Ultimate Lawn Care Trailer Setup Tour: Solar Power, A/C, and Cheap DIY Mods to Copy
Working out of a trailer all day can feel like living out of a toolbox, hot, cramped, and always missing the one thing you need. This setup flips that idea on its head. Donnie Seager, a long-time Main Street Mower customer, built a solar-powered lawn care trailer that works like a mobile shop and a break room at the same time. And he did it because he was tired of the heat, the mess, and wasted time.
Meet Donnie Seager and the 6x12 trailer he rebuilt from the inside out
Donnie isn’t running a fancy, custom factory trailer. He started with a simple 6x12 enclosed trailer and rebuilt it to match how he works. Every change has a purpose, and most of them came from solving daily annoyances on the job.
He sums up the whole build with one idea: built out of necessity. When you’re out working 8 to 12 hours a day, the trailer isn’t just storage, it’s your base.
Here are the basics of the trailer itself:
Trailer size: 6x12 enclosed
Floor: diamond plate (after ditching the original wood)
Interior: insulation added between beams, new wood added for mounting space, roof reinforced with wood
Why the diamond plate floor mattered
The original wood floor kept coming up. Donnie didn’t want to keep screwing it down and punching more holes. So he stripped the trailer down, pulled out the floor and sides, insulated the cavities between the beams, then rebuilt it the way he wanted.
The result is a tougher floor and more reliable mounting surfaces inside. That matters when your trailer is also your shop.
Using every inch of space
Even with two mowers inside, Donnie packs a lot into this 6x12. Once the mowers are backed out, you can see how the trailer is laid out like a work bay, with power, lights, and organized storage.
Powering the trailer with 1,000 watts of solar (and smart wiring)
The first thing you notice from the outside is the solar array on the roof. Donnie installed 10 solar panels, each rated at 100 watts, for a total of 1,000 watts.
He wired the panels in series, which puts the system at around 190 volts coming in from the roof.
That high-voltage solar input is part of why the system can support real work loads, not just phone charging.
A clever vent and solar panel solution on the roof
One detail stands out because it solves a problem many people run into. Trailers often have a roof vent, and roof vents need clear airflow. If you mount a panel flat over the vent, you block it.
Donnie removed the plastic dome piece and angled a solar panel so the vent can still exhaust air around the panel. The panel sits above, the hot air still escapes, and he still gained extra solar area.
Inside the electrical system: batteries, inverter, outlets, and safety
This trailer isn’t just panels on a roof. Donnie built a full system that turns solar power into daily comfort and usable jobsite electricity.
His core components:
Batteries: four 200 amp-hour lithium iron phosphate batteries at 24 volts
Inverter/charger: a 30,000-watt solar inverter/charger
A/C power: 120-volt outlets in the trailer
Wiring: 12-gauge wire run for higher draw tools (he mentions being able to plug in a welder)
He also built in monitoring and protection so it’s not a risky DIY mess.
Safety and monitoring features include:
A shunt that connects to his phone, so he can see usage and voltage
A shut-off
Fusing and protection in the system
How the power flows, start to finish
The simple version of how it works looks like this:
Solar panels generate DC power.
The inverter/charger manages charging the battery bank.
The inverter converts stored DC power into AC power.
Trailer outlets, chargers, lights, and appliances run from that AC supply.
Donnie also mentions that solar covers so much of his daily use that when he gets home, he often only needs to plug in for a short top-off, sometimes around 20 minutes, unless he’s used the batteries heavily.
Running air conditioning on solar while the truck stays off
The comfort side of this trailer is where it gets interesting. Donnie built a small “office” area inside the trailer that he can cool quickly, without cooling the whole trailer.
His A/C unit is:
8,000 BTU
DC inverter style (he calls it DC inverted)
Run mostly on low to keep the power draw down
He says on low or medium it pulls about 600 to 700 watts, which means the solar array can keep up in good sun. That’s the key point: he can run A/C without idling the truck.
He also points out something that anyone in humid heat understands. A/C isn’t just about temperature, it’s about drying the air. Even if he sets it around 78°F, it still feels great when it’s pushing upper 90s outside because the moisture drops.
Why the “small cooled space” works so well
Donnie’s trailer is black, so it heats up fast in direct sun. Instead of trying to cool the full trailer, he cools a smaller section. That makes it chill quickly, and it keeps the system efficient.
When he wants a break, he turns the A/C on, steps out, and by the time he comes back, it’s comfortable.
Exhaust fan, lighting, and work-ready power inside the trailer
The trailer isn’t only a battery box with A/C. It’s set up to support real work days.
Inside, Donnie has:
120-volt power for equipment and chargers
Interior lights
USB charging ports for things like his phone
A 12-volt exhaust fan used to pull fumes and hot air out
That fan is also part of his heat management strategy. Hot mowers sit in the main area, while the cooled “office” area stays separate, and the vent helps pull heat out of the mower side.
He keeps the fan running low most of the time, though he can shut it off or change speeds. It can reverse direction, but he doesn’t use that mode.
The mower setup: why he likes the Toro Grandstand (and the hill problem)
Donnie runs Toro equipment and says he’s been in business about seven years, buying from Main Street Mower the whole time, with good reliability. He also takes care of his machines and keeps the deck clean.
One mower he highlights is a Toro Grandstand style machine. He had a regular Grandstand before, but he didn’t like the smaller tires. On hills, it felt front heavy and could drag him downhill.
