Help me build a giant Tool Box on WHEELS for my Kubota and many other projects.

[coachgeo]

Purchased an 18 foot flat bed Tandem axle trailer with pintle hitch. No deck installed. Wheels BELOW deck height. Will be pulling it when needed with an LMTV1078 (soon to have Ambulance box on it creating an expo camper of sorts)

So I've not had a garage since Gulp.. 2004. Had that about 2 years. Before that........ never had a garage... not even as a kid. Had a 20foot container for a while I sorta planned for use as a shop butttt the economy tanked... and life crashed. Moved and had to leave it behind.

Anyway all along I've collected and inherited tools... used them in my Jeep or Unimog with onboard air or air tank etc. Wood tools, mechanic tools etc.. Right now they are stuffed into a 6x10 shed space haphazardly along with Mower, books, stuff and a motorcycle (for sell Yamaha XT550... replaced it with KLR Diesel non military)

So now.. life has grown back to near normal.. a shop is in future..But DISTANT FUTURE.. till then...... above trailer will get a 12 foot moving box on it as the "Tool Habitat".

Help me set it up ye masters of all things "Shop" Here is some points in decision making

. Live in Southern OH.. there is snow but not much.
. Ground here SUCKS. Lot of clay-ish material, Gets muddy. Things sink in when sitting. Tires spin on grass and slippy terrafirma below.
. Plan to install poor mans awnings (Tarp made) wth screen and/or tarp walls as well.
.... Set up like a camper. Put out awning with or without screen/tarp walled room when doing projects outside. Fold away when not. Lots of citronella candles to fight Mosquitoes.
.... one Screen Tarp room will go off back over what ever remaining portion of bed exist (that area to get decked) and other off passenger side to work under. This side one goes all way to ground level .
.... did you know they make stick on zippers you can make door openings with in Tarps. Will use these.
. 99% of all work will be outside under tarp or sun. Tool Habitat is pretty much only big enough to organize the tools for semi easy access except maybe grinder, drill press, Vise.

. Plan to build Shipping container shop in 2 years or so. Either two Containers and roof between along with big sliding barn doors on each end...
..... or one container; with open side having pole barn walls (and a door?). Again sliding Barn doors both ends.

. Thought is to park this tool Habitat as tight to far end of above as possible if go two container shop.. or on walled side if just one container. Appropriate doors installed to keeps access to tools in habitat.
. Tools storage always in Tool Habitat on trailer rather garage/shop is built or not.
.... Won't have to dedicate as much of the garage/shop floor space to tool storage is one thought behind that. As well as:
....... will allow me to be mobile to rescue my own Fubared car or Motorcycle, Kubota tractor etc.
....... will allow me to be mobile with tools to pay back the world for all the help others have given me over the years. And for remodeling at my job which seems to happen yearly. Will help me remain a valuable asset to the company. AKA...... job security

. Box (tool habitat) going on trailer has doors in back like a shipping container.
. Here is the kicker...... this Habitat on passenger side has more doors like a shipping container as well...... the whole side opens up. pretty much all 12 feet of it. They are two near 6 foot doors but each is hinged in middle as well
.... awesome.... but is it?

kinda like this one.... with two full set of doors instead of three and no cab over portion.

........ would mean only one wall; driver side, can be dedicated to storage, permanent shop tables etc. without blocking some or all of a door.
........ arranged mostly on one side would put the whole thing heavy on one side if minimally block doors. hmmm... not good?
........ will help a little by putting the 5000 watt 110/220v air cooled diesel GenSet and Medium size Air compressor on tongue. (non silent type so will need "silencing")
....... GenSet removable so can be installed on Expo Truck as well. Multi purpose fits my budget best.

Things to put in Tool Habitat.

...... Drill press (harbor Freight like) Got 220V wire feed welder. Air tools, 110v tools ... no table saw yet. tons of miscellaneous nuts and bolts and other hardware etc. halogen Shop lights, one cheap ass tool drawer cabinet. multitude of metric and SAE wrenches, left / right hand screw drivers, hex and stars drivers, Ornamental Tube bender, Pipe Bender (that weighs a ton) etc etc etc.



Sooooooo. what do you thimk?

? What doors to block (or not)
? mount box full to rear or full to front... or leave some extra space in front or? (Yeah weight distribution is part of this)
? best use of space? what tools near what? what can be in a cabinet and what should always be accessible etc.
? ideas of storing nuts and bolts organized... and not bouncing out all over the floor while in transport etc.


