Renown Cargo Trailers

5 Tips to Purchasing a Contractor Trailer

Renown’s contractor trailers are designed with skilled trades in mind. We know that plumbers, carpenters, electricians, handymen, and other skilled workers all require a large number of tools and equipment in order to complete the project at hand. That’s why our rugged contractor trailers are outfitted to be easily-transportable, easily-accessible, and at the same time, quite secure – as tools can run thousands of dollars and are too many times the key to earning a living. 

In today’s spotlight series, we’ll look at the five areas that contractors should consider as they weigh their options for the perfect contractor trailer to be their mobile workshop-on-wheels.

Determining if a Custom Tool Trailer has Enough Payload Capacity

Determining the appropriate payload capacity for your new enclosed tool trailer is arguably one of the most important steps you can undertake. You need to consider all of the tools, equipment, materials, etc. that your trailer will need to carry and/or store on a regular basis. It’s a good practice to go ahead and tally up all of your equipment weight so you have a pretty close estimate of how much your gear weighs. Don’t forget to leave room for any materials that you may need for a job. Maxing out your trailer’s payload capacity day after day is going to take its toll on your trailer components like the axles and wheels. Going over your contractor trailer’s payload capacity can be incredibly dangerous. Not only will the components be much more likely to wear prematurely, it’s possible to a failure of a critical trailer component. Having that failure occur going 65mph on the interstate with a fully loaded trailer is an uncomfortable thought to say the least. 

Remember, there are also key limits that your vehicle can handle and legal limits for total vehicle weight. Make sure you know measurements like your vehicle’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVR) and Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) which are both specified by the manufacturer and let you know the safe limitations for your vehicle’s load, as well as the trailers, and the combination of it altogether.

With all the different components of your trailer, the tools, accessories, and variable weights like materials can make determining a safe payload difficult. To help, we’ve developed a handy guide for helping you determine your trailer’s payload capacity. Still have questions about trailer weight and payload capacity? Connect with a knowledgeable contractor trailer specialist who can help you through the details of determining the payload capacity to best suit your needs. 

Choosing an Enclosed Contractor Trailer Size

Our full line of enclosed trailers can be outfitted to be the perfect trailer for a tradesmen’s particular needs. That means you have the ultimate choice. Every size from a 6×12 single axle trailer, through a 7×16 tandem axle trailer, and even an 8.5 x28 tandem axle or a gooseneck trailer are all fair game for setting up the perfect contractor trailer set up to meet your needs. This need obviously varies tremendously from client to client: 

  • Are you looking for the best electricians trailer or the best carpenter tool trailer? 
  • Are you doing your work in a tight urban environment with limited parking or do you primarily operate in the suburban areas where ample parking is more available? 

Many of our contractor clients use our enclosed trailers as a sort of contractor trailer storage shed or even as a mobile tool crib that they can park on a construction site and leave, knowing their gear and materials inside are safe from the elements and theft. With this limited necessity for movement, a bigger trailer might afford a better set-up as you can bring everything needed to the site, park the trailer, and leave everything on-site when the day is done. A smaller, more maneuverable trailer usually better serves someone working in an urban environment or where a large tool or material complement isn’t necessary. For example, the 6×12 tandem axle is an incredibly popular choice to be outfitted as a handyman’s trailer as it affords a great payload capacity in a smaller, easier-to-manage trailer size. 

Bring in your specs and our custom contractor trailer gurus will go to work in finding you the perfect trailer size and length to meet your needs.

Designing a Mobile Tool Crib

enclosed trailer tool box built in

An enclosed trailer toolbox can be incredibly well-stocked, organized, and easily-tracked so that skilled trade and construction pros can get jobs done faster and more efficiently. Setting up a construction tool trailer requires expertise in this industry – something our trailer pros have learned after decades of working with contractors. We’ll help you design the perfect mobile tool crib so you can have the best control over the tools needed to earn a living. Using enclosed trailer shelving plans, our team can help you map out exactly where every tool goes. In a true tool crib fashion, this helps you keep better track of your tools and essentially “check out” a given tool for a necessary project – ensuring tools are available when needed. This all leads to better project management and asset tracking, which helps overall project efficiency and in turn boosts your bottom line. 

Another key advantage of a mobile tool crib from Renown lies in the stoutness of the trailers in our line. Cargo trailer tools are a high-prized target for thieves. But you can rely on your enclosed tool trailer to withstand the elements and thwart intrusion day after day and year after year, making sure you get the best return possible for the investment you made in this valuable asset for your business.

construction trailer with built in tool box

Considering a Custom Contractor Trailer

As we’ve highlighted with our mobile tool cribs, the possibilities for customizing a contractor trailer are really only limited by your imagination. We can customize enclosed trailer shelving plans to map out the perfect tool arrangement, add an enclosed trailer toolbox for added security for expensive tools, add lights, electrical upgrades, extend the tongue, and truly everything in between. Going with a custom trailer allows for the best in cargo trailer tool organization as you can outfit the trailer to hold everything in place securely. Roof racks with built-in ladders and walk-on roofing opens up even more transport space for ladders, PVC piping, you name it. 

Bottom line, we have every option you could ever hope for. Talk with a trailer expert, bring in your “dream specs” and we’ll see just how close we can get to meeting, if not exceeding, your expectations. A custom contractor trailer can also help you recover your capital investment faster because your trailer will have been designed and built just for the environment you have intended. With countless trickle-down efficiencies gained, the investment produces more returns for a longer period, which should translate into a shorter payback period. If you really want to get deep, the asset decay curve for a custom contractor trailer should be protracted more gradually as the components are all functioning within their manufacturing specifications and, as we highlighted, should perform better, longer than an off-the-shelf option.

Getting a Contractor Trailer Financed

Okay, so we’ve found the perfect trailer to meet your needs, with all the capacity and options you’ll ever need to get the job done. Now comes everyone’s favorite part – financing. For many, this is a somewhat anxious time as the numbers are crunched to see how everything shakes out for getting to drive your trailer off the lot. We’ve tried to take out the angst that usually goes into the trailer financing process by partnering with truly solid financing partners and creating this guide to give you the best chance at getting approved. We know Rock Solid operates with integrity and treats clients with honesty and transparency. If you’d like to go with another one of our phenomenal partners visit our enclosed trailer financing page. Our financing partners can work with a wide range of credit applicants, so even if yours is somewhat less than stellar, we can still usually work to find you a financing plan that works with your current situation and income level so that you can be confident you’re getting something you can actually afford.

Bottom Line, What’s the Best Contractor Trailer?

The very best contractor and construction trailer you can purchase from us is the one that we, as a team, help select for you and your business after careful consideration of your unique situation and a frank discussion as to how you intend to employ this trailer. Once we have a full picture, we can help steer you to the enclosed trailer options that meet that criteria and then build out the perfect setup with custom contractor trailer accessories, storage, shelving, and a myriad of other options. 

Our dedicated sales process means in the end, you’ll be driving off our lot (or having your trailer delivered!) with the trailer best suited to meet the demands of your profession. 

Getting a Construction Tool Trailer From a Trusted Source

From the moment a client engages with us, our team of dedicated trailer experts goes to work for them, putting passion and skill into finding the right sized trailer to help get the job done. Contractor trailers can demand some pretty custom specifications to meet our clients’ needs. This is where our team truly thrives and we love solving the tough problems our clients bring. Service with integrity before, during, and especially after the sale is what sets Renown apart. Read our reviews for more input on what our customers are saying about us.

Browse our entire selection online and even check out and have your trailer shipped right to your door, no human contact necessary! 


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