Fenloe & Bell's Neat Aluminum and Plywood Construction Trailer

The Plywood Foundation

Christian bought the trailer new and started the build with a set of Ron Paulk ART trailer plans. He modified the design to fit his trailer.

Plywood builds like this can be very organized, but they tend to be heavy. He notes that the plywood used in the build weighs a lot and required around 20 sheets each of 1/2" and 3/4" plywood. The frames and support structure are 3/4" and the drawers are 1/2".

Christian says he's quite close to the 7,000 lb. rating on the trailer, and he expects to only add weight as he adds more tools, adds more storage, and refines the design. He will likely upgrade his axles and springs to take more weight sometime in the future.

The trailer has an OSB floor that is water resistant, according to the manufacturer, but he feels he may need to undercoat it to protect from the wet conditions that are in his area.

Roof Rack

The trailer has a permanent ladder mounted on the front, and a catwalk on the roof that spans the roof rack spars. The roller bar at the rear of the trailer, included with the contractor package, makes it easy to put an extension ladder or materials up on the roof.

However, he doesn't expect to do heavy hauling of materials with the roof rack and says it's more suitable for lighter work. The roof itself is not strong enough to stand on or take significant weight.

Barn Door Access

The barn doors of the trailer open to the long drawers and slots in the back. Christian can slot in full sheets of plywood or sheetrock, levels, and planks or trim.

Some contractors favor ramps over barn door, but Christian likes the doors since they require less space behind the trailer to open. This can be a big consideration if you tend to work in more populated areas since it can be difficult to find an extra 6-8' that you'll require to deploy a ramp.

He says that having the step up at the back also saves him from bending over to reach some of the drawers and slots that pull out the back of the trailer.

Air hose and a 10 gauge extension cord are threaded through conduit along the driver side wall and provide electric and air at the rear.

Simple, Clever Fastener Access

Because the Paulk system uses long drawers and slots at the rear of a trailer, some shelf depth is lost for inside storage on the passenger side of the trailer. Christian took advantage of this to make strapless, visible fastener storage.

Each DeWalt organizer case is oriented with the clear face out. Cases are retained at the bottom with a short lip, and at the top with a thin wood bar. The wood bar is simply raised up to tilt out the case to carry it on he job.

This setup is great because:

• Fastener inventory is visible, so it's obvious when a restock is necessary.
• There are no tie-downs or bungie cords to fumble with and slow you down.
• Nothing pokes into the aisle, so the cargo area is free of protrusions.
• The cases fill a thin space that might be otherwise underutilized.

Plywood Tool Slots and Drawers

Tools are stored in the typical Paulk-style tool slots. There are many drawers with hand tools and consumables. To retain the drawers when driving, Christian used a 3/16" tall block of hardwood at the end of the drawer slide.

To pull a drawer out, it just needs to be lifted a bit and pulled. This is a quick-to-make and easy-to-use retention method.

The grooves in the frames that function as drawer slides are made at regular intervals. Additionally, drawer widths and depths are also consistent throughout the trailer. This means that the drawer system is modular and configurable. Christian can change a drawer's height at any time, or swap drawers if he wants to try a different setup.

The One Bungie Cord

Christian has one bungie cord on this trailer, and it's for the step ladders. These are stored standing up near the side door. He made a bungie cord that has two extra hooks that allow him to tightly secure one, two, or three ladders, depending on how many are in the trailer.

Onboard Power

Right now, the trailer primarily gets its power from the grid. A shore power socket allows Christian to plug it in at the end of the workday. This charges the trailer's battery and also provides 120V throughout the trailer for the tool battery charging setup at the rear.

The shore power socket is on the outside of the trailer, so it takes seconds to plug it in and remove it.

The battery, located in the V-nose, only powers the motion-activated LED lights, the trailer brakes, and the electric jack that's on the tongue. Christian says he might install another battery or two along with an inverter in the future. This would give him independent power. There are a few contractors that are switching to battery banks, and/or full battery setups so that they can eliminate power cords from their workday.

Onboard Air

A twin cylinder DeWalt compressor lives on the trailer under the driver side shelves. Plenty of air hose and a 120V hookup makes it easy to keep you compressor inside your trailer. This can benefit you because:

• You don't need to drag your heavy compressor onto the job site.
• Compressor noise is mostly confined to your trailer.
• The compressor is always ready-to-go so it's easier to use.

For both power and air hoses, Christian bent some PVC pipe into smooth length of conduit so he could route air hose and a cord through the back of the trailer. This is a good system and allows him to access the power and air from the rear or side doors. Another interesting setup that uses reels is a roller fairlead that allows power and air lines to drop from the bottom of the trailer.