So you want to go the DIY route and build a food truck all by yourself? The good news is there are many examples of entrepreneurs that have successfully built their own trailers and trucks without any formal feel. The bad news is that yous should expect in that location to run into a few many hiccups along the way if yous haven't done it before.

This mail service is intended to help y'all avert some of the common mistakes entrepreneurs make when trying to build their own mobile food unit and provide an outline for accomplishing this massive undertaking. Only first, we recommend beingness honest with yourself on your own power to pull this off.

The Downside of Building a Food Truck

Aye, you can retrofit and modify a truck by yourself. But practice yous really desire to? If you're not experienced with mechanics or how motorized vehicles piece of work this choice may non be for you. If you have no feel with doing electrical work, this isn't for yous either. Also, if you don't have access to tools needed those can become expensive too.

The other negative is that it will take yous a lot more time to do it yourself than hire it out. Take our previous interview with The Boiler Monkey for example. We recommend listening to the full-interview if yous plan to build a vehicle yourself. The Boiler Monkey enlisted help from friends sorting out the complex electrical wiring and borrowed tools from neighbors. They also encountered a lot of unanticipated issues along the style that you'll want to learn most.

The Banality Monkey likewise took a full 3 months to convert their autobus into the food-service motorcar they dreamed of. They did not have full-fourth dimension jobs at the time either. If you lot're serious about this, figure out if you have enough time to dedicate yourself to completing the project.

Finally, you lot're edifice a vehicle you program to cook on. There'south a lot that tin can go incorrect and no shortage of fire hazards. In curt, you don't want to cease up similar this guy…

on fire food truck

The Advantages

If y'all exercise take mechanical experience, an engineering background, and if you're really skilful at solving issues y'all tin most certainly pull this thing off and there are even some benefits to doing so. One checked box in the positive column is that you'll empathize the inner workings of your truck and how it works. Regular breakdowns are an unfortunate reality for many food trucks. If you put the vehicle together, you'll have a much more in-depth cognition on how to set information technology. Y'all may also be able to cutting some of the costs if you have friends that are willing to help you out with electrical / mechanical piece of work and lend you lot tools.

Still determined to build a truck yourself? Here's the loftier-level outline on how to get started.

Step 1: Determine Layout and Equipment

In step one, you lot volition determine the type of nutrient truck you want, along with the equipment needed to serve the nutrient. Afterwards all, if you decide y'all want to start a coffee truck you will have very different space and equipment requirements than a burger bus.

Become a piece of paper or open and Give-and-take document and begin to write down each slice of equipment you need to include on your future truck. This could include a refrigerator, deep fryer, freezer, heat lamp, and storage space to list a few of the basics.

Subsequently you get the list of equipment created the next part will be to make up one's mind how much space y'all demand. Make sure to become the specifics of each piece of equipment y'all want to put into the truck and blueprint a layout of where you want each piece of equipment to exist placed.

Pro Tip: Have your time when determining the layout of your truck. Yous want to develop a truck layout that allows y'all to conduct food prep in an efficient way. Listen to this interview for more than advice on building a nutrient truck that's designed for speed. This is critical since the more than meals yous tin become out the service window per hour the more than profit you lot tin brand.

In review, here'southward what you demand to accomplish to complete step one:

  • Brand a list of the equipment you need.
  • Determine how much space the equipment will swallow.
  • Determine the desired layout or blueprint of the kitchen based on your requirements.

2.) Find a Truck, Trailer, Jitney, or Other Vehicle

After you created an equipment list and figured out the space you need to comfortably operate a truck, it's time to get out at that place and find the platonic vehicle that will serve as your mobile food unit. The nice thing about retrofitting your own vehicle is that you don't need to buy a truck at all. In that location are plenty of entrepreneurs that have convert schoolhouse buses, vans, and even mobile homes to suit their needs. These out of the ordinary vehicles can even serve as a differentiator for your make.

No affair what type of vehicle you ultimately decide to use, y'all'll probably be looking a used vehicle. Before investing in any type of vehicle, be sure that you bring forth a friend that understands mechanics and can conduct an inspection of the vehicle prior to purchase.

