# Enclosed trailers



## 2low4nh (Dec 12, 2010)

Any of you run enclosed trailers for masonry work? I do 70% chimney work fireplaces/rebuilds etc the other 30% of my masonry is all flat work or walls where i only need compactors and hand tools. I was thinking about setting up a 7x14 trailer with my scaffold,planks,braces tools inside then ladders on the roof. If i have the room i would like to add shelving to keep my rolls of flashing,sealer,acid and brushes maybe a spot for mud tubs. Just wondering if any of you have done it and how you like it,


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## TheItalian204 (Jun 1, 2011)

2low4nh said:


> Any of you run enclosed trailers for masonry work? I do 70% chimney work fireplaces/rebuilds etc the other 30% of my masonry is all flat work or walls where i only need compactors and hand tools. I was thinking about setting up a 7x14 trailer with my scaffold,planks,braces tools inside then ladders on the roof. If i have the room i would like to add shelving to keep my rolls of flashing,sealer,acid and brushes maybe a spot for mud tubs. Just wondering if any of you have done it and how you like it,


I am dreaming about closed off trailer.

Its the best thing that could ever been invented especially in our trade...Never again would I need to haul my tools around,just leave em in trailer,build shelves and attach them to it.

Nothing ever missing again or forgotten at home...

I would make sections for my wet-saw,mixer and in winter for sand and brick...especially for sand its much easier to defrost if you live in cold climates.

I just see so many advantages to enclosed trailer.

Even advertisement...having ur company logo and all services/number listed is just wonderful. 

Talking about enclosed trailers get me real excited :laughing:


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## Chris Johnson (Apr 19, 2007)

If your doing masonry work carry all that heavy stuff around you will probably need to find a tri axel trailer. 

I run a tandem 22' rated for 7000lbs, it weighs 3000lbs empty.

When hauling on the highway I need to move stuff into the bed of my truck to be legal. What you are proposing looks to weigh more than what I have...just saying keep it in mind.

But the enclosed trailer is nice, everything is secure, keep a heater inside for cool days good for lunch and breaks


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## FramingPro (Jan 31, 2010)

Chris Johnson said:


> If your doing masonry work carry all that heavy stuff around you will probably need to find a tri axel trailer.
> 
> I run a tandem 22' rated for 7000lbs, it weighs 3000lbs empty.
> 
> ...


do you think if you had a space cab and long box truck you could keep all the tools and stuff in there? I wonder if they would fit in a semi organized manner :blink:


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## skillman (Sep 23, 2011)

A guy i know who has a Concrete company runs mostly enclosed trailers with all his shovels , trowels , floats , water tank for cleaning tools , tampers and you name it its in there. All well organized and very effective for his time production during coarse of day he says.


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## Chris Johnson (Apr 19, 2007)

FramingPro said:


> do you think if you had a space cab and long box truck you could keep all the tools and stuff in there? I wonder if they would fit in a semi organized manner :blink:


That would require me to show up on site every morning :laughing:


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## stonecutter (May 13, 2010)

Chris Johnson said:


> If your doing masonry work carry all that heavy stuff around you will probably need to find a tri axel trailer.
> 
> I run a tandem 22' rated for 7000lbs, it weighs 3000lbs empty.
> 
> ...


A tandem axle would be fine for what he is talking about hauling. I seriously doubt he could exceed the GVWR with his tools..a different story if there is a pallet of block, mortar etc in there. But I dont think he would use an enclosed trailer for this either...at least not if he wants to keep it in good shape.

I had a 7x14 with 6.5' ceiling, tandem axles and 7000lb GVWR..if I remember right the empty weight was around 2200lbs. I got rid of it earlier this year and never used it for work..I bought it for my move to SC from a buddy with a gutter business. I will probably get another one eventually...I like v-nose trailers maybe a 10'-12' for all the reasons mentioned.

2low, go ahead and get one..if it doesnt work out, trailers are easy to sell if they are in good shape.


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## 2low4nh (Dec 12, 2010)

I am considering it I want it mostly for the advertising and the theft/weather protection. I will have to look a little deeper I guess.


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

2low4nh said:


> I am considering it I want it mostly for the advertising and the theft/weather protection. I will have to look a little deeper I guess.


FWIW, no one steals masonry tools, cause masonry is too much work for the common theif. :laughing:

The one concern I have with the trailer is once the trailer is stolen, they get everything. 

For me the most valuable item on site is the saw, but I live and usually work in the sticks, so I don't have to worry about it. Never lock my truck or the tool box or the shop. Wifey can't sleep without the house locked so we do lock the house at night.


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

Yeah I have been thinking about one also. Would be nice to have everything in once spot, dry, not frozen together lol.


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## JBM (Mar 31, 2011)

What does one cost that would be big enough for staging and planks plus shelves? Would it be able to get a mixer in it also?


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## 2low4nh (Dec 12, 2010)

roughly $5k used for a 16 footer I want a 7x14 It would run $3-4k used I wouldnt want to keep a mixer in there but a table saw would be nice with a generator too!


