Thoughts on horse/stock trailer for tool storage/workshop?

[ObnoxiousFumes]

Hi folks.

I will be moving soon, to a place with no garage, and I will no longer be able to use my Dad’s shop to house my tools, so I was looking for a cargo/enclosed trailer.
Not having Facebook (everyone is on Marketplace I guess?), it seems it’s not super easy to find a decent used one, but I saw a nice horse trailer for sale and that got me thinking, as long as it’s weatherproof enough, that should work just as well and may be a little cheaper.
Anyone have any experience on that? Any downsides?
I did some Googling but not much comes up, one thread on the Grassroots Motorsports was all I really found on the topic and everyone was concerned about the smell, but I grew up on a farm, I ain’t worried about smell lol.

Thanks
Jude

 

[jblnut]

Never used a stock trailer as a workshop but I've used mine as much as an enclosed trailer as in have to haul cattle. I like to hose it out when I'm done with it so it stays cleaner anyway so it's usually fairly poo free in there.

I've seen a few stock trailers setup as mobile shops around here used by construction guys and fab guys. They are built way better than most similar sized enclosed trailers that's for sure. The guy that built my shop and cattle barns just purchased a brand new aluminum horse trailer to use as a job site trailer. He had it custom built without the horse/cattle stuff in it and had them put a small kitchen and bathroom in the front. I've seen it and it's definitely the Cadillac of job site trailers !!

 

[denis4x4]

I've seen more than a few horse trailers set up as mobile workshops. Best bet is a fifth wheel as there is more storage above the hitch. Horse pee is very corrosive....check around the edges to make sure that the wall/floor connections are sound.

 

[Rst277]

If you're using it for storage, take the wheels off and hide them. That would be an easy for a thief to steal all your tools at once!

 

[charbar]

I don't see any reason why it wouldn't work as long as you can get it weatherproof enough for your liking.

 

[Fav Onefour]

It can certainly work well.
There is an incredible variety in "horse trailers".
Are you talking about horse condo or a fence on wheels?
Some of those all aluminum condo versions are pretty incredible and hardly used. Pricing is all over the place. Unfortunately, they were dang expensive initially. A smart seller will try to recoup that cost. There is also the hobby farmer version that just keeps throwing money out the gate. Some of those trailers hit the market just because of age and lack of new goodies. Barely used and solid are fantastic options for a buyer.

If you find one that is actually used a lot, manure is hard on trailers. A lot of these trailers also live on gravel roads. How the owner manages those factors is a huge deal. I've seen some that were clean two times in their life. Delivery day and sale day.
I've been around stock trailers my whole life. (Horse trailers, are just fancy upgrades with amenities.) The floors and corners go first. I wouldn't bother thinking about one that isn't structurally clean in those areas. There is way too much tied to those key points.

 

[ObnoxiousFumes]

Are you talking about horse condo or a fence on wheels?

Some of those trailers hit the market just because of age and lack of new goodies. Barely used and solid are fantastic options for a buyer.

That’s what I was thinking, hopefully can find one that hasn’t been used to hard.
The one that started this thought process was a 4 horse gooseneck with small kitchenette and a bunk in the neck. Not that I really need all that, but it might be handy to have that separate space.
Will definitely check it over very well first, like you and @denis4x4 mentioned, floor rot is a problem.
@Rst277 good point on taking wheels off; whatever I end up getting, there’ll be anti theft measures taken.

Thanks for all the thoughts guys, I’ll be doing some thinking on this for sure.

 

[whateg01]

As mentioned, stock trailers are usually built tough. But they often don't seal up very well. For tools, depending on the climate there, that could be a problem. No worse, I suppose than a lot of the uninsulated, un heated garages a lot of us use, but all things being equal, sealed up and dry is better than not. And tbf, a lot of normal enclosed trailers suffer the same rot issues. It's not so much the manure that's hard on them. It's the urine that runs into all the seams and then sits in the frame or between the frame and the floor.

 

[Kpaige]

It will work just fine. Probably have to seal it up some depending on design open windows etc. one thing is if you plan on towing it often if at all it’s a much heavier trailer good thing it’s lower to the ground for easy access!

 

[liliysdad]

Why not just get Facebook for a while....???

 

[AC-WC]

Good plan but let me tell you a brief story one of my barber's customer's told him and barber told me as I was looking for horse trailer for mom. Customer was riding his motorcycle and kept getting flecks of what later turned out to be flesh/meat. Soon caught up to the issue. Someone was hauling horses, floor gave out and the horses were getting ground away down the highway. They were waiting on the sheriff to come to put them down.
Moral is make sure the cross ties and underneath structures are SOLID. I've seen trailer places paint the topside and make it look pretty, looked underneath and it was garbage.

I like the removing the wheels comment.

 

[ObnoxiousFumes]

Good plan but let me tell you a brief story one of my barber's customer's told him and barber told me as I was looking for horse trailer for mom. Customer was riding his motorcycle and kept getting flecks of what later turned out to be flesh/meat. Soon caught up to the issue. Someone was hauling horses, floor gave out and the horses were getting ground away down the highway. They were waiting on the sheriff to come to put them down.
Moral is make sure the cross ties and underneath structures are SOLID. I've seen trailer places paint the topside and make it look pretty, looked underneath and it was garbage.

I like the removing the wheels comment.

Oooh that’s nasty!
And good point, I’ll make sure to check inside and out.

Why not just get Facebook for a while....???

Well, I’m really not into social media, in fact I had Instagram once and it wasted so much of my life I had to quit. So this here and one other car forum is the extent of my social media now lol.
Anyhow, I asked my buddy to check and there isn’t much for sale on FB either.

 

[Mr.N]

Oooh that’s nasty!
And good point, I’ll make sure to check inside and out.

Well, I’m really not into social media, in fact I had Instagram once and it wasted so much of my life I had to quit. So this here and one other car forum is the extent of my social media now lol.
Anyhow, I asked my buddy to check and there isn’t much for sale on FB either.

Check the auction sites. Horse/stock trailer get in crashes too and you can save money if you've the time, tools and know how.

 

[johninct]

I know a guy that made a Mobil shop out of a horse trailer and it worked out pretty good. He installed a brand new Miller welder/ generator and an air compressor. I think he installed a vise on a fender. He then could repair his equipment in the field. People would leave it alone because they thought it was an old horse trailer.