what type of trailer to use?

[turfsup]

Just getting started in the biz and I'm not quite sure whether I should by an open landscaping trailer or spend the extra $ and get a covered one. It rains a lot where I live and I would think that the equipment getting exposed to rain not to mention sun and heat would be a bad thing. Your thoughts please.

[65hoss]

Get what you can afford and biggest you can use. You will outgrow most trailers pretty fast. Just remember, what you buy also has a direct relation on what type truck you must have.

[trophytkr]

Like you I'm just starting out this year. I bought an open trailer with twin ramps on it. Right now it's sitting on my patio behind the house full of snow but come cutting season I plan to leave the equipment on it and put it in the garage each night. I went with the 12 footer because my thinking is if I expand and need more room that I would want 2 trailers so I could have 2 crews going in different directions rather than one big trailer that can handle more equipment.:blob3:

[Messenger Gardens]

Our mowing crews all use 18' tandem axle trailer pulled with 3/4 ton 4x4. Each crew takes a 61" ztr, either a 52" or 60" wb and a 36" wb or trime mower. Each trailer is equipped with a trimmer and blower rack.

[PrimeGreen Lawn]

I have 2 crews now. Each has a 2000, and 2001 F350 Diesels pulling a 20' and 24' enclosed US Cargo trailers

[Indiana]

I started with a real small trailer (4x8) w/ramp. Made it myself and I still have it. Mounted a 100 gallon sprayer on it. This trailer pulls good and looks good, but it was way too small.

If I had to do it over, I would buy or build a 6x10 or 6x12 open trailer with 2' sides and a ramp. Put the racks on right away for your trimmer, edger, blower, and water cooler.

Right now I still have the 4x8 w/ the sprayer on it, 6.5'x16 dual axle with 4' sides and a curbside gate and rear ramps. This trailers is heavy though. It is a 6000 lb capacity w brakes. I pull it w/ 2000 GMC 3/4 4x4.

My advice would be buy a 6x10 or 6x12 open trailer... You will not be able to everything on it in a few years but it will give you a good size to keep for small jobs and mulch.

[stslawncare]

tell us what u are using to pull it with, and what equip u have now or plan on getting, always get a little bigger then what u need now just incase one time u have something extra to put on and also allows u to grow a tiny bit without getting a new trailer. depending on wether u have a garage/shop or not would help determine if u need a enclosed, generally enclosed is usually better because of the capability of advertising on it and the better security. opens have there pluses also, the ability to haul material easier to manuver equip etc etc

[LawnLad]

We use open trailers because we park them in the garage. We have one 17' dual axle, and two 14' single axel. One of the 14' single axle's we beefed up and it carry's the dingo and a couple of implements. The other two are for the maintenance crews.

However, we're thinking about enclosed trailers to park them out of doors. Just worried about theft. The thread about locking trailers was helpful.

Open trailers are less expensive, easy to repair and maintain. Drawbacks as I see it... security while working (easy access to trimmers, blowers, etc) and the open trailer looks a little more sloppy/unkept than a closed in trailer, in my opinion. You can see all the equipment. Even if it's well maintained, clean and neat on the trailer, it looks sloppy to me.

[John L]

I am too starting a new Lawn Maintenance company. I will use enclosed trailers. It will keep the equipment enclosed, dry and clean. Also it's a traveling billboard, both to and from jobs as well as on the job site.

John

[PRECISION LC]

For the past couple of years i ave been growing slowly, i had a 5x8 open trailer with a gate. last year i added trimmer racks, blower holders, ect.
I finally bought another mower and have ordered a 6.5' x 18' with 4' expanded metal walls and racks and holders for all and It will have breakes.

[LawnCrafters]

If you have to keep it outside, get an enclosed.
It waill keep your eguipment out of the rain and you can just lock it up and store it all in the trailer.
If you can store it inside, I like the open trailers better. You don't have to pull all your mowers out of it every time you gas up and you can get in and out of them much easier and quicker while on the job. Not to mention that an open trailer is less than half the price and weighs less.

