Marc's Wide, Well-Lit Remodeling Trailer

Lots of Width

It's really helped my production because everything I own is in here.

Many large tool trailers are 7' wide. It's pretty clear with Marc's trailer that the added foot of width gives him a lot of space to work with. Between the great lighting and width, this trailer looks more like a workshop than a tool trailer.

There are tradeoffs to having long and wide trailers. Parking and maneuvering on city streets can be difficult, and this is a big enough concern for many builders that they opt for a smaller trailer.

However, if you work in wide open spaces, a large trailer can make your work much easier. You get lots of space for tools and materials, and it's for more than one person to work out of.

This trailer also has a ramp, which is preferred by some, but not others.

General Trailer Organization

The trailer was inspired by Ron Paulk, but Marc changed many of the ideas of a typical Paulk build:

A Paulk trailer has individual tool cubbies with some of their consumables. So, a circular saw has a cubby with a blade or two and perhaps a wrench to change the blade. This type of cubby requires a certain layout in your trailer and more material, but many people like the uncluttered organization it gives you: one tool in one place, with its bits or blades.

Marc's tool cubbies are all large and hold multiple tools. He has cubbies for classes of consumable, so all saw blades go in one cubby. This would be a slightly faster setup to build and would likely make it a bit easier to reconfigure the trailer's layout. If you're building a tool trailer, it will evolve, so figure out before you start how you'll handle layout changes.

Slots at the back of the trailer hold two 6-foot ladders and collapsible sawhorses.

DeWalt Work Table

Many builds use a Paulk work table, but Marc likes his DeWalt unit. It mounts at the rear of the table next to a DeWalt miter saw. The saw is mounted to a stand and rolls down he ramp when it's needed.

If you also have a ramped trailer, try building a ramp toe or gap board to make rolling tools out a little faster and easier.

Anytime Air Compressor

A Ridgid pancake air compressor is mounted at the rear of the trailer near the air hose. The compressor can come off the trailer easily. However, the trailer has a built-in hose reel with 200' of hose - if the trailer has power, the compressor has air, and the air hose can be run right from the trailer.

Being able to leave the compressor on the trailer can be a huge time saver.

Tote Cart

Marc uses totes and organizers mounted on tilted shelves to holds fasteners and trade-specific inventory and tools, such as plumbing and painting

He like uses DeWalt stacking tool bins that lock together to cart tools on to the job site.

Full Electric

The trailer has several outlets that have juice when it's plugged into the grid. If there is no grid, Marc uses a generator to power the trailer.

He has a pretty clever tool battery charging station that's mobile. Many charger stations are hard-mounted to the wall of a work van or tool trailer, but not Marc's!

It consists of several chargers mounted to a board that hangs on the wall on a french cleat. This allows him to charge batteries in the trailer, or take them inside the job site. This can save deploying a long extension cord or keep you from trekking to the trailer if you're doing a lot of battery-intensive work.

A mobile battery charging station is also particularly good in colder climates - some builders have resorted to heating their batteries with a space heater to keep them warm on the trailer.