Jason's Simple 6x12 Contracting Tool Trailer

Simplicity

Tool trailer builds can be daunting if you're starting from scratch. Many tool trailers are complicated and will have:

• Lots of shelves and cubbies
• Lots of inventory
• Lots of tool-specific storage

Jason's trailer organization occupies a middle ground. There is little inventory, tool storage is mixed between cubbies and the cases that his tools came in, and he has some minimal tool-specific storage on the passenger side of the the trailer.

One of the biggest benefits to this level of build is weight capacity. Many tool trailers are so built out that they're within a few hundred pounds of their GVWR. A simpler build means that Jason probably won't ever worry about being overweight.

This is a great level of organization for many people. He can proof out what he wants in a more extensive future build, or he can keep making small tweaks to get what he wants.

Remember that not everyone needs a crazy upfit. Specialization in your trade can keep your build very simple.

Miter Saw Station

This is a tool trailer idea that can save you time:

To cut a long piece of stock on the miter saw, Jason can literally walk into his trailer, drop his wood, and pull the trigger.

Instead of setting up a miter saw station on every job, Jason built long narrow workbenches on either side of the saw. The saw sits on a dropped table that keeps its bed the same height as the adjacent workbenches.

A shop vac collects dust in a dedicated spot under the saw. Jason wired the vacuum to the saw's trigger switch so that the saw and the vacuum come on anytime the saw's trigger is pulled.

Having the vacuum come on at the same time as the saw is amazing.

However, you may want to make sure that the saw's switch can handle the amperage if you try this, as it's likely it's not designed for saw+vacuum levels of amp draw! Another way to do it is to run both tools off a switched dual outlet and leave each tool switch in the on position. When you need to cut wood, switch on the dual outlet.

Slick Sheet Storage

The passenger side of the trailer has a large cabinet that Jason uses for hauling sheet goods. For his purposes, it can hold up to 12 sheets, but he typically hauls 10 sheets.

His levels are stored in a stepped configuration that allows them to easily be pulled out of their slots.

The cabinet also has some simple slotted storage for his squares, levels, and step plank.

Odds and Ends

Jason mounts his extension cord and air hose reels at the rear door of the tool trailer. Many contractors mount it across from the side cargo door on the passenger side, but rear mounting means he doesn't need to use conduit to run them along the trailer's wall.

Since the trailer can be hooked up to the grid, he can run his air compressor in the trailer without needing to remove it.

A slanted shelf holds sawhorses for no-tie-down security.