Water Trailer
A water trailer carries a baffled water tank, pump, and spray or hose equipment on a towed chassis, delivering site water without a dedicated truck. It handles dust control, compaction moisture, washdown, and irrigation supply at towable scale.
Cat classes
Pick a size class — capacity and reach differ across the range.
How it works
A small gas engine or electric pump pressurizes water from the tank to spray bars, hose reels, or nozzles. Baffles inside the tank limit surge so the trailer tows predictably at partial fill. Filling comes from hydrants, standpipes, or drafting from open water where the pump allows. Because water weighs 8.34 lb per gallon, the loaded weight — not the empty trailer — defines the towing requirement: a full 1,000 gal tank is over 8,300 lb of water before trailer weight.
Types & variants
- Compact site trailers
- The 0-500 gal band for dust and washdown duty behind pickups or UTVs.
- Standard towable units
- The 500-1,000 gal band with spray bars for compaction and haul-road duty.
- Large towable tanks
- 1,000+ gal units for road watering and remote supply without a water truck.
Key specifications
| Specification | Typical range | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Tank capacity (gal) | Industry bands run 0-500, 500-1,000, and 1,000+ gal | Water per load; drives both coverage and loaded towing weight. |
| Load capacity | 238 to 18,000 kg across cataloged models | The water weight the axles are rated to carry. |
| Pump and spray configuration | Per model: spray bars, hose reels, and nozzle counts | Determines application rate and what duties the unit covers. |
How the industry sizes it
Water trailers are sized by daily water demand and the tow vehicle: the 0-500 gal band tows behind pickups or UTVs for dust and cleanup duty, 500-1,000 gal units deliver standard compaction and dust control on one site, and 1,000+ gal trailers serve road watering and remote supply without a dedicated water truck. Beyond the towable bands, the duty shifts to water trucks.
Applications
- Dust control on small and mid-size sites
- Compaction moisture for grading and pad work
- Equipment washdown and site cleanup
- Water supply for concrete curing and landscaping
- Standby fire-watch water on hot-work sites
Safety & operation
- Tow to the surge: even baffled tanks shift at partial fill under braking.
- Verify the tow vehicle is rated for full-tank weight, not the empty trailer.
- Use backflow prevention at potable fill points.
- Drain tanks before freezing weather; ice bursts plumbing and shifts weight unpredictably.
Standards & certifications
- FMCSA · 49 CFR 393
- Brake, lighting, and coupling requirements for trailers in commercial service.
- NHTSA · FMVSS 108
- Trailer lighting and conspicuity requirements.
- EPA / state air agencies · Fugitive dust rules
- Watering is the standard dust-suppression measure under construction air permits.
Frequently asked
What tow vehicle does each band require?
Water trailer or water truck?
Can these trailers supply drinking water?
Compare popular models
Find by spec →Normalised to the same units. A dash means the figure was not published.
| Model | Load capacity | Engine power |
|---|---|---|
| Chem-Tainer Trans320 – 320 Gallon Transport Tank | 705 lb (320 kg) | - |
| Load Trail FT07 Tank Trailer | 7,000 lb (3,175 kg) | - |
| Load Trail FT10 Tank Trailer | 9,989 lb (4,531 kg) | - |
| Polar Tank Cryogenic Liquid Hydrogen | 39,683 lb (18,000 kg) | - |
| Thunder Creek FST500 | 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) | - |
| Thunder Creek FST750 | 12,000 lb (5,443 kg) | - |
Related equipment
Browse by manufacturer
Sources
Every specification is verified against the manufacturer's published data, with the source linked for reference.
All models
66 models · Page 2 of 2 · Every spec cited to source
