Coffee Trailer Maintenance: Winterize Your Trailer

Coffee Trailer Maintenance:

Winterize Your Trailer

Winter weather can be harsh on our skin, homes, and coffee trailers!

In fact, one of the biggest challenges for mobile coffee operators is keeping our rig in top shape through harsh winters.

If you live in San Diego, El Paso, or Miami, you might not have a problem, but for those of us living north of Los Angeles (or any place it gets cold), you will want to take steps to winterize your coffee trailer.

Caring for your coffee trailer during the harshest weather elements will help protect your mobile coffee investment, extend your trailer's life, reduce repairs, ensure smooth operations, and avoid replacement costs.

Each coffee trailer likely has unique features that need to be addressed before winter, so you’ll want to address those. If you plan to utilize your coffee trailer this winter and sell coffee, you may consider other similar actions during the harshest days and nights.

Further Reading: How to Start a Coffee Truck

Winterize Your Coffee Trailer Business

You've likely invested a lot of time, money, and heart into starting your coffee trailer business. It's no surprise that you'll want to protect that investment. Here are a few tips and considerations for winterizing your coffee trailer to think about as we head into winter this year.

Your Coffee Trailer Plumbing

Water can kill your coffee trailer’s plumbing system and equipment if they are left to sit and freeze all winter. Since each piece of equipment may be different, I won't go into detail about the steps. Instead, you’ll want to follow the manufacturer’s tips and recommendations on draining each piece of equipment.

Drain and Flush the Water System: Empty your fresh, gray water tank completely. Any water left in your lines can freeze and burst them open, causing major damage and costly repairs.

You may also drain any water in your filters or connecting lines. These lines are easy to forget about, especially if they are under the counters, so be sure to go through each line one at a time and ensure they are empty.

Insulate Pipes and Lines:

Extreme cold can damage your PVC and ABS pipes and waterlines. I recommend insulating them with heat tape or foam pipe insulation whenever possible. This is a relatively inexpensive way to protect your pipes all year round, especially during winter.

Securing Your Mobile Coffee Equipment

Draining the water from your coffee equipment is especially important if you won’t use it for the winter. Every espresso machine has its own drain line and can drain water. This will help prevent any internal damage due to freezing.

You should remove and clean any portafilters, tampers, scales, or other miscellaneous equipment before storing it in a cool, dry place for the winter. Choosing an espresso machine for your coffee trailer is an important and expensive step. Protecting your investment will key be to financial sustain your business.

Coffee Truck Refrigeration Units:

It doesn’t make much sense to remove your fridge or ice machines from your unit during the winter months. However, defrosting and unplugging refrigerators, freezers, and coolers will be essential.

You may open a vent periodically to prevent mold or mildew or utilize moisture-absorbing kits.

Battery Maintenance:

To extend the life of your batteries, disconnect them to avoid draining and store them in a warm, dry place. Charge them fully before storage, and consider a trickle charger.

Batteries can get expensive, so ideally, you want to extend their life by removing them altogether from your coffee trailer and storing them properly.

Sealing and Insulating Your Coffee Trailer

It’s always a good time to inspect and seal any gaps. For example, you might want to check for and seal any gaps around windows, doors, and joints to prevent drafts.

Additionally, I like to regularly check the roof of my trailer, inspect for any tears or worn roofing material, and see if anything might warrant attention. If you see any problems, you’ll want to address them immediately and earlier in the season while you still have good weather.

Further Reading: How to Start a Coffee Truck

Protect Your Coffee Trailer Business This Winter

Add Weatherproof Insulation:

Depending on the severity of your winters, you might also want to cover coffee equipment with insulation or thermal blankets. Depending on your setup, thermal blankets may help to retain some warmth.

Storing Supplies and Consumables

I also strongly recommend removing perishables or ingredients that can freeze or attract bugs or rodents. This includes syrup bottles, condiments, sugar, or other packages.

I also store my paper products, such as napkins, cups, and sleeves, in plastic totes, seal them, and remove them from the trailer. This prevents bugs or moisture from ruining them.

Electrical and Heating Needs

It is always good to inspect external power sources and cables for wear, damage, or repairs. Consider protecting exterior outlets from snow or rain and taking the necessary steps to avoid the harsh weather elements.

Utilizing a Tent or Covering

Some of you may use a tent to protect your trailer from the elements or cover it. I think this is a great idea if you can utilize a tent or trailer covering. I prefer using a tent because I like the ability to go in and out of my trailer without having to remove a portion of the covering.

Addressing Pests and Rodents

Rats and mice love to find parked vehicles and make nests. In doing so, they often chew through wiring and wood and leave excrement everywhere. I don’t think it is enough to simply seal up your trailer. I think having traps or bait traps will prevent unnecessary visitors.

Add a Reliable Heating Solution:

Consider safe heating options, like oil radiators or electric heaters, to keep your trailer warm during the coldest nights. In Washington, it is easy for temperatures to dip into the 20s in February. Consider safe heating options that can help save your coffee trailer during these times.

Maintaining Exterior and Tires:

Trailer tires can be expensive. I recommend weatherproof tire covers to protect the exterior of your tires from snow, ice, and salt. Additionally, you will want to keep the area around your stationary coffee trailer clear of leaves, salt, or debris that can easily be collected around parked vehicles.

I also recommend utilizing four jacks to stabilize your coffee trailer. Not only is this better for the life and condition of your tires, but also makes your trailer more stable during wind gusts and storms.

If possible, consider parking on flat, wooden boards to prevent your trailer from freezing to the ground.

Conclusion

Properly winterizing your coffee trailer can help you avoid costly repairs and ensure smooth business operation when you fire things back up again in the Spring.

While some costs aren’t avoidable, maintaining your trailer can be relatively affordable.

Additional Questions:

How Much Does It Cost to Start a Coffee Trailer?

Starting a coffee trailer varies in cost depending on what type of unit you want, how you obtain it, and its equipment. Additionally, your trailer costs could be lower if you refurbish it yourself, though this could take considerable time, materials, and tools. Additionally, the availability of a coffee trailer, depending on where you live, would likely impact the initial investment costs. We dive deeper into the cost of a trailer in our article, How Much Does a Coffee Truck Cost?

Is Running a Coffee Truck Hard?

Starting a coffee truck or coffee trailer can be an incredible experience. It can also be very profitable too. However, there are some challenges that it's important you understand before jumping into the mobile coffee scene. In our recent article, Is Starting a Coffee Truck Hard?, we delve into the challenges it takes to run a successful coffee truck.

What Should You Know Before Refurbishing a Coffee Trailer?

Building out your own coffee trailer can be extremely worthwhile and profitable, however, it can be challenging and the wrong idea for some people. In our article, Things You Should Know Before Refurbishing Your Coffee Trailer, we highlight some essential points to consider.

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