Anthony's No-Toolbox, No-Tie-Down Remodeling Trailer

The Mast family all use tool trailers in their respective businesses. Anthony's father, Daniel, runs Mast Builders, Inc. in Kilmarnock, VA. Anthony's business, Mast Builders, LLC, is located in Hendersonville, NC.

The family habit of clean and tidy working is clear:

Anthony has three vacuums on his tool trailer, and he'll even make sure that sawdust is vacuumed from a customer's lawn!

Show Your Customers You're Clean and Organized

Here's a stroke of marketing genius:

Anthony and his father use their trailer builds to market their companies.

See this here on Anthony's website and here on Daniel's website.

Imagine two contractors roll up to your house:

Philfy McMess has materials thrown in a heap on the floor. Tools are everywhere, you can see 5 hammers spread all over, battery chargers are tossed in a heap, cords are in a pile in the corner. It's dark. Sawdust coats everything.

The other contractor is one of the Mast Builders. The floor is clean, bins and drawers are labeled, the light makes it easy to find anything. It's a professional workshop on wheels.

Which one do you want to work inside your house?

They differentiate themselves from other companies by creating an impressive, perfect workspace that "no one will see". Then they show it to people, so their customers will know what kind of craftsmen they are.

Make 'em the Same!

This is Anthony's 4th trailer build, inspired by Ron Paulk's trailer builds. Trailers #2, #3, and #4 are identical trailers used by Anthony, his father, and a friend that they work with.

Why are they the same?

Identical trailers help coordination on the job. Whoever is on the job can go in any trailer and find the right tool or material, no matter which trailer is being used.

Slide-in Rear Slots

Slots on the left side of the trailer are big enough for full sheets of plywood, scrap materials, an 8' x 18" quick work table, and up to a 13' aluminum walkboard.

Strips of formica under the plywood storage slot make it easy to slide plywood in or out of the space.

On the right side of the truck are dedicated slots for levels and 6' drawers that hold demolition tools and his Ron Paulk Total Station.

The Individual, Adjustable Tool Bays

Anthony created short, narrow tool bays by routing slots into long shelves. The many, many slots make it easy to adjust the bays to any width for any tool.

Each bay is dedicated to a specific tool and may hold that tool's consumables, as well. For instance, the he stores a couple of fresh blades in the jigsaw bay by sticking them to a neodymium magnet.

Some contractors do the Grab 'n Go philosophy - they grab a full toolbox dedicated to a specific tool or type of work. This trailer follows the One By One philosophy where tools and supplies are retrieved individually.

The Drawer System

Lots of people use their drawers as a dumping ground! It's easy to hide a mess in a drawer.

But Anthony keeps the inside of his drawers as organized as the outside. Lots of labeled drawers hold various tools and supplies. Anthony uses dowel rods, vertical plywood partitions, and a silverware organizer to keep things in place.

Imagine how much time you spend rustling through your stuff looking for the right bit, blade, chisel, clamp, or tile trowel.

Anthony does not do that.

Super Slick Cable Management for On Board Power and Air

The trailer can be plugged into the grid when on the job and has several 4-way outlets providing juice throughout the trailer.

Electricity powers a microwave and a 30 gallon air compressor equipped with a 250' reel-mounted hose. Long hoses can have a pressure drop, but this length works for him.

Anthony does not want cords running down the length of his trailer.

So:

Below the reel-mounted 10 gauge extension cord and air hose is a hole in the floor that the cord and hose drop through. A Madison Pull-It electrical box cover acts as a small fairlead and ensures that the cord and hose pull smoothly out of the bottom of the trailer without catching on sharp edges.

He Cleans the Trailer

At the end of the day, Anthony uses a Makita blower to blow out the inside of the trailer. This clears out sawdust, dirt, and leaves and helps to keep tools and materials dust free.

Fancy Lights

Like many setups, there is interior lighting. However, this is a trailer, how do you power the lights?

Anthony hooked up a deep cycle 12V battery to a charger. The charger is periodically plugged into the grid, the charger is powered, and the battery charges.

One helpful trick is how the lights are switched: There is a standard toggle switch, but a motion detector on the rear of the ceiling means you just need to walk in the back on a dark night to have the trailer light up!

Super bright reverse lights are also switched. They do the double duty of lighting behind the trailer while reversing and when it's needed for night time work.

Where Do Ladders Go?

Step ladders live on a custom mount inside (they're "not his real ladders, but he still loves 'em", haha), and a 36' extension ladder sits on a rack on the side of the trailer.

Other Stuff

A cheap backup camera is "worth it's weight in gold". Anthony's truck and trailer are large, and it's tough to see so far back with only the mirrors.

Check out some of his other videos:

• Extension cord/Air hose storage solution
• Daniel's Contractor Trailer Tour Promo Video
• Installing Trailer Skid Wheels to prevent future trailer damage

Also see his Youtube channel for truck, trailer, and job videos. He has a large emphasis on being more efficient in your work, which will make you more money.