The machine he’s using now is more compact, fits the trailer well, and has bigger tires, which helps on hills. He also likes the visibility from the standing position.
A simple DIY discharge control that costs almost nothing
Donnie built his own adjustable discharge setup. He mentions there’s an electric version you can buy, but his doesn’t cost much, and it works the way he wants.
He can:
Open it quickly to shoot clippings out while mowing
Close it when needed
Set it at the level he wants, depending on the area
It’s a small mod, but it matches the theme of the whole trailer: build what you need, skip what you don’t.
The chain hoist mod: blade changes without going back to the shop
Mounted inside the trailer is a chain hoist. Donnie uses it to lift his mower so he can get underneath and remove blades.
That’s a big deal on long work days. If you’re far from home base, being able to service blades on-site saves time, and it can save the day when something starts cutting poorly mid-route.
Electric vs. gas tools: what he actually uses and why
Donnie likes electric tools for the quiet and convenience, but he’s realistic about battery limits and replacement cost. He also says he’s an Echo person and prefers Echo gear overall, but he’ll use what works.
His experience with electric trimmers is very specific:
He could get about seven houses down a road before a battery died.
Then he had to walk back for a new battery.
With gas, he could fill up and do double the houses on a tank.
He’s waiting for better battery tech, something that can run closer to a couple hours on one battery.
Still, he keeps electric where it fits best:
He likes an electric weed eater for late-night work because it’s quiet.
He uses an Echo electric hedge trimmer, and says it runs a long time on a battery.
He charges tools inside the trailer while the truck is off.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the pros and cons he shared:
Tool type
What he likes
What he doesn’t like
Gas tools (Echo preferred)
Long runtime, easy refuel
Louder, more engine heat
Electric weed eater
Quiet for late hours
Battery cost, runtime limits mid-route
Electric hedge trimmer
Long runtime, quieter
No downside mentioned in his use
The $3 bucket string trimmer guard that keeps debris off your clothes
This is one of the most copy-friendly mods in the whole tour.
Donnie doesn’t like running a trimmer without a guard. He hates getting blasted with grass, sand, and debris, especially when edging. He also doesn’t want to be covered in clippings the rest of the day.
He tried different versions over time. One earlier version used a brute trash can lid, but it made it harder to get into tight spots, like trimming around a pipe.
His current solution uses a Home Depot bucket. It’s cheap (he says about $3) and shaped in a way that still lets the trimmer head get close to obstacles while blocking the debris that normally hits his legs and body.
It won’t block everything, but it cuts down the worst of it. Donnie points out that after working, there’s basically nothing on him.
He also mentions a product called Darwin’s Grip (he calls them Darwin rims, first gen), which helps reduce fatigue during long trimming sessions.
The hidden “office”: microwave, fridge, cold water, and a place to reset
Behind the work area is the part that makes this trailer feel like a mobile break room.
Donnie built a small office space with:
The 8,000 BTU A/C unit
A microwave for heating lunch
A refrigerator for cold water, drinks, and snacks
Charging space for devices
A chair setup that can double as a nap spot
He doesn’t keep it ice cold. He sets it around 78°F so the temp change isn’t extreme, and because it still feels great when it’s hot outside.
He also likes the privacy. Instead of sitting in the truck, he can cool off, eat, and recharge without idling an engine.
The small shovel he won’t replace
OneWheel for edging and blowing: less walking, less fatigue
In the “office” area, Donnie charges a OneWheel. He uses it to move along sidewalks while edging, trimming, and blowing.
He’s not using it to fly down the street. He uses it to cut down on walking.
He says without something like that, you might walk eight miles a day or more. He’s older, and his feet hurt by the end of the day. Riding helps save energy and makes long days easier.
Storage and organization: shelves, magnets, and job-ready supplies
Donnie’s setup isn’t just comfort, it’s built to keep work moving.
A few standouts:
Magnet-held panels: He uses magnets and tape to hold panels together, making access easier.
Shelves built as needed: He adds shelves over time as he finds a better way to store something. Nothing is “pretty for Instagram.” It’s built to stop gear from flying around.
Irrigation supplies: He does some irrigation work, and keeps parts stored up top in Ziploc bags.
Blade maintenance gear: He keeps sharpening supplies and extra sharp blades ready to go.
Onboard air pump: If a tire starts leaking air, you don’t want to be stuck airing it up with no way to do it. He keeps an air pump inside so he can top off tires on the job.
Trailer jack: If he needs to change a tire or lift the trailer, he’s ready.
One of the more personal pieces of the tour is Donnie’s shovel. An elderly lady gave it to him years ago. It used to be square, but he cut the corners off and sharpened it.
He uses it for small sod work and digging sprinkler heads. He keeps two, just in case.
Conclusion: the best trailer mods are the ones that fix real problems
Donnie’s solar trailer build proves a point: comfort and output can live in the same small space. The solar, batteries, and A/C keep him from baking all day, the organization keeps him moving, and the little DIY fixes (like the bucket guard and chain hoist) solve problems most crews deal with every week.
If you take anything from this setup, steal the ideas that match your days, your routes, and your heat. Small upgrades add up fast, and necessity has a way of building the best designs. What’s one mod you’d add to your own trailer first?
I had a small jungle in my backyard of some bushes and a palm tree that had been ignored for a few years. This puppy handled all of it with joy. I had fun.
I tried to find this model locally but it was impossible. After learning all about it through your YouTube videos I was glad to see that it was available on your website. The processing and shipping was speedy and efficient. I am really impressed. Thank you so much!
