Tradesman Trailer (Model 71001)

Model 71001 is an 8x5 dual-axle tradesman trailer with a fully welded, hot-dipped galvanised frame and a 900 mm marine-grade aluminium canopy: a working trailer that carries tools, stock, ladders and conduit inside a sealed, lockable canopy rather than under a tarpaulin in the rain.

The canopy is what makes it a tradesman rather than a box trailer. It is built from 5052 marine-grade checker plate - high-density aluminium that does not rust - sealed with rubber throughout so it is water and dust proof, and fitted with heavy-duty T-locks and 3-way opening doors so you can get to your tools from the side or the back of the trailer without unloading everything to reach one item. Twin ladder racks on top carry up to 100 kg of conduit, pipe, ladders or stock lengths, which keeps long material out of the load space and away from customers.

Underneath, the trailer is built for a working life: a fully welded hot-dipped galvanised frame including the inside of the rail, a 300 mm deep side, a checker plate floor that takes dropped tools and metal offcuts, a lie-down rail all round for straps, and an 1 800 mm drawbar that keeps the trailer stable loaded. The running gear uses brand new 14 inch Sunraysia rims and light-truck tyres, and wheel nut indicators are fitted so a loosening wheel is visible before it becomes a problem.

It ships with a free jockey wheel and a 12-month structural warranty on the chassis and bodywork, and it tows behind a normal bakkie or SUV - the practical combination for plumbers, electricians, builders, air-conditioning and security installers, and anyone who carries a van's worth of tools and stock every day.

If you are choosing between a bakkie canopy and a tradesman trailer, the trailer wins on one point: your bakkie stays a bakkie, and the tools stay loaded, locked and ready for the next job.