Towmaster Trailers
The Standard others compare to.

As simple as they seem, trailers are a highly thought out piece of equipment utilizing high-tech manufacturing processes, materials and designs.  Taking it one step further, they also have to look as good as they perform.

In the beginning
The Towmaster brand of trailers was started back in the early 1970’s by Harlan Palm, who owned a company called Palm Industries.  The need for moving skid-loaders was filled by the first Towmaster models designed to haul them.  The Towmaster Pan Style trailers were the first ones to be designed for that market, invented by Harlan himself.  There were 2 models to choose from; a 5000 lb. capacity trailer and a 7,000 lb. capacity. While sales continued to grow, a much larger line of trailers was developed and the Contrail was designed.  The Contrail was originally a belly-dump trailer designed to haul asphalt.  In the mid-1970’s during the oil embargo, sales dropped off, and the Contrail had to be discontinued.  Harlan had sold Palm Industries and started farming in the late 1970’s, but he always had ideas flowing and continued to think about the Towmaster.

The re-emergence of Towmaster
While farming, Harlan redeveloped the skid-loader pan trailer and deck-over tag-a-long trailer and marketed them under the company name of Palm Manufacturing.  The trailers were manufactured in a large machinery building on the farm, where equipment, jigs and steel all came together.  A few years later, skid-loader attachments were designed and developed, and built along side the trailers.  As sales grew so did the number of models of both trailers and attachments that were being developed.  Therefore, the need to split the company into two became apparent.  In 1994, Palm Attachments and Towmaster, Inc. became two separate companies.  Towmaster moved to Litchfield, MN, into the old Palm Industries manufacturing building, still owned by Harlan Palm.  The plant went through a huge make-over to bring in modern manufacturing equipment to continue the production of the Towmaster trailers.  In 1998 Towmaster became an employee owned company to reward the employees for their years of hard work and dedication.

Modernizing and Expanding
Since that move, the Towmaster, Inc. facility has gone through many changes and additions.  Towmaster has its own trucking company that ships daily loads of trailers around the country.  Towmaster ships to all 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii, as well as Canada and Mexico.

Because Towmaster trailers were constantly being improved and developed, the need for custom manufacturing equipment became apparent, A designer was hired to design a new hydraulic jig to make the manufacturing of the large trailers easier.  They are setup with axles on the top, and then flipped over for finishing.  A robotic welding station was added for repetitious welding of smaller parts and ramps, and a modern paint room with high-tech computer controlled equipment was installed.

Trailers are manufactured down three full lines, and over twenty-five trailers per day are produced during the busy times of the year.  The Towmaster facility has grown from a modest 20,000 sq. ft. to over 90,000 sq. ft. with a dedicated prototype area, decking area, fabrication area and loading area.  The facility is located on 20 acres of land with parking areas for stock built trailers, axles, wood, ramps, steel and more, plus a dedicated area for photo and video shoots.

The Trailers
Towmaster trailers have been developed and designed for the long haul.  Towmaster customers are repeat customers because they know the quality that goes into each trailer.  It starts with quality steel and raw materials.  The raw materials are fabricated to precision and then given to the trailer welding area.  The frame is then welded by skilled welders using jigs for consistent repeatability and straight axle tracking.  All of the trailers and ramps are put through a 6-stage cleaning and coating process after they are completely welded. This includes a 4-stage washing to remove all mill scale, oils, rusts and other materials from the steel surface. Since the fall of 2001, an RCS controlled 2-stage paint system replaced the old sticky and messy automotive undercoating, with a state-of-the-art, high-tech 2-part polyurethane undercoat primer and two-component acrylic polyurethane overcoat that independent tests have shown to substantially increase rust resistance, chemical resistance, fade resistance and chip resistance.  This new finish is equal to or exceeds most baked powder-coated finishes.  This process achieves a completely cross-linked film that has no equal in preventing rust and having the best impact resistance and gloss and color retention of any liquid paint on the market. To top it off, this new paint is environmentally compliant!

The trailers then go through our decking and finishing process where sealed wiring and lights are installed, decals are placed and wood is fastened to the deck on those models requiring wood.  Electrical systems are hooked up, and the trailers are inspected.   The entire process takes about four days from start to finish. From there, the trailers are scheduled for delivery, loaded and shipped to their destination ready for use.

Parts Galore
Towmaster, Inc. has their own Parts Department that not only services our dealers, but also services local customers with trailer parts, no matter what brand of trailer they have.  You’ll find hitches, wheels, tires, jack stands, lights, wiring and much more. If they don’t have it in stock, they can order it in.

Employees
Towmaster, Inc. is one of the largest employers in Litchfield, employing over 180 skilled people.  Employees take pride in their work and continue to grow in their skills.  They come from all backgrounds and work together to make Towmaster trailers the best trailer available.

The front office personnel are friendly and helpful, and the salesmen and traffic coordinators are very personable.  Towmaster, Inc. is one of the only trailer manufacturers to have an in-house IT department and in-house Marketing and Advertising department.  This all comes together to provide customers with the best service Towmaster can provide.

Looking ahead
The future of Towmaster, Inc. shows tremendous growth.  Customers who own Towmaster trailers are repeat customers.  They see the reliability, the craftsmanship and the quality. With standard equipment to fit most needs and quality you can see, it is no wonder other trailer manufacturers compare their models to a Towmaster trailer.

Towmaster – Dependability You Can Trust.