FOOD TRUCKS VS. FOOD TRAILERS
This is the age old question that I get quite often. As you know we not only build my custom designed carts but also have retrofit many food trucks.Ultimately, there are many variables that may shape your decision but I will address the pro's and cons from a professional standpoint. And yes I am biased, :)....
Size
This is where the second biggest miconception is whenever we do a truck build. Most people will think a 19 foot Food Truck to be larger than a 6x12 food trailer but they are wrong. A box truck actually has lower ceilings, tire wells and the actual partition is set about 3ft into the rear cabin. Also box trucks require you to build off the walls and the ceiling to mount the wall panels. Even though 4 inchs of width may seem small, in a small confined space is HUGE. It can be the difference between having a piece of equipment fit. A 6x12 trailer is built as a box and all the space can be used as opposed to a truck. The clear winner here is TRAILER
The biggest falsehood of starting a food truck is that it can be done properly on a shoe- string budget. Most hopeful business owners think that it will be simple to basically cut up a truck and soon sling their food to customers. Because of such they purchase a used truck first and spend the majority of the budget. This is generally not the greatest idea unless you are a mechanic(which I am) because the deals usually disappear with repairs needed. Secondly to get the same fit and finish you have to do alot more labor, and its specialized labor. Most trucks have membrane roofs and aluminum joists which in layman terms means you have to add support to the ceiling and build it out. Also cutting the windows out isn't simple like a trailer and requires heavy duty tools and labor, plus the framing. Truck builds are much more expensive, and most people honestly run out of money because of such. Trailer builds are so much better cost wise, its not even close. Clear winner is TRAILER