It’s been a good while since we’ve posted to the ole blog, and for that we apologize, but life has been busy, and certain things fell off the radar -I think we can all attest that it has been a whirlwind of events these last couple years causing us all to kind of reprioritize some things.

All in all, life moves forward and we can only continue to do our best and put the best of what we’ve got out there!

As I sit here trying to figure out what *goods* we could put out there for a) a handy resource and b) SEO - which is annoying, but if we want to do this work we have to go along with it! It dawned on us that winter is just about here and we all could use a good (and quick!) refresher on winterization for food trucks, trailers and other mobile businesses, because remember

“Regular Care Stops Winter Wear!” -a 1944 Car Winterization advertisement

After sitting down with Mike, who has a ton of field experience working and repairing in the snow, he immediately rattled off these important tips to help maintain your rig during the cold season.

Space heater WITH a fan -Aiming the fan towards the interior plumbing allows for that warm air to circulate and prevent the plumbing from freezing. Make sure the space heater is plugged into its own dedicated circuit. Space heaters themselves run on high amperage, so if it is plugged into the same circuit as a fridge or freezer, which is also a bit high, then you have the potential for a breaker to pop. If it is plugged on the same circuit as your fridge/freezer you have the potential to lose your cool inventory once that breaker pops.
Heated supply hose -This is a must if you live in a cold climate. The heated supply hose with ensure you don’t go without water!
Insulation and heat tape -great product to have and use for any external/exposed plumbing supply lines/drains.
Spigot foam grommet -Most actually throw this out when they get their hose, but keeping it on hand for those winter months or serious cold spells is a life saver. They simply cover the spigot where the supply hose is connected to reduce freeze potential.
Lower hood fan speed -by lowering the fan speed on the hood it helps reduce heat loss inside the vessel, but still blows out smoke combustion and allows for ventilation.
Drains -While parked or If parked permanently always keep an eye on maintaining drains around you if heavy rain/snow -keep area clear and flowing so there is no chance for flooding.
Snow removal -Carefully remove snow from the roof as needed. Since there are fan covers for make-up air fans, there is a potential to break one. Keep snow pulled away from truck to allow for drains and hoses to operate.
Most importantly, if it is necessary -save the money in the winter and do what you can. During these cold months equipment tends to operate a little bit easier -there’s not so much wear and tear vs. in the warm busy season. Come spring it’s important to have equipment maintenance/fixes on the radar and done come summer.

Let’s not overestimate the importance of some good old fashioned winter preparedness! Following the simple tips from Mike above will most definitely save you a lot of time, money and headaches in the long run. If you are a seasoned winter mobile vessel operator then check out our blog post on tips to keeping your food truck afloat during the winter months.

*MAC Customz continues to provide the western region with upstanding customer service and the high quality custom building, renovation and fabrication of food trucks/trailers, camper conversions, and other mobile business vessels and ventures. For more information on planning and reserving your custom build spot, contact us at 541-728-3511 or drop us a line here.

Many food truck owners cringe at the thought of winter. Why? Business tends to slow down, their truck may not be fit for cold weather, or their menu offerings are geared towards warmer months. But no worries, we’ve got a pretty handy list of 7 ways to keep your truck thriving during cold weather to help bring peace of mind.

Caterings
This is a great way to keep things thriving in cold weather or even during wedding season. Many food trucks make big bucks offering catering services!
Park at a location with indoor seating
Would you want to sit out in the rain or snow and eat a delicious meal? In most cases no, we typically will opt for indoor seating during the colder months, and you should expect that from your customers as well. If you are parked in a location with no indoor seating or draw to warmth and it effects your business, it may be time to look at finding a spot that does.
Prepare your truck for the cold
One of the biggest issues we run into in the winter/early spring months is food trucks/trailers not being set up for the cold. We’ve fixed countless frozen pipes and busted sinks/faucets due to poor winterization and lack of heat in a truck, Instanthot water heaters crack and break in cold climates leaving business owners no hot water and nonoperational -you get the picture, set your truck up for success during all months of the year.
Switch up the menu
Changing up the menu offers a refreshing take, and gives customers a chance to experience seasonal foods.
Offer delivery through local delivery services or platforms like grubhub, ubereats, etc.
We’ve seen many of our customers utilize these apps to keep their food truck business prospering and growing during the winter months. In places where snow is prevalent, many potential customers aren’t willing to make the drive to their favorite local food truck for a delicious hot meal, but with takeout businesses, and the apps listed above it makes it possible to keep businesses thriving and customers satisfied.
Focus on marketing
It is a great time during this slow season to focus on marketing efforts like social media, print advertising, revamping menus and dropping them off/uploading them, etc. Create a strategy and continuously run tests to see what outlets work for your food truck.
Nurture customers and relationships to build loyalty
When business slows down it’s important to pay special attention to your patrons turning them into continuous customers, so they continue to support you -even during those cold months.

These 7 ways to keep your truck thriving is surely a great place to start when those cold weather months approach. These are things that we have either seen out in the field first hand or our customers have shared what keeps them going during these colder days with us. If you are interested in learning more about opening a food truck -rain, sun, or snow check out 5 Tips For Building a Mobile Food Truck or to learn more about renovating your existing food truck to keep up with these cold times then give us a call today at 541.728.3511!

Winterizing Your Food Trucks, Trailers and Other Mobile Vessels -a quick guide

7 Ways To Keep A Food Truck Afloat During Cold Weather