NOTE: Here is the suggestions thus far. Post up your additions

. Lock away the hitch
. Crane and ramp(s)
. Tie it or bolt everything down
. When going to be working off site plan to load my motorcycle too so can easily run for parts.
. Paint floors light color to reflect light
. Non slippery floor coating?
. Maybe Bed liner or similar so it can be hosed out.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Re: Help me build a shop ON WHEELS for my Kubota and many other projects.

Quite a plan. I thought about a similar thing years ago, using a school bus. Pull out shelter at rear, folding stairs and a lot of lighting. Bench full length, locking drawers with dividers in a couple for hardware. Vise on a reciever that can be used anywhere a 2" tube mount is welded. Reels for air , power and lighting. Bench and hand tools on one wall,equipment and supplies on other. Generator on a slide, opposite of exterior work area, hidden half into floor and tucked in behind workbench. Plan a couple heat sources, tiny woodstove for quiet time work or a cheap heat source. Good place to burn off cardboard type shop waste.
Motorhome/camper fridge stove and sink are a must. Most of this is buildable or found easily if you are a bargain hunter.
Now that i have been working at home going on 3 years, not a hope i would consider mobile work.

Its a great plan, hope to see it move forward. Dont know if you have ever set foot in a snap on truck,imagine shock cord threaded through pegboard to hold tools. A lot of tools....

Pins welded to hang box end wrenches and a bungee stretched across to hold them.

 

[coachgeo]

Re: Help me build a shop ON WHEELS for my Kubota and many other projects.

Shop on wheels BAD NAME for thread. Will change ask moderator to change it

Think of it more like.... big tool box you can tow. Shop area would be tent/awnings off the side of it like a weekend race trailer.

Here is what others at Pirate4x4 has said

(your an idiot, stupid idea, waste of time... typical Pirate)

. You will not be able to park on street. (... not an issue in my surroundings)

Update.... rest of this list moved to the bottom of the opening post and will keep updating it as others make recommendations

 

[Tooljunkie]

Mobile repair facility. I need to come up with a cart, three buildings i work in and carry tools back and forth. The second set of tools is coming in handy but i still end up with main shop tools spread about. I use a wheeler and a crate to lug stuff back when im done. Helps.

The way i look at your project is if thats what suits your need, then go with it. Needs to be secure, and unable to be towed away.

 

[Yooper]

Couple of thoughts, Coach. Instead of awnings I'd go with an EZ up. Used one back in the racing days and they were the cats' meow.

Check out some HF tool boxes that can serve as storage and a work bench. I put 5 of these together like you see under my little lathe on a platform to allow for a toe kick. Obviously, no wheels and anchored to your floor and lock them up for going down the road. More forward the better for less bouncing around.

 

[Lil Foot]

Years ago when I first built Lil Foot, (1st pic) I went to the dunes (Buttercup) for some testing. Somehow I used a crappy grade 3/8-16 bolt instead of a Grade 8, and it sheared off. (2nd pic) I tried everything I could to get it out, but had no luck & was about to head home, when someone said I should go talk to a guy with a semi rig camped nearby. He had converted his semi trailer to a combo toy hauler/machine shop, and slept in the sleeper. He had a huge selection of tools, (4 rollaways, if I remember) a full size drill press, Bridgeport mill, 10x24 Atlas lathe, hydraulic press, and assorted other tools. We talked awhile, and he graciously allowed me to use the mill & assorted tooling to remove my sheared bolt. He then had a kids wagon FULL of assorted bolts, nuts, washers, etc. where I found a replacement bolt. He would not take any payment- but said to put some beer money in the tip jar on my way out. I had $80 on me, so it went in the tip jar. (after all, he had saved my trip)
My point in all this is that he had minimal lighting in the trailer- a few translucent skylights & a couple of 60w bulbs. As I get older, I find I need more & more light to see well, so I would plan for KILLER lighting inside for those times you must work inside, or maybe just search for a tool.

 

[skeets]

I cant help you with how to set it up, but I will agree with the lighting. I know the mine rescue vans and trailers had lighting that was,, ahhhh ,, sucky at best, you would think the Govt would do better. Anyway last time I was involved with MERD they had some LEDs' in one of the trailers used for communications, hully shyt did that make a difference

SAMS has 4 foot 110 volt double row LED, shop type fixtures, ( ya need an inverter or maybe find some for 12 volt) for like 35 bucks.
I put 2 of them in the basement , I found stuff on the floor I didnt know I lost, thats how much more light that put out

 

[RCW]

Coach - having trouble visualizing, but box truck pic helps a lot.

