you can get your self a nice truck that you can use in your personal time for hobbies and getting about so you ain't carrying all your tools. The other reason is if you have a couple of people working from the trailer and you need to leave, they have every tool they could possibly need. I done the van thing back in the UK and it's more hassle than it's worth but really the only option in the UK with roads being so small. I don't know how many times i had been left without the tools i needed for a job when someone takes the van to get materials plus the van is used solely for the purpose of work so you end up having to buy a second vehicle to get around in.


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## GregC

I have several 6x12 & 7x16 enclosed trailers set up with tools, lumber & materials and 8'x16' 5000# tandem dump trailers. Very nice for backing in land fill and pushing a button to dump. :thumbsup: 
Naturally all being pulled by several RAM 2500 Cummins Diesels! 

Its so nice to drop trailers, lock them up and go.

Current job; 100 plus yr. farm house with several add-ons. Turning into Bed/Breakfast retreat.


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## JKRasku

BCConstruction said:


> There was a few reasons i went for a trailer. i can leave it where it is and not have to take my whole kit with me when i go home or go get materials. That way you can get your self a nice truck that you can use in your personal time for hobbies and getting about so you ain't carrying all your tools. The other reason is if you have a couple of people working from the trailer and you need to leave, they have every tool they could possibly need. .


I think this is a good point, I guess I wont know for sure what works for me until I try something. All I know is that the pickup and open trailer is not working.:no:


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## Five Arrows

I have a 4 door Dakota with a 7000lb dump trailer. The trailer was the best thing I've bought for the business. VERY nice at the dump. I get stuck in the rain up here in Washington a lot. I put the tools in the back seat and everything else in the back with tarps. I think that for wet weather work a nice size van with some sort of long materials rack and a dump trailer would be perfect.


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## eXpatRioteX

Even working by myself, an E250 with ladder racks gets cramped fast. I really wanted an NPR, but i refuse to take the depreciation on a new one, and used ones go for way too much. The height of the box leaves much to be desired too when trying to rack ladders and poles. Edit to change f250 to e259, i drive a van.


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## AustinDB

how does the ford and chevy vans/trucks do in snow? I'm impressed w/ the Sprinter-it has some sort of traction control, there is no fishtailing in 4" of snow and the ABS works like a top-very surprising given my experience w/ othe 2wd vans.


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## The Coastal Craftsman

the UK tranist dont to to bad. The problem is most of them are front wheel drive and hardly any front wheel drive vehicles do well in the snow. Our E150 has been stuck often but to be honest it's more the combination of driver and tire combination than the vehicle. We got 10" of snow today and just got back in and i can tell you something i was supprised at was how bad the chevy trucks are in the snow. see one with a plow that was stuck and slideing about in HD carpark and he couldnt move. There was another on the hill that was stuck in one place just spinning and another on a on ramp that couldnt get up the slope. All 4x4's as well.


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## kcremodeling

*Truck*

I can't seem to leave my truck behind. I use it too much for hauling debris which comes back with me at the end of everyday into my 6 yard dumpster. I also have a trac rac that is allows me to haul large lumber loads. I have one trash trailor and one enclosed trailor. Gas mileage is my only complaint. I have a F-150 than averages around 13 MPG.

KC Remodeling


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## Tinstaafl

JKRasku said:


> I think this is a good point, I guess I wont know for sure what works for me until I try something.


That's the bottom line. You can have two (for instance) general remodeling guys who do almost identical work, but one is in a rural area and the other is in a high-density urban area.

The rural guy will generally have room to navigate and park a trailer overnight without much security concern, while the urban guy has neither.

I think the biggest factor is how many tools you carry versus how many materials. In most cases, most of the time, material stowage doesn't really need to be weatherproof. In all cases, tool storage does--and in addition, needs a modicum of lockable security.

While it's certainly workable to carry your tools in the cab of a truck while hauling materials in the rear, you pay a major penalty in terms of efficiency. The tool you need at the moment will always be at the bottom of the pile, and at the end of the day, packing up is another time-consuming complex dance.

A truck with a cap on the back is only marginally better--or even worse, if you need to haul bulky materials.