[mowerguy]

My advice is buy the biggest you can pull with you vehicle. I started with a 5x7 and one 36" mower and it worked fine until i bought another mower, then i needed a bigger trailer. If you plan on expanding in the next few years, buy at least a 6x12 this way you can expand to 2 mowers with out having to buy a new tailer too. I am going into my 6th year of business this year with a 6x14 tandem axle trailer with electric brakes and i am pulling it with a 99 1/2 ton chevy. This works great for me but i would say it is too big for you starting out unless you plan on having a crew and not just working alone your first year in business.
This website is a great resource use it to you advantage. Alot of the guys (gals)on here have years of combined experience. Ask alot of questions and learn from our mistakes.
good luck in the coming year

[leeslawncare]

I run a 14' trailer an pull it with a 99z-71 chevy.I have a 87 nissan for a back up but...it is very hard on her!

[Lawn Dog2001]

I use a 6.5 x 12 open trailer. I am happy with it. I have had it for about 3 years. Although, I really wish I would have bought an enclosed trailer. They have plenty of space for advertising. Enclosed trailers also keep your equipment safer from theft and the elements. If you have the money, I would go with the enclosed.

[slplow]

I have an 8x16 enclosed trailer .I got it because I have no room in my garage. One other bad thing about enclosed trailers .The mowers do not get cooled down between jobs even with all the vents open .It gets pretty hot in there.

[MuskTurfKing]

If you have a safe place to keep the trailer where you don't have to worry about theft and all that crap, and money's tight, go ahead and get you an open trailer, they work fine, if they equipment stays on it all the time, just put a big ol' tarp over it to protect it from the weather. That's what I'm going to be doing. If you can, try to go with a 6X12. I'll be purchasing a 5X10 sometime next month.

Hank

[turfsup]

thanks alot for everybodys input. sounds like its going to be an enclosed due to the fact that all i have is a carport for storage and not a garage. as far as equipment all i have are 2 trimmers, edger, backpack blower and a 21" honda pushmower. i'm not looking to spend thousands right away so a bigger mower will have to come later. i'll make sure to get a larger trailer just in case i do expand a bit!

[stslawncare]

just a few ideas to throw at u.
could u enclose the carport, i know of people that have done that before, rather easy infact. could u use an open trailer and keep it in the car port (out of weather) and make sure everything is locked (easy with trimmer racks and bike locks etc). do u need a trailer at all yet, with that stuff its easy to use a truck, thats what im doing right now, could put trimmer racks and blower racks on the sides even that way even when u get a biger mower still dont really need a trailer. just some ideas for ya.

[turfsup]

unfortunately closing in the carport is not an option cause i rent the house that i'm in. i do however have a shell for my truck which would allow me to keep everything in the back locked up and dry. maybe for now i'll just go that route. thanks sts

[Bill Davis]

Here in Arkansas sadly enough we are having a problem with people just taking stuff from trailers whern you are at the store or working on a large property. Im not going to name names but we are all getting sick of it and there is only so much you can do to stop it. My next trailer will likely be a covered one for the fact that i wont have to be watching my truck all the time. Like ive always been told "out of sight out of mind". Hope this helps and yall have a good one.

[stslawncare]

closing in the carport would add value to the property i would think, might want to check with the landlord.

[turfman59]

Just wondered after reading all the posts
is there some kind of cable lock to secure all your equipment in the riskier areas, or when you go in the c store to buy a pop? seem s like a little prevention could go along way. I am thinking about buying a walker mower Ive got a 5x10 ft trailer with a tilt bed that I use for my mini sneaker cable plow its really heavy 900 lbs and would like to do mowing with it as my only trailer also the cable plow doesnt have to be used on a daily basis and unloads as fast as a mower. The cable lock could be used for anything that could be grabbed when your out on the job site at nite I have a garage to park it in. Beleive it or not Iam pulling it right now with a 6cyl ford explorer 2700 gvw with no problems.
SSSSEEEEE ya

[stslawncare]

bike lock? any type of cable with loops at endand get a padlock

[kenneth parsons]

Lots of points to ponder here with teh open -vs- enclosed! One point I'd like to make...time spent on the jobsite. My experience is that I can download/load faster from an open trailer, which means I can get to the next job faster which of course means I can ultimately get a little more done in a day & you know what that means. Explore the various methods of securing open trailers & the equipment on them...cables, lockable trimmer racks & tongue locks.