You'll besides want to find out every bit much information as possible nigh history of the vehicle prior to writing a check. Some desirable elements is to detect out if the truck was office of a fleet: bread trucks, FedEx and UPS trucks can fall into this category. If y'all're buying directly from a business organization, you can be more certain of how the truck has been cared for in the by, forth with whether or not it received regular oil changes.  When buying through a dealer, determining how the vehicle has been treated in the past volition be more difficult.

How to Evaluate Used Food Trucks – If you want to acquire more about how to access a previously owned truck mind to this episode with Bob Pierson of K&R Concessions. Pierson has years of experience converting pre-owned vehicles into food trucks.

Food Truck Versus Food Trailer – Click here to learn about some of the unique advantages each option possesses.

3.) Clean Out Vehicle and Marker the Layout in Truck

After y'all discover the vehicle you want to kickoff your business organisation with it'due south time to gut the thing and make clean out everything you don't need. In most situations you lot'll clear out the interior of the truck-minus the commuter's seat and steering bike until y'all get a big empty box.

Adjacent, you lot'll want to mark out where each piece of equipment and location of the serving window is going to be within the truck. You can apply a Sharpie mark to outline where all the equipment volition be placed. You will also what to identify and marker the location of any outlets and fixtures, decide the location of the wall that separates the kitchen from the driver, and determine where yous will position the propane tank and generator.

Brusque video demonstrating the process of building a concession truck.

iv.) Setup the Electrical Wiring

This footstep is extremely of import and can be more complex of an issue than it seems initially. For case, the X brothers began to assemble the Boiler Monkey they discovered there were enormous electrical issues with their truck. Getting the electrical wiring assembled the right way is extremely important because the operation of your hereafter business depends on information technology. If the ability goes out in your vehicle you lot won't be able to serve customers. Also, determining what's wrong with electrical wiring can be very hard after the food service vehicle is fully assembled.

Tip: Become an experienced electrician to assistance you with this step if you don't know what y'all're doing. The electrician will need to run wire to all circuits and to the dorsum console. In some cases, electrical boxes may also need to exist installed.

5.) Reinforcing the Interior

After the wiring is setup in the truck it'southward time to begin reinforcing the interior of the truck. Y'all'll reach this largely through a process called framing that is common in the construction industry. When you build a house, y'all typically create a frame using wood to build the foundation to support wall of a home. You're doing something similar just with the foundation of a food truck instead of a single family unit home.

Aluminum square tubes are recommended to frame the outside of walls, around the serving window, the generator, the hood, areas of the A/C and the frame divider. Aluminum is highly recommended due to it being low-cal-weight and extremely durable.

6.) Cut Openings for Serving Window and A/C

Next you lot will demand to cutting open your truck to make room for the serving window. A typical serving window size is 4×three feet. Yous'll also desire to cut an opening for the A/C at the top of the truck.

serving window

7.) Finish the Inside Walls on Your Truck

Now y'all will focus on finishing the inside walls of the truck. The start thing that you lot should know is that the wall behind your cooking line must be fabricated from "non-flammable" structure per most fire code requirements. That ways any sort of wood should not exist used in whatsoever expanse.

Side by side install installation panels on the ceiling and walls of the vehicle and insulate the outside walls using Styrofoam (more details on the specifics in the video below). And then the sub-walls and finish walls go into the truck. The material nearly nutrient truckers seem to recommend for the outside of the walls is 100% stainless steel sheets. You lot will also want to install the floor at this time.

8.)  Gas / Propane Tank

This is a step you will desire to bank check with your local safety / fire regulations to ensure you're setting up everything correctly per the requirements of your urban center. Although information technology's very common to install propane tanks on the rear of a food truck at that place are many cities that don't allow this. Enquire representatives at your metropolis and local burn down section for assist positioning the gas tanks on your vehicle.

Later the governing bodies give y'all their instructions for setup, install a gas manifold for equipment, connect the manifold to the propane tank and install the regulation. Finally, you will demand to fabricate and install the tank rack to concord the equipment.