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## stonecutter (May 13, 2010)

Definately consider paying for the extra ceiling height. Tandem axles are a must for masons IMO. Diamond plating in the front helps with road bullets. Look for 16 oc walls and no wheelwells inside the trailer.


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## stonecutter (May 13, 2010)

These are pretty good for security.



















A motivated thief is going to get in but at least make it hard..:2guns:


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## jomama (Oct 25, 2008)

I bought our 8x16' in 2003, and I can't imagine being w/o it. We do both concrete & masonry work, and we can haul most of our forming lumber, tools, compactor, wide assortment of fastener's, etc... for the typical day with minimal switching around of tools to make room. There's actually a five man crew that works out of the trailer on a daily basis w/o problem, it just takes some serious foresight when setting it up.

As for the mixer, it's not a problem with ours. Depending on which mixer, you may need to tip the barrel down to get it through the door opening. Never a problem with our old 6 cu. ft. mixer, but the 8's are quite a bit taller. We also haul a power-buggy in it when we need it. Just make sure you buy something with a heavy ramp door if you want to go this route.

The most important advice I can give is always buy at least 2' longer than you'll think you need. For us, 16' is the absolute minimum because we need to be able to haul 16' lumber, and I can't imagine having the trailer 2' shorter & needing to upgrade after all the time I spent inside organizing/building. Also, allow yourself a fair amount of time to set-up the trailer. I spent about 3 weeks in the middle of winter in '03, and I'm glad i did because it's really only needed a small bit of modifying since.


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## INTRA (Nov 27, 2008)

We haul everything with our dump trailers. I also been thinking about getting a enclosed trailer for the tools. Your guy that have enclose trailers only, where do you dump all the debris when your doing repair work.


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

INTRA said:


> We haul everything with our dump trailers. I also been thinking about getting a enclosed trailer for the tools. Your guy that have enclose trailers only, where do you dump all the debris when your doing repair work.


In the front yard that way the HO cleans it up immediately so the job site stays nice and tidy.:clap::clap:


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## dakzaag (Jan 6, 2009)

OK, at the risk of revealing my red neck...:whistling

I have a 20' gooseneck that I use to get the bulk of my epuipment to a job. Handles all the scaffold, planks and even the mixer when needed with ease. I have hauled two ton of Limestone in it and two pallets of Mortar (50 bags each) with no problem at all. 

This summer I did a clean and seal on a bank in town and I could only work when the bank was closed. I loaded up everything each night and took it home, unhooked the trailer and worked another job during the day. It really worked slick. 

Now for the red neck part...It's a livestock trailer that I keep clean except when I need to move some cattle once in a while. I put the plexi-glass windows in to keep rain off my dry stuff and its rated at 14,000. I bought it 5 years ago and I love it when I have a bunch of epuipment to move on the job at once. All Aluminum and I keep it pressure washed but I still get  from the customer when they see it the first time. 

PIA hooking up but really not much worse than a bumper hitch. Pulls like a rail car.


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## RiverCityMason (Jun 17, 2010)

Where i live theives steel the whole trailer. So ive opted for a gooseneck becasue its so much harder for the theif. They must have a truck with a compatable hitch to hook up to it. 

Currently we have a modified stock trailer or horse trailer if you like. It has been the most efficient setup ive run yet for doing small residential brick fronts or chimney work. 

We chopped off the roof and nose cone to reduce the weight of the trailer and because the scaffold would not fit otherwise. I use waco 6'6 scaffold and i stack 2 piles on the right side, 2 stacks of 12. Infront of the scaffold i stack 2 stacks of 9' osha plank. On the left side of the trailer is where we pile 2 stacks of 16' osha plank 22 total. Outriggers,pads, screw jacks all fit nicely in between the upside down scaffold jacks. I built a shelf on the right side above the 16' plank which are stacked directly on the floor, a place to hold all the X braces & corner poles. 

We even pack in a Target block saw after everything else is loaded. It was an old farmers cattle trailer we picked up for $200.00

Chopped the roof and nose cone off and reinforced the sides with some angle iron. 

I had it gone over at a local trailer repair and had the bearings repacked. Brakes all new. New wiring and lights. And finally a new paint job D.O.T inspection and baddabing got $1200.00 in a bad ass trialer that is harder than a bumper pull to steal. Is super efficent for small to medium sized jobs in 1 haul. 

You should check in to it. Farmers sell old stock trailers cheap on craigslist. Ill snap a few pics of mine on monday to show you what you could have for a fraction off the cost of an enclosed. 

RCM


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## stonecutter (May 13, 2010)

dakzaag said:


> OK, at the risk of revealing my red neck...:whistling...It's a livestock trailer that I keep clean except when I need to move some cattle once in a while. I put the plexi-glass windows in to keep rain off my dry stuff and its rated at 14,000. I bought it 5 years ago and I love it when I have a bunch of epuipment to move on the job at once. All Aluminum and I keep it pressure washed but I still get  from the customer when they see it the first time.
> 
> PIA hooking up but really not much worse than a bumper hitch. Pulls like a rail car.