Like Yooper said - multi-function is big. Either cheapie tool boxes, re-purposed used kitchen cabinets, or homemade wooden cabinets with a work surface on top on the side opposite the side doors? (I got rid of a whole kitchen-worth of cabinets free on the side of the road)

How are you going to get 110/220v to it? Generator? Wire feed from a house? Put a regular subpanel in it and wire it like anyone would do a home shop. Make a cord to plug/connect generator to subpanel. (Caution - I don't know how grounding works with something mobile set up like this??)

Keep welder near a door, with enough ground and torch cords to weld outside in your tarp enclosure. Also - I researched running a welder off a genny several years ago - there is concern that the voltage and/or amperage produced by the genny might not be suitable for a welder. Some genny's are better than others, but don't recall the right terminology or specifics.

Another thought for power AND welding would be a engine driven portable welder; could weld and power the Habitat......

Final thought - I would move the box to the front of the trailer, leaving room to open the back doors over the new decking, and also maybe allowing some work room directly behind the Tool Habitat.

 

[coachgeo]

Great stuff... thanks everyone. Keep it coming.

 

[coachgeo]

any other insights to offer.

 

[Yooper]

Maybe paint the floor a light color to reflect more light?

 

[Tooljunkie]

Tool habitat, i like that. Where all the tools hang out.

 

[coachgeo]

Maybe paint the floor a light color to reflect more light?

and help you find that damn little lock washer you just dropped. Sweet like it.

Not that there will be room in there to work...... but things will get spilled. Slippery things.. what should one mix with the paint.. or anyone suggest a particular kind of paint (truck bed liner?) to help prevent slips.. heck why not make it where I can just hose it out.

PS- will keep updating the first post with suggestions that have been offered.

 

[RCW]

Along the floor paint thought- they add sand to steps to make them non-skid.....
Honestly, coach, I think one, maybe both, of those side doors could be blocked off. I'm thinking your primary in/out will be the back.
If you were to block a side door, do the front one.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[G.rid]

A few thoughts:
-the floor, there's a diy box liner that can be tinted any colour. There's a grip additive too. Look up Als Liner. You could pick a bright colour, that's anti slip, and washable.

-gather all the tools together that you want to put in it. And start weighing. You'd be amazed how fast they add up. Make sure your trailer axles can handle it with room to spare, something else will always need to go in it. Or if there's a clear area on the back, that's an invitation to a pair of quads.

-the sidedoors, if most of your work will be beside the trailer. Think about mounting screwdrivers and wrenches on the lower portion of the doors. Then when they're open, they'll be within reach.

-a set if stairs big enough to walk with your hands full would be good also. I'm not sure how high it'll be, but I'm expecting you'll be using a deck over trailer. So that would need at least 3 steps.

Just ideas, take it or leave it. I won't be offended. Lol


Keep us posted and don't forget the pictures.

 

[Tooljunkie]

Actually, hanging stuff on the door adjacent to work area isnt a bad idea. I would incorporate a sliding track to raise it to working height in tool habitat.

Keep in mind,up and down steps can wear on a person. I do a lot of work requiring the use of a step of sorts, i really feel it at the end of the day.

 

[coachgeo]

Actually, hanging stuff on the door adjacent to work area isnt a bad idea. I would incorporate a sliding track to raise it to working height in tool habitat.

Keep in mind,up and down steps can wear on a person. I do a lot of work requiring the use of a step of sorts, i really feel it at the end of the day.

Was thinking a truck bed Jib Crane type for raise and lower. maybe one in each corner of side door so can swing in either way.

Understand about steps. think one RV step is all will be needed. Mostly will sit on deck then swing over and stand. Will use hoist or for most all lifting.

 

[G.rid]

This is way over the top but you might be able to pull ideas from it. Looks like it was a fire truck/trailer. Never seen one before!

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-heavy-equipment/bedford/5th-wheel-enclosed-trailer/1237231499

A smaller version but just as robust would be ex-ambulance bodies. I've come across quite a few of them lately with or without the rest of the van chassis. Lots of lockable storage that was designed for the highway.

 

[G.rid]

It's been awhile, is there any progress on your build yet? We'd love to see pictures

 

[coachgeo]

It's been awhile, is there any progress on your build yet? We'd love to see pictures

Finding it will be cheaper to buy a box someone has already lifted off or about to do so from their truck who is willing to set it down on my trailer. so might end up with different box than originally planning.

Other down fall is discovering the tires on trailer I bought HAVE to be replaced ASAP and they are oddball.... so that is another 500$ OUCHHHH. Was expecting that I could be used ones.... but nooooooooo.....