2.8 m Mobile Food Trailer

The 2.8m mobile food trailer exists because the gap between 2.4 and 3.4 metres is where most operators actually sit. Four hundred millimetres more counter than the compact unit is enough for a griddle alongside the burners, or an espresso machine alongside a prep space, without stepping up to a body that needs a heavier tow vehicle and a bigger pitch. It is the size to buy when the compact unit is cramping the menu but the commercial unit is more trailer than the trade justifies.

Build and construction

Fully galvanised steel ladder frame under 1.6 mm Chromadek panels, with an aluminium checker plate anti-slip floor. Galvanising is the right call on a unit washed down daily, because a painted frame under a wet floor corrodes from underneath where nobody inspects. The serving hatch is a single large lockable panel on gas struts, doubling as an awning. Entry is through a lockable steel door with a non-slip step, which the 2.4 m unit does not have. Towing is on a 50 mm ball hitch with safety chains.

Key features

• Extended 2.8 m stainless work surface — one continuous run, enough for a griddle and burners side by side rather than swapping equipment mid-service.
• Flat-top griddle mounting point included — fitted at build, so adding a griddle is a connection rather than cutting into a finished counter.
• 2 to 3 burner gas piping points — more cooking positions than the compact unit without the fryer-scale pipework of the commercial ones.
• 100 L fresh and 100 L waste tanks — both larger than the 2.4 m unit, and matched so neither becomes the thing that stops trading first.
• Exhaust fan mounting point included — the passive roof vent handles ordinary heat, and the fan point is there for when a griddle goes in.
• Three 220 V plug points — enough for a fridge, lighting and a card machine at once.
• Overhead shelf plus under-counter cupboards — dry stock up, heavy stock down, which keeps one person from crossing the unit mid-service.
• Manual foot pump with electric upgrade available — the manual pump has nothing to fail; the upgrade is there if you want pressure.

2.8m mobile food trailer specification

Applications

Grill and burger trading, mobile coffee and bakery, boerewors roll and pap-en-vleis operations, weekend markets, sports club and school catering, festival pitches, and corporate function work. It is also a common second unit for an operator who already runs a compact trailer and wants to cover two pitches on the same weekend.

Compliance and legal

At 1 500 kg GVM this is a braked, registered and licensed trailer. Confirm your tow vehicle rated braked towing capacity and tow bar rating, because both cap the combination independently of the trailer rating. Trading requires a municipal Certificate of Acceptability issued against the unit and your operating procedures. Gas must be commissioned by a registered LP gas installer with a Certificate of Conformity issued, and your municipality will ask for it. Tare mass is not published by the supplier and is required for licensing.

What is included

• Trailer fitted as specified above
• Gas piping points and griddle mounting point, unconnected
• 100 L fresh and 100 L waste tanks with foot pump
• Exhaust fan mounting point, fan not fitted
• LED lighting, interior and exterior

Optional extras

• Gas burner or fryer installation
• Under-counter fridge installation
• Electric water pump upgrade
• Additional plug points or a DB box
• Custom wrap and signage
• Colour: white, red, silver or custom

Delivery

More on how we get it to you is on the delivery page, cover is set out under warranty, and you can compare it against the Compact Food Trailers range, the 2.4 m unit or the 3.4 m unit. To price it up, request a quote.

Delivered nationwide from Hartswater and cross-border on request. Free nationwide delivery applies with code TSA26. Tell us your menu and your pitch and we will tell you honestly whether 2.8 m is the right step or whether you should go straight to the commercial unit.