Small food trailers

Why you should consider a small trailer for your food truck business

If a regular 20ft trailer sounds like a lot of trailer and even $40k sounds like a lot of money – that’s because it is!

Then these small trailers might just be the perfect fit for you. Comparing the cost of setting up in a small food trailer vs. starting out in a tent or with a stall this one is a very minor risk to take for all the extra comfort and options it gives you over a stall, and it gets you started on the road to food trailer life that much sooner.

You can customize a TONNE of options on these trailers – they are available in any RAL color or as a fully stainless steel version and can be custom wrapped as well with any color or print design we can think of. Cute, convenient and budget friendly – Karpatia has some of the best small food trailer options out there for you.

Our small concession trailer options

Roundtop

As good a trailer as can be made for the price.

A cute, rounder trailer than usual models, that has picked up steam and popularity the past 5 years

Roundtop Pro

When put to extensive use there are a few wear and tear points on the Roundtop that the Pro model avoids by reinforcing the frame with extra stainless steel bodywork.

Box Trailer

Like a concession trailer – but smaller!

Box type Small Concession Trailers are a popular US option.

Also available to EU customers.

Basic Roundtop Small Food Trailers

Starting at 7’3” (2.2m) model and stretching up to a still modest 9’2” (2.8m). A Roundtop is the perfect fit for your budget and a greatly versatile option for any kind of product from french fries to coffee, ice cream or Mexican food. You could even use the Roundtop as a small vending trailer selling non-food items.

The open secret to Roundtop’s great price to value is that it arrives in our workshop as a half-finished product imported from China. We then locally (Belgium for EU customers, Houston TX for US customers) upgrade the body to the necessary quality standards for running a food trailer business and make sure all parts, wiring, gas and plumbing is up to code for your state and county.

Roundtop Pro - reinforced small food trailer

A regular Roundtop is a great low cost choice – no doubt about it. But if you can spare the extra – we can give you a tonne of value way in excess of that on our Roundtop Pro model.

Pro has a stainless steel reinforced frame that proofs your food trailer for the rigors of the road. Your trailer will last longer and have a higher resale value.

Not just that, if you ask us, the stainless steel frame has a great aesthetic to it too showing that although the trailer may be small you are certainly not skimping on quality.

Box Trailers - small concession trailers

America was fed by the square box concession trailer and they remain a mainstay of the concession and vending world. As we custom build concession trailers to order we can make them small, too!

Our smallest box concession trailer starts at 9′ and we cap off what we consider to be small trailers at 16ft.

We make custom concession trailers in all colors, any size and custom specifications – up to 50 feet long and with an optional porch for BBQ too.

What is included?

Included

All trailers are equipped with an AL-KO chassis and a CE certified Certificate of Conformity with electrical work done locally and up to code, fully compliant for all US and EU states. Before you sign any deal we’ll also provide you with:

2D and 3D design of your trailer
Floorplan and inventory list

Standard upgrade kit

For a modest price we can include the below popular standard outfitting in your trailer:

Stainless steel frontside workbench
Includes underbench storage
Stainless steel full width rear workbench
Includes underbench storage
3-sink system and tap with 20 gallon clean and gray water tanks
Diamondplate aluminum anti-slip floor
Floor drain
LED main lighting

Small food trailer design

For the outfitting and styling of your trailer we work closely with you to determine the right fit for your style and budget. Everything on the inside can be placed and made to measure exactly as desired – you pick every detail so we build the perfect small food trailer for you.

You can order an empty shell trailer from us or have us do the purchasing and installation of equipment – all up to you. That is not the only design we do – Karpatia can also design your logo, the brand style and color wrapping of the trailer.

Service and installation

All equipment can be installed to fit – even the things you did not order from us – that’s service!

Additionally, Karpatia provides afterservice, repairs and maintenance.

Free if covered under warranty or at competitive pricing when outside of coverage or after the warranty period has expired.

Small food trailer plans

Plans are straightforward – both 2d and 3d plans are drawn up for your build during the offer stage.

Request a free quote today and we will provide you with pre-configured floor plans too, for example as a coffee trailer or for selling fries or ice cream.

our process

Understand

By assessing your dreams we come to a shared understanding of who we are building for and why

Exploring multiple design options lets us find the solution that best suits your business goals

Ideate

Refine

We refine the concept and provide you with a detailed design that meets your needs

Close monitoring during production ensures we meet your standards. You can always fly- or drive in and take a look!

Build

Operate

We offer a range of extra services to support your operation, so you can keep your focus.