In my case, I went from an open-bed truck to a van pulling an open trailer as needed, and the increase in efficiency has been amazing. I'm saving an estimated 1-2 hours a day just in getting tools out and re-packing them, and I can still carry a fair amount of supplies without having to hitch up the trailer.

Just as no one can give perfect pricing info to someone in another area or with a slightly different slant on his area of specialization, this is a decision that only you can fine-tune to fit your particular situation. :thumbsup:


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## Burns-Built

I run a small two wheel drive truck with a cap on the back and rack on it. Its a Leer cap with the sides that open up and there are shelves there. I also run a 16' enclosed trailer but its a pain to drag it around to small jobs. THats why i normally run the truck with the cap i can haul a 20' pik on a 6' cap so it works but could be bigger. I also haul a dump trailer for trash and stuff.

Its all in what works for you, or urban or rural. You could pry get one of those caps for your truck for around 300. At least your tools will stay dry and they are pretty accessible to.


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## WarnerConstInc.

We get our fair share of snow and ice here. I have only had to put the 2500 suburban in 4 wheel drive one time. That was backing my trailer up a hill on ice. The damn locker was making the ass of the truck slide out.

I am a firm believer that 4 wheel drive is a last resort, more of a challenge in 2wd.

Between the burban and my 20' enclosed trailer, things work out pretty well.


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## gmorgan

I bought a old bread truck, chevy,aluminum,18' walk in, old kitchen cab. on one wall and I can carry all my tools, and all the material and it is good to 10,000lb. put a hitch on it and pulls a open top trailer for dirt or what ever.
I love it, I will never buy a pickup again 
no more unloading tools to load plywood or having to leave somone in the truck when you go to the lumber yard it's :thumbsup: all locked up


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## Tin Cup

1 ton chev. truck, 8ft bed with track rack for ladders and lumber, with tonneau cover. 6x12' enclosed trailer for tools and materials. also, new dump trailer for debris and large loads of drywall, lumber, plywood etc. only trouble is can't tow both trailers at same time.

dump trailer has paid for half of its cost in 6 weeks. alway wanted one, finally got one, wonder why i didn't get one sooner. no more double handling debris, push button to dump at local dump for $30/load. highly recommend a griffin dump tailer, heavy duty at reasonable price.

next combo i'd consider is a dump insert in 1 ton truck then tow enclosed trailer.


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## Fence

a nice tonneau cover would keep your tools nice and dry in the rain.


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## BuildersII

We made a small trailer for about $1000 including the cost of the trailer and it's been a lifesaver.


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## MALCO.New.York

Five Arrows said:


> I have a *4 door Dakota with a 7000lb dump trailer.* The trailer was the best thing I've bought for the business. VERY nice at the dump. I get stuck in the rain up here in Washington a lot. I put the tools in the back seat and everything else in the back with tarps. I think that for wet weather work a nice size van with some sort of long materials rack and a dump trailer would be perfect.


That just sounds scary.........


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## pipekicker

pipekicker said:


> I have a '09 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 with a 6'6" box and Leer canopy w/ roof rack rated for 300lbs. It's very versatile and good on fuel. I also have a 7'X14' tandem axle enclosed trailer fully set up with a cabinet of shallow drawers for all of my hardware organizers on one side and shelving on the other side for tools. I prefer the trailer set up because I can haul a lot of plywood or drywall if needed, and the 14' length allows me to haul full lengths of trim in the rain. If I need to rip down to Rona or HD for a bathtub or a dozen 12' 2x4's, I don't have to drag my trailer across the city, I can just make good use of that canopy and roof rack. I thought long and hard about my set up and decided that this would give me maximum versatility. The initial set up was a little more $$$, but I've easily made the difference back in time saved compared to all the other combinations that I was thinking of. Although, I wish I would have gotten a Tundra instead of a Tacoma as my trailer is getting heavy. I have no problems braking or accelerating, even in the winter, but I'm sure the time will come when a full sized truck will be necessary.....and don't be afraid to spend a little extra on the useful "toys".....I have a factory back-up camera on the truck which allows for one shot "hook-ups" and an extra alarm sensor wired into the back of the box/canopy for a little extra security against would-be curious thieves. I've also recently installed a back up camera and work lights on the trailer which doubles as a rear view screen at all times. This little addition was important to me as my trailer is wider than the truck and I couldn't find extended side mirrors for this make of truck besides the after market strap on ones, which look horrible and constantly vibrate in the wind, so I went with this option and love it. It has an eagle eye lens and I can back up to whatever I want within an inch, first shot.....very helpful and eliminates the potential of backing into something. This may not be ideal for everybody, but has proven to be a nearly perfect set-up for me.
> Lately I've been thinking of setting up a couple solar panels on the roof of the trailer for charging batteries/running small tools....and possibly a heated cabinet for my mud, tubed goods, and CO2 in the winter......which is half of the year up here!


