Trailer VS truck

[hoofnhound]

Would love some feedback from trailer users on how you like them,and how you have yours set up.

Thanks Jason for your phone advise today!

Alison.

[Bradley-Meadows Edge]

After working out of the back of my truck for some time...

My tools getting wet and rusty...

Always looking for a hammer, or punch, or prichel...

Having to unload my truck Friday night, so as to use it for other things,
then Sunday night having to load it all back up,
and then at a clients, realizing I forgot something very important...

A Mobile Blacksmith Shop was the answer for me...

As you can see in my Photos (http://meadows-edge.com/mobil_shop.htm) every thing is inside, and all I do when I arrive
is to open the doors swing out the the forge and go to work.
The anvil is solid mount to the floor, on a good old wooden stump.
The Photos are a couple of years old.

When you're standing at the anvil, to your left are the punches and prichels,
bob and center punches, and fullers. I have one for each branch, a left and a
right, as I like to fuller from the toe to the heel, pulling the fuller as I work.

On the other side of the work space, hangs the numerous hammers. Each side has it's own magnetic bars, used to hold the particular tools being used for this job. This helps to stay organized and maybe a little quicker.

In the forward section is a marine head, for those times when there
is no local facility. Just aft of the bulkhead on either side are a drill
press and a scroll saw for pads and such.

Horse shoes hang on wooden racks, Fronts on the left,
and Hinds on the right,
Right over the axles.

It is my Home away from home. When It rains, I am dry.
When it is blistring hot, the port hole up front opens up, and
a ceiling mounted fan blows air on my forehead whilst
I am working at the anvil.

I have had it for two years and will not shoe horses with out it.
I would never go back to the back of a truck. All-be-it my trailer
is almost a statement all its' own, I have clients because of it.

And for those of us who are afraid of backing it out or around,
all I can say is Most of my clients (women) who haul their own horses,
with a trailer, may laugh at that maneuverability copout.
It just takes a little practice.

Also with the expanded metal flour out back,
and my propane tanks mounted there,
I venture a guess I am one of the very few who are propane tank legal.
(Not having tanks in an enclosed situation)

Oh, yea ! did I mention I realy love working out of my trailer ! ! !
Bless you all, I hope you are all as busy as you would like.
===============================================

[J.H. shoeing]

Alison

I work out of a trailer and like it more all the time. I wonder about the fuel usage on the trailer against the fuel usage on working out of a truck bed. I would have to buy a big pickup and put some time and money into its set up to work out of if I did not use a trailer. And all that I could use it for would be shoeing. But if you get a big trailer you will have to have something good to pull it with. So it really depends on how big, fancy, plain, walk-in, walk-around, or what ever will suit your needs as to what you would want. I would be happy to e-mail you photos of my trailer if you want. Just send your address.

Jeff

[smitty88]

hi
love to see your trailer
getting a new mobile on the road in the next six weeks or so
looking for some ideas.
cheers.
john.

[Bill Adams]

One thing to keep in mind is where you have to go. In my area only one farrier uses a trailer and it is a small one that could be pulled behind a motorcycle. He does all his work in places around town and stables that have room, but another fellow tried large trailers, and went back to a pickup.
I go to places you couldn't turn one around let alone find a flat spot.
I set up my truck with a rollout deck where every thing is organized, Bradley, and can unload and load the whole shop set up in five minutes.
Personal prefance is why ice cream comes in moca almond fudge.
My $0.02,
Bill

[FrankLaursen]

I have tried both and it really depends where the majority of your work is at a stable then the trailer works wonderful but if you do alot of theroputic (spelling?)so your in and out then I found the truck concept works better also if you have a good winter with ice snow and the like then driving with a trailer is not a good thing :D

Frank

[Dave Purves]

I know a few guys that use trailers but the majority around here use truck beds. I for one tried a trailer for a week and parked it and went and got an ARE top. For one, If your anvil is mounted in the trailer, then theres all of that step up, step down, step up step down. Then what if it's raining and you can't get snug up against the barn door? You get wet walking back an forth, my topper has a big door that flips up on the back, no tailgate, and two side doors that flip up, I stay dry while working at the anvil or walking to the side to get shoes or tools, or to drill and tap. Then how hot does it get in that trailer when it's the middle of summer and you have the forge on? You'd have to have alot of exhaust fans blowing. However we have another truck to pull the horse trailer and that kind of stuff, so my truck doesn't have to pull double duty. If it had to I may change my tune. But for now I'm sticking with the topper.
Dave Purves CF ;)

[Bill Adams]

Dave,
We have the same set up. I've had a couple caps with the door above the tailgate but I sure like it much better with the tailgate gone. The ARE tops are very good quality too. I had a "Top One" built the same style that I used for three years, but I sure like the ARE better.
Bill

[J.H. shoeing]

Hey Alison

I tried to e-mail you some pictures of my trailer, but it came back undeliverable to the address. It may not work. Let me know about the address or snail mail address and I will send a disk.

Jeff

[Donnie Walker]

Hope the picture is clear enough.

8'x6'x6' - can stand inside and work, which is great on rainy and cold days (insulated and well lighted). Forge swings outside. Anvil can remain mounted inside or placed outside for forge work. Shoes mounted on front wall aid in tongue weight and traction. Supply treys on upper walls and nail bin above escape door. Tools and cords mounted on excape door. Easily towed, and if working at a large barn, can unhook and leave positioned for next day, if in secure area.

[Douglas Pani]

Im getting a A.R.E topper to replace my topper I have now. But the only one I found with a flip up door does not let you have alot of acces to the back, so Im getting the 2 swing doors. The side doors will give me about 23inch opening. I talked to Georgia farrier supply about the new pull out system they have where they mount the slid across your bed and pull out the side. Gives me room for 400pr shoes, and storage. Anybody else see this?