What is an Alko Axle and why should I care?

Al-Ko is a leading top quality German brand that manufactures trailers parts in a way no other company does. They set and lead the international standard for quality, safety, ease of use and design for all their trailer beds and parts.

Other upfitters of small Chinese half-fabricate trailers botch the upfitting work and fit a trailer that is not wide enough for the cabin or do not properly account for the loaded weight when deciding to offer a braked vs. unbraked trailer. As we provide a warranty, financing and insurance options this is something we absolutely can and will not do – the worst thing is the trailer overtaking you downhill, the bar snapping when you brake or any other kind of quality issue and we will not stand for that.

Braked vs Unbraked trailer

Braked trailers allow for heavier loads – on the technical-legal side of things you need one in the EU from 750kg and up and in the US it changes from state to state.

Arkansas sets the low bar here with a 1500lbs minimum weight to require a trailer having an independent brake system. To allow us to sell US-wide without worry and to give our customers piece of mind when crossing state borders we include a braked system for any trailer over 1500lbs even though you would hardly ever need it in e.g. Texas with the 4500lb threshold to get a braked trailer.

Towing will be less stressful for you and the engine of whatever you are pulling your unit with if the trailer has an independent brake system. Extra braking is especially useful in hilly or mountainous areas and when going through a bend in the road as you will slow down faster and be able to park more easily.

There are literally hundreds of food truck builders.

SO Why KARPATIA?

Karpatia provides the best quality to value ratio in the industry - from CE conforming standards fit for a 5-star hotel on Asian products to high end European replicas and authentic conversions.

With Karpatia, you have an endless amount of possibilities.
We will provide you with the best kitchen equipment and customizations such as full body wrap or painting – fast and easy.

We also provide additional services to help you get started – from financing to food truck websites

EXTRA options

PRE-CONFIGURED

It might be your first food trailer – it is certainly not ours.

Let us help you decide on equipment and configuration of your trailer if you need help figuring out what you need for your product.

BRANDED DESIGN

All trailers can be spray-painted in a multitude of RAL colors and stickered, either with a logo or with awesome vinyl wrapping and branding or both.

Not in a creative mood? Have us design your logo and wrap – we will happily do it for you.

FINANCED

If the price seems good to you already, wait till you find out about our minimum monthly installments.

You can own a basic trailer for as low as $/€100 a month.

Is a small food trailer the right solution for you?

Frequently Asked Small Food Trailer (&concession) Related questions

Do you ship to Hawaii?

Yes, we ship to Hawaii. Shipping will be a bit extra and take note that the standard prices mentioned on this page exclude airconditioning – though we can certainly fit that in for you at a modest extra expense.

Do you ship to Alaska?

Yes, we ship to Alaska, although extra rates apply. Also note that the standard price does not include winterproofing the trailer – we do have this option though with double insulated concession windows and energy efficient heating.

Do you sell in Canada or Australia?

We will gladly export your vehicle to Canada or Australia but need a little more cooperation with you to get it up to local code than we would for US and EU customers.

Do you ship to ...?

Containers go everywhere, and all units can always be shipped to the nearest port. We might not have a local forwarder in your country (yet) though, in which case we will find one together with you.

Can I come visit and take a look?

Of course!

Karpatia has no showroom – but of course, we are always happy to show the workshop. You can make an appointment through our contact form and try before you buy.

Can my business be profitable with a small trailer?

It certainly can! Most good food truck operators end up running a profitable business, what the small food trailer allows you to do is get a much faster return on CASH as the initial expenditure is much smaller.

Can I pull my small food trailer with a regular license?

Yes, you can drive your small trailer using a regular license up to

Only when if really pile on the weight you will need a commercial drivers license.

I read that [competitor] has [feature], can you do that too?

Probably, yes. However there is also a chance they are making wildly outlandish claims or even straight up lying as happens a lot with Chinese suppliers and dropshippers – compare quotes at your leisure and just give us a call if you have any questions. There is a reason we dare offer a warranty and other sellers wash their hands of all responsibility.

Unfortunately I already bought at [Tr*v**] trailers, [Ar*t*], [F**dtr**lers.eu] , etc.. or straight from Alibaba. Can you fix my trailer and bring it up to code for me?

Yes, we certainly can! It helps if you are close to Brussels/Rotterdam, Budapest/Lviv or Houston TX as this is where we fix up the units and if you are far away from any of those places it might be cheaper to order a new one from us than to get the old unit fixed.