A Farm Shop On The Go

For the four Chambers men running Chambers Farms in Hamlin, Iowa, convenience was being compromised when they were using a service truck to haul their tools and supplies from field to field. In 2009, the farmers purchased an 8x16-foot trailer with a V-nose front and a rear ramp door to create a custom, on-the-go farm shop.

"The space and accessibility to everything is a lot better than climbing in the back of the truck where things got piled on top of each other," Matt Chambers says.

With some of their farms being around 50 miles apart, the shop trailer easily travels and can be hooked or unhooked without any inconvenience. It has heavier axles than a standard trailer to handle the weight of the shop supplies inside.

The trailer is wired with conduits to make lighting possible, as well as provide outlets throughout the trailer. The men fashioned lights that swing outside of the trailer's open doors to provide light outside if they are working into the night.

"A lot of times we'll leave it out in the field if we get a ways away and are leaving for the night. We lock it up, leave it in the field, and it's there the next day ready for us," Chambers says.

Having a V-nose trailer means additional space that a standard trailer doesn't take advantage of. The Chambers men fashioned a custom metal workbench that extends into the narrow v-nose, giving them additional space to work. The counter is built on top of a stainless Craftsman toolbox.

To make the most of their space, the men had to be picky when equipping the trailer for work. A fully stocked bolt bin, storage shelves housing large tools and oil, an air compressor and an oxy acetylene torch on reels with 50 foot hoses, a generator, a lockable cabinet with doors to keep a first aid kit and small tools safe, and a surprisingly spacious workbench were some of the features that made the cut.

The assortment of tools that live in the movable shop changes with the season, but the trailer is always stocked with full sets of sockets, drives in all sizes, and plenty of hammers and wrenches.

If the family was to create a farm shop in motion again, they would probably choose a slightly bigger trailer to allow them to haul one or two more pieces of equipment.