Doug

[Red Amor]

Gday Fellers
Just thought Id show you my ute n shed

the utes a 94 Mitsubishi duel cab 4x4 2.5 litre diesel turbo

the sheds home made inch square tube frame with half inch for the door frames

the floor frame is 1'' and a 1/2

aluminium cladding the floor in the shed is 3/4 inch marine ply

the shed is fully self comtained and takes less than 5 minutes to demount

up the drivers side is 2x 9 kilo gas bottles a large first aid kit and a small one
a tool box for the ute and a tray full of odds and sods tools for forgeing

the front left hand corner has posts on a back board to hang a multitude of shoes ,a twin chest o draws to house horse related medicines bandaged poltices creams and ointments there is also a portable equine first aid kit

a plastic tool box with dremel and attatchments and some hoof rebuilding materials , bon u flex equathine sole pack etc

there is a 4" angle grinder and battery drill and a 240 volt electric drill

now to the left of the barn doors is the nail box rack and a twenty litre water bottle , I love to be able to wash up and have a drink of fresh cool mountain river water , some days down here Ill go through a couple shirts of slopy joes , its nice to eat your lunch with clean hands
these a little hub cap that you can see hanging in the rear of the coaming just in front of Dow , this is the kitchen sink and after cooling hot shoes in it makes a nice warn water to wash up beside them is my hoof stand
the forge home made is in the middle and to the right is my tool trolly
the anvil swings out from under the tray

forgeing tools hang on the door beside Dow and on the other door is a white doard thats handy to draw things while explaining thing to clients also the board swings out of the way to reviel some photos of before and after shots as well as interesting shots to show folks what we can and have done to hooves to help keep them on the way

the chap ypu see in this photo is the gentelman who started me in the game
My mentor and my dearest friend Mr Dow Patterson , many of you use his and Paul Mitchels loop knives made here in Tasmania

this little ute and shed have served me very well and it is quite well set up for a small shed
the beauty of this simple set up is how quickly I , on my own can have it off and the boat bikes rubbish fire wood whatever on and away
Just someone ealses idear of things and how to better utalise one vehical
mobile work shop that I can have clients climb in one minute or the family , or farm ute the next all for about $23 ,ooo fully fitted out ready to work
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/redamor/423b44a4.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v729/redamor/utesmall.jpg

[Jason Maki]

Red,
Thats a really slick little rig! Did you do the fabrication yourself? I have always been impressed with good fabricators! My dad has a chalk board in the sky that he draws on...only nobody else can see or understand what hes doing. If you ask him what he's thinking or doing, he rubs his moustache, says something which seems to apply to nothing, then fixes the problem or builds a perfect whatever. The problem is he cannot verbalize his thinking, but machines talk to him, and can probobly see his invisible chalkboard!
The only way to figure out what he is doing is to watch him and try to see what he's doing thruohg his eyes.
Jason

[Red Amor]

Yes Jason there is some bloody cleaver people around , Im not realy one of them but I get by
I did a lot of the work under the guidence of a mate , fitted it out myself made the forge and a fair few of my forging tools

Im working on a 12 volt powered motor to run a multi tool linisher and buffer pad , the pad to buff up my rasps

Im always amaised at how fabulously well set up the Farriers vans , utes and trailors are in the American Farriers journal

[Rick Burten]

[QUOTE=Red Amor]
Im working on a 12 volt powered motor to run a multi tool linisher and buffer pad , the pad to buff up my rasps

Red,

they make an inverter that you can wire into your truck that will convert 12 volt to 110v. You do have to have your truck running when you use it, but it lets you use regular power tools when there is no outlet available.

Rick

[Bill Adams]

Well done Red! that is a nice bit of work. I need to know what "ute" means. The best I can figure is "under the equator" but wouldn't that make the truck upside down?
Good job,
Bill

[Red Amor]

Thankyou William ;) silly bugger ;)

Utillity , its what Aussies call pickups

ute wif a tub = your well back
ute wif flat tray = your flat bed or tray bed or table top

onyamate

[Red Amor]

Yeah Mate Rick

Like um right on to that ay ;) but If I can set this up it will do just as good a job and be on call at the flick of a switch and no friggen around starting and stoping the UTES engine and no exhaust fuemes
Bloody bewdy mate

dont work in barms like a lot of you fellars I have a lot of one and two horse clients and ofen shoe way out in the open away from mains power
ive thought of the inverter many times but can get by well on what ive got , an old twelve volt battery drill that the battery **** its self can be wired up to plug into the lighter socket in the car or a mains type plug in the shed on the back o the UTE
I average around 800 to 1000 kilometres a week and like to try to save fuel and cant stand the smell of exhaust of anykind espically sisnce i suffered carbonmonoxide poisioning a few years back fargen near killed me :eek:

[Bill Adams]

Hey Red,
I put together an inverter set up I like. The pickup truck size batery is in a tool box just big enough for it and the 1500 watt inverter bolted to the top with the cables through the top and a few other holes drilled for ventalation.
I was thinking of wireing it to the alternator, but would have to drill holes, run wire, fry something.
So I have this tool box size set up that I can work about a dosen or more horses (boxing, safeing, and drilling), then charge it over nite and I'm back in biz, when standard electrical in unavailable.
The box is portable to go camping or whatever.
My $0.02,
Bill

[Red Amor]

Ay Billy old kid
mate that sounds fairly flamein flash might well give that idear the mirrow treatment
tar mate ;)