My rig


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## Greg Di

Oofa....I would not pull a double axle 7x14 with a Tacoma if my life depended on it unless yours is reasonably empty.

My 7x14 is pretty heavy but it's not full and there's not a second I don't know it's behind me with my 3/4 ton Pickup or my 1 ton van.


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## WarnerConstInc.

I have pulled a bobcat with a new toyota truck. It did great but still does not stop as nice as a 3/4 or 1 ton truck.


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## mnjconstruction

I use to pull very heavy loads with a ford ranger. probley 3 or 4 times the amount i should have been hauling. truck did great.


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## katoman

Greg - I'm considering a 7x14 for my next trailer. Will have a one ton van.

Right now I'm pulling a 6x12 with a 3/4 ton van, and I don't even know it's there. 

Your comments concern me. Is your trailer overloaded? Correct weight distribution inside? Proper height hitch?

Or is it that you can just feel the weight of the trailer through the truck?

Thanks for your input, John


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## jeffatsquan

mnjconstruction said:


> I use to pull very heavy loads with a ford ranger. probley 3 or 4 times the amount i should have been hauling. truck did great.


 It's not about what a truck can PULL, it's about what a truck can STOP!!


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## Greg Di

katoman said:


> Greg - I'm considering a 7x14 for my next trailer. Will have a one ton van.
> 
> Right now I'm pulling a 6x12 with a 3/4 ton van, and I don't even know it's there.
> 
> Your comments concern me. Is your trailer overloaded? Correct weight distribution inside? Proper height hitch?
> 
> Or is it that you can just feel the weight of the trailer through the truck?
> 
> Thanks for your input, John



Everything is setup properly. Just the wind resistance alone is noticeable when driving because the trailer is BIG.

It's really about the stopping. Even with electric brakes, it can get downright scary if someone stops short in front of me while going down a hill.

I just did a job that required going over two pretty large grades last week and after three back and forths, I thought I was going to need new brakes on the truck. You could smell it.

Don't get me wrong, both trucks can pull the trailer no problem. My point was that I could not imagine for a second doing it with a Taco.


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## jarvis design

Just my 2 cents, I pull a 14x7 enclosed with a Dodge Ram quad cab (hemi). Even fully loaded, I hardly feel it.


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## Cole82

katoman said:


> Greg - I'm considering a 7x14 for my next trailer. Will have a one ton van.
> 
> Right now I'm pulling a 6x12 with a 3/4 ton van, and I don't even know it's there.
> 
> Your comments concern me. Is your trailer overloaded? Correct weight distribution inside? Proper height hitch?
> 
> Or is it that you can just feel the weight of the trailer through the truck?
> 
> Thanks for your input, John





Greg Di said:


> Everything is setup properly. Just the wind resistance alone is noticeable when driving because the trailer is BIG.
> 
> It's really about the stopping. Even with electric brakes, it can get downright scary if someone stops short in front of me while going down a hill.
> 
> I just did a job that required going over two pretty large grades last week and after three back and forths, I thought I was going to need new brakes on the truck. You could smell it.
> 
> Don't get me wrong, both trucks can pull the trailer no problem. My point was that I could not imagine for a second doing it with a Taco.


John I agree 100% with Greg

The wind resistance is huge on it. Fully loaded my half ton ford has a hard time stopping at times even with 8 wheels braking. It's a 7x14 v nose


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