TRAILER OPERATION

Hitching Up Trailers

It is important to understand proper restroom trailer operation by hitching your truck up properly.  To ensure safe towing, make sure you have a suitable vehicle, and hitch for your portable restroom trailer.  Importantly, it is the trailer owner’s responsibility to correctly match the combination of tow vehicle and portable restroom trailer. Be sure to contact a hitch specialist, who can help you match your tow vehicle and hitch and equip you with a properly installed brake controller.

HOOK UP INSTRUCTIONS

Firstly, make sure the ball on your hitch matches the coupler size on the portable restroom trailer.

Use the jack to raise the coupler high enough for the hitch ball to slip beneath.

Release the coupler-locking device (raise the lever).

Back your tow vehicle into mounting position for your restroom trailer.

When properly aligned lower the portable restroom trailer coupler onto the ball

Also, continue raising the jack until it is fully raised.

Latch the coupler-locking device (It is very important to lower the lever and insert a pin in the lock hole).

Connect the safety chains by crossing the chains beneath the coupler and attach them to the tow vehicle.

Allow enough slack for turning, but no dragging (Tip: if chains are too long, simply twist them).

Importantly, connect the electrical plug on the portable restroom trailer to the plug on the tow vehicle. Check to make sure that all running, directional, and brake lights are functioning.

Load properly approx. 60% in front of the axles (you want 10-15% of the trailer and load weight on the hitch). Then, balance the load side to side, and secure it (you don’t want it getting loose). Don’t overload, go by acceptable payload ratings or you may void the warranty.

Finally, take a trial drive and familiarize yourself with the handling characteristics of your tow vehicle and portable restroom trailer.

Portable Restroom Trailer Operation Pre-Travel Checklist

Make certain that the following items have been checked.  Then rechecked, before you take your Rich Portable