MOBILE: Flatbed vs. trailer?

[Qualitywelding]

Hello, I'm a senior in highschool i've had a side welding buisness for about 3 years now and i want to start expanding out and do more mobile trips, I have all the equipment i need to do mobile- bobcat 250, oxy/act, air compresser, miller 625 plasma cutter and hand tools, ect.. I currently have a f-250 with a rotting bed on it but i am also building a trailer for my senior project for school i've herd it is safer to put your equipment on your truck but i want to put my trailer to use. I don't mind doing either or maybe i could use the trailer for hauling steel and use the truck as a welding rig only. Comments and ideas please!!!

[kvwall]

I have my Trailblazer 302 in my truck. It's great for going to San Francisco and other placed where parking is nonexistent. But sometimes I wish it was in a trailer so I can load my motorcycles up in the truck again.

[jessp]

Mount everything on a skid. That's what I've done for better than 40 years. I like to have a pickup when I need it. 5-10 minutes, a come-a-long and a overhead hoist setup.

[Qualitywelding]

Mount everything on a skid. That's what I've done for better than 40 years. I like to have a pickup when I need it. 5-10 minutes, a come-a-long and a overhead hoist setup.

good idea i have a skidsteer i could use to load and unload

[Rezeppa]

Agree on the skid if not a permanent welding rig. Putting a mobile skid together it is the only way to do it.

[MMW]

If using the truck & it is a single rear wheel be careful as it can be easily over weight especially if you build a heavy flatbed or skid.

[Country Metals]

Welder + fuel (700 lbs), leads (75 lbs [length?] ), welding rod (25), grinders (25 lbs), torch set-up (200 lbs), hand tools (50 lbs), compressor small (75 lbs)

About 1200 lbs without the steel for the job, plus skid. That can get heavy but it isn't too bad. If you make a custom bed for your truck, you will add a lot more weight then the OEM bed. This will add even more weight to the springs.

If you are doing this as a "side business" and mainly weekends, I would do a skid mount in the truck. Trailers are great but that is best when you need lots of tooling with a smaller truck. I suggest getting helper springs or even add another leaf.

[dzlweld]

My welding rig doubles as my fam-mobile so to i use an 18 ft trailer for most mobile, but there have been times ive had move the tb to the truck because i wasn't able to get 38 ft of truck and trailer into a jobsite. When i can afford a work only rig ill go truck mount. And you will always need more storage space so trailer has benefits
-Steve

[Sberry]

If I was working regular mount as much equipment in the truck as practical, invest in a Maxstar type unit to toss behind the seat and small skid the welder for when I absolutely had to have it. I woud tend to want to rig this up for a common pickup, the Ford is likely has rotted out cross members in the box (can stick sign posts beside the old ones, ha) but truck changes are no big deal if you make some stuff standard.

[Sberry]

The 80 cf will mount with LP tank for cut weld on one skid for a pickup.