Huh...Where I come from thats called Yankee Ingenuity.:thumbsup:


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## RiverCityMason (Jun 17, 2010)

LOL at Dakzagg. You got her figured out too!!

You can haul alot of gear in a horse trailer and it works well! 

RCM


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## jomama (Oct 25, 2008)

INTRA said:


> We haul everything with our dump trailers. I also been thinking about getting a enclosed trailer for the tools. Your guy that have enclose trailers only, where do you dump all the debris when your doing repair work.


We have a 5 yd. dump truck with a 14' contractor bed that typically goes everywhere with us as well. It also comes in handy for hauling all of the bulky stuff that doesn't fit in the trailer well.

If it's only a small amount of debris, we will load it into a wheelbarrow or two & wedge/strap it in the trailer. We've hauled wet concrete in the wheelbarrow's before to pour another small job w/o taking the ready-mix truck there, and usually the "least senior" employee gets to hang on to the wheely for the short ride............... You get some interesting gawks when you open the back door and people start coming out of the trailer.............


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## Paul B (Mar 10, 2007)

I am a General Contractor and haul a lot of stuff for different trades. I have a 7 x 14 enclosed trailer rated for 7700#, I think the trailer weighs 2200#. I bought it at Truck n america on clearence for $2500.


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

The isse that I've always had with trailers is the same as others have had. Can't pull the mixer. If you can find one that will hold scaffold, the mixer, hand tools and whatever else you want, problem solved. I know that me, working alone often enough, I'd hate to have to push/pull a mixer into the trailer. For me a trailer just isn't worth it. I sure would love to have somewhere to keep the dry goods tho, not mention my hand tools, quick cut etc...


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## 2low4nh (Dec 12, 2010)

I usually mix by hand unless its a big job


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## Frank Castle (Dec 27, 2011)

2low4nh said:


> I am considering it I want it mostly for the advertising and the theft/weather protection. I will have to look a little deeper I guess.


The advertising/theft protection thing is a double edge knife with a trailer. It's telling all those thieves just what is inside. COME TAKE MY STUFF! I've considered putting "Manure Removal" on the side to deter thieves. I just leave it blank.



stonecutter said:


> These are pretty good for security.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



We've had a whole trailer stolen and we've had them broken into. The Locks that Stonecutter mentioned are good. I've used a few others that work well also. The [email protected]@hole that stole the whole trailer must have just wanted the trailer because I kept finding things spread out all over the county. Mostly just thrown out on the country roads. At least I got some stuff back.

As stonecutter said, if a thief wants your stuff, they are gonna take it. One way or another.


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## RiverCityMason (Jun 17, 2010)

dom-mas said:


> The isse that I've always had with trailers is the same as others have had. Can't pull the mixer. If you can find one that will hold scaffold, the mixer, hand tools and whatever else you want, problem solved. I know that me, working alone often enough, I'd hate to have to push/pull a mixer into the trailer. For me a trailer just isn't worth it. I sure would love to have somewhere to keep the dry goods tho, not mention my hand tools, quick cut etc...


That is a pain Dom. I dont know about the laws or regulation where your located, but around here we are allowed to put a hitch right on the rear bumber of the equipment trailer to pull the mixer.:thumbup:


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## dom-mas (Nov 26, 2011)

Oh I'm sure I'd be able to do it legally, but I hat reversing that short tongued mixer normally, let alone doing it blind. I can fit 5 sections of scaffold with planks and braces in my truck easy enough, with the wheel barrow strapped on top, hand tools, quick cut etc.., jammed in here and there. Throw the mixer behind and I've got enough stuff to setup and get some work done in one trip. More scaffold the next day etc... The worst part is loading up to take to the next job, trying to do it all in one trip


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

I have a 16 enclosed trailer. It works great! Shelves up front that stop about 1' short from the sides. in that space on each side I put my screw jacks and outriggers. 

I have hooks on the sides where I put ext. cords, gas lines, etc.

I stack the scaffold on the left side of trailer and use a ratchet strap to make sure it doesnt fall. The right side gets the plank stacked up. I dont normall use 16's so my 8's fit in there nice.

Mind you, I only carry around about 16 rings and enough planking. I've got room to throw my water barrel, tarp if needed, and wheel barrow in there. 

I have yet to figure out hwo to get my mixer in there, but instead of taking 2 trips, I'll offer the help $20 to pull it.


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## jomama (Oct 25, 2008)

6stringmason said:


> I have yet to figure out hwo to get my mixer in there, but instead of taking 2 trips, I'll offer the help $20 to pull it.


I take it you don't have a ramp door on the trailer?


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## 6stringmason (May 20, 2005)

jomama said:


> I take it you don't have a ramp door on the trailer?


I do, and that reminds me, I forgot to say make sure you get one with a ramp door.

I just havent figured out how to make it fit, and still keep all the planks and scaffold easily accessible.


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