I have seen some guys on here that have a platform on the fenderwell of their tandem trailers where they mount their hose reels. I really like the idea and was wondering if anyone had some detailed pictures of how they did it?
I picked up a stainless steel table from a local restaurant that has some damage to the leg mounts and I have considered using it to make something similar but I am not sure on the thickness or if it will be sturdy enough.
Any help is greatly appreciated!
I don’t think that stainless is thick enough to help much. It’s probably only 18 gauge or so. If you’re thinking about a piece of plate bolted through the angle frame of the trailer and the fender I would use at least 3/16" but maybe even a 1/4". That’s just adding more weight to the trailer so angle may be a better option. I wouldn’t rely on the thickness of the fender alone for much of any support.
I mounted one right in front of the fender and one right behind because I wanted to use the fender as a mini workbench. In the picture you can see that the frame doesn’t stick out nearly as far as the fender. After mounting the reel it’s only a few inches away from the edge of the fender though. If you’re all the way on the fender I think the reel will stick out too far. You could probably get away with half on the fender and half off but I would use some flat bar as some backing material on the underside of the fender for the bolt holes to help stiffen things a bit. I would then use some angle for the other two mounting holes. I tend to overbuild things though.
Ah, now we’re talking. I would imagine that I will need to measure my reels and see how far they would protrude but I really like this. Thanks @marinegrunt!
No problem. I’ll try and measure here soon but I think my reels ended up about 3"-4" from the edge of the fender. I’m not sure what the laws are on something sticking out past the side of a trailer but when I was picturing the layout in my head I kept seeing some moron driving down the road, playing Candy Crush on their phone, swinging over, and bashing my reels.
Here’s somewhat of a side pic so you can kind of see how close the reel is to the edge. I probably could’ve went a couple inches closer but wanted plenty of clearance.
That looks great. I may choose to wait to do this until I have nicer reels that will last. I’m not real impressed with the quality of the Cox or the General reel I have. What reels do you have?
I have Hannay reels. IBS said he’s tried them all and Hannay last the longest. The best price I could find was sprayer depot. They don’t list all models online (there are a bunch) but they can get any reel you want. Free shipping too.
Yes, I just read IBS’s sentiments on reels and it looks like the Hannay reels are his only option. Are yours aluminum or PC?
I’m pretty sure they’re just painted. I have heard the biggest complaint is the coating coming off. That part didn’t bother me so much if they’re a good reel. I just figured we have a long enough winter I don’t mind touching them up a bit if need be. I wonder if the aluminum reels would have much of an issue with sh since it corrodes so easily. Titan has a stainless reel but I think they’re over $550. I think the Hannay were $250 each but I added the super swivel which was $50 more. I know some people don’t plumb their hose through the real in order to help with flow. I decided to go with a 1" inlet and 3/4" outlet in hopes of helping flow if I used them as they’re suppose to be used and I do.
You can’t go wrong with theTitans. Just about everyone I know who is serious has titan reels, at least here in the South, because they’re pretty much impervious to SH. Hannay makes a great reel but about the only place you see them used anywhere around here is on lawn treatment trucks. But pesticides not nearly as corrosive.
When my electric hannays die I’m probably going with titan due to weight. From what I’ve read they’re lighter and like you said they seem to hold up better with SH
That sounds amazing. The GP reel I have now has already started to show signs of abuse and rust. I would like to upgrade before too long but I still need to build on a rack and get my website operational first. I may just ride this one until it fails and then bite the bullet and buy first class. Whatever that may be.
I still can’t convince myself that I need electric reels but I’ve never used them so I’m sure I’m missing out on the party. Does Titan also offer that? I’ve also considered mounting the reels upside down on the trailer rack I plan to have built on but I’ve heard that can be really awkward and tiresome. The old fashioned way doesn’t necessarily bother me but I haven’t logged any 14 hour days doing this for myself yet.
Titan make powered reels too. Nice equipment 
Once you use them you’ll be hooked. Just watch your hands. On my bimonthly and Quarterly commercial jobs I roll and unroll about 7 to 8 times a night so I enjoy electric.