We couldn't notice any videos online that demonstrate how to achieve this footstep for a food truck, all the same, we did notice a practiced demonstration for setting up propane tanks with RV's that can give yous intelligence on the topic.

nine.) Setting up the Interior Hood

Next you will need to install the interior hood within the vehicle. This is an surface area where you will want to check with your local laws to ostend everything is upwards to code based on the city you plan to operate in. Interior hoods aid in the ventilation of the vehicle. Here are a few examples:

interior-hood

10.) Pre-equipment load

By at present you're so close to completing your nutrient truck you can probably taste the food you will soon exist making. At this time, you'll put to load in and install things similar the concession window and door, A/C unit, whatsoever general equipment tables, and cabinets and counter tops. Later y'all complete this footstep, the vehicle volition really start looking like a food truck.

11.) Consummate Electric Piece of work

At this time you will finalize the electrical work by installing light fixtures, outlets, switches, breakers, panels, and connect the state wires to the breakers. If you don't know how to exercise this call a professional electrician or someone that has experience working with food trucks or mobile homes.

12.) Load Cooking Equipment

At present is the fourth dimension to load upwardly and install the rest of the cooking equipment. This means everything from the refrigerator to the kitchen sink, greenbacks annals, and other tools required to deliver memorable nutrient moments to your future customers. If it goes onto the truck, make certain to install it now.

13.) Plumbing

Hiring an experienced plumber is recommended to setup this step and ensure everything is flowing sufficiently for the long term. While almost veteran plumbers can probably figure out how to setup the plumbing in your vehicle, conceptualize the charges to be two – 3 times the original estimate. It will take the plumber boosted time to effigy everything out if he'south never worked on a truck before.

At this time the plumber will connect the sinks to the fresh water tank, install a dump valve, and deport other work that is required by your local ordinances.

14.) Setup the Generator

Without an operational generator, yous won't be able to power your cooking equipment and refrigerators while serving the streets. At this step, you'll want to confirm your generator is securely and firmly positioned. You volition also need to connect the generator to the panel and transfer switch. Also, make sure the generator is installed in a well ventilated surface area of the vehicle. These things get hot!

food truck generator

xv.) The Finishing Touches

While the truck is technically completed at this signal there are still a few more steps that must be completed before you lot're road gear up. At this fourth dimension you'll need to audit the plumbing, gas connections, and electrical work that has been completed. You lot'll too desire to acquit a examination of the generator and this time.

Finally, you'll demand to notice someone to complete the truck wrap on your behalf for the outside of the vehicle. This is not something y'all desire to practise yourself since the first matter potential customers will run into is the outside of your vehicle. Brand sure you look like a pro.

The Final Give-and-take

By now you've probably realized that there are going to be some unique troubleshooting issues you lot'll need to figure out when building a food truck. Each truck is a little bit dissimilar and has unique kitchen equipment needs.

If y'all determine building a truck is the right path for you, remember that you shouldn't hesitate to reach out to other experts along the way. You might fifty-fifty be surprised that any friends that are plumbers, electricians, or mechanics will exist happy to help yous out with this interesting project. Likewise, follow nutrient truck owners tin likewise be an incredible resource. They understand the local laws and might have built their own truck as well.

Here are a few additional resources we recommend checking out likewise:

RoadFood.com – This forum is awesome! You'll find a lot of conversations of on-going conversations nearly food truck builds correct hither. If you lot bank check out the Restaurant Professionals Forum or the Professional Hot Dog Vendors forum you'll detect an incredible customs of experienced food industry veterans that are prepare to help. If you lot demand an stance on what type of generator to buy or the any other hyper specific question, you'll get an respond here.

Pro Tip: Signing up for this forum is free, merely before you start asking questions try entering your question into the Search Box located in the upper right manus corner of the website. This forum has been effectually a long fourth dimension and your question might exist answered in a previous thread already.

Ultimate Food Truck Instance Study – Check out this ballsy series of audio interviews to see how Anthony Salvagno started his nutrient truck business organization. Everything from finding a food truck, to writing a business plan, and raising uppercase is discussed.

how to build a food truck yourself

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