What to look for, when shopping for vac tanker trailers

If you want to have a better multipurpose trailer.. i would go with steel... as some solution in fluid treatment have acid, or cleanup job they don't tell you about, and those will eat your aluminum trailer//. Weight wise, you can't really haul more than 120ish, unless you will go for special permits.. but i am not really aware of the ND laws , maybe you can haul larger up there. in that case the bigger the better... ( as you are usually paid by the barrel, less trip , more money).

Look through all hatches and check the baffles , or any residue left in trailer - aka septic , or botches cement jobs left to hardened inside.. if you see greasy residue around the blow out valve on top or anywhere from hatches is good indicator of potential problems.

The pto filter vac pump located up front. Check the seals; them butterfly valves on the ### end are easy to change if messed up ,they leak... Dot can stop you for that

For your trailer tool box :
You definitely want to invest in a sight glass. (necessity for oil transfer or getting water at bottoms of tanks)
have some long hoses (10+ft) and some shorter ones (6ft), in 3 inches.
have some 2 inches hoses as well. (more practical for cleanup jobs)
fittings, 3 to 2 ., 3 to 3 male to male, male female, female female .
a male to female 3in, with a pressure release valve.(great tool to avoid making a mess)
a filter kind (looks like a colander)

a 24 and a crescent wrench, some kolor kut, a gauge stick (better for frac tanks) and a rolling plumb gauge thingy for bigger tanks.
a mine bar to break up ice clog as you are in ND it will happen more often than TX.
a shovel.
a steel bucket.

If you plan on working night, a UV light it will make the oil glow alien green and therefore super easy to spot the level on your gauges..

 

I recently leased onto a company and looking for a tank also.

Personally I'm going to find a 150 aluminum. Get a few more barrels and they almost weigh half that of steel, so the extra barrels equal out. You can but a regular steel 130 from $5k-$30K and can get into aluminum from $20k-$50K. I hear the triple axles close together are better for the bridge gap weight.

For me I'm gonna stay sway from the 3 axle, they are the favorites of local dot to pull you over for portable scales.

I'm currently pulling a steel 130 and balled out with my classic XL I'm right under 81K, but I'm registered for 90k and have a overweight variance permit.

Check out this place that does leases and rentals Erickson Trucks -N- Parts | Truck Sales Racine, Wisconsin

 

you never know what kind of crap they put in the well when you do flowback, but yeah you should be alright, as long as you keep an eye on it...
if you see its eating up your hose, i would recommend a trailer wash as soon as you can. hence the importance of a somewhat good liner.

produce water is super salty and eats a lot of stuff