3.4m Mobile Food Trailer

The 3.4m mobile food trailer is the classic South African trading trailer: long enough for a proper service counter and a full work run, light enough to be towed by a bakkie and manoeuvred by hand into a market stand. It is the model we build most often for roadside vendors, township kitchens and event traders who need a single, self-contained unit that can be on site and serving within half an hour.

The defining feature is the large front serving window. It opens up on gas struts and folds out into an awning, and the stainless serving shelf beneath it gives you a full metre of customer-facing counter - enough for a till, a card machine, packaging and two or three serving trays. The window is deliberately wide so customers are served at a fixed point rather than drifting along the side of the trailer.

Behind the counter, the interior is laid out as a working kitchen rather than a storage box. A stainless work run runs the length of the service wall, an equipment bay takes a chest freezer or under-counter fridge, and gas and electrical points can be positioned to suit a fryer, griddle, warming unit or coffee machine. A side entry door keeps the service area clear of staff traffic, and overhead shelving takes packaging and stock out of the working zone.

The body is an insulated enclosed shell on a welded chassis, finished in bright colours - yellow and green are the most common - or in your own corporate colour. Insulation keeps the units cooler in summer, deadens road noise and stabilises internal temperature, which matters when you are running fridges or holding hot food.

Running gear is a single braked axle on leaf springs, which keeps the trailer light and simple to maintain. It tows behind a 1.6 to 2.0 litre vehicle without hesitation and can be pushed into position by two people on flat ground.

Typical fits on this platform include chip shops, chicken-and-chips outlets, shisanyama and braai trailers, rotisserie units and general fast-food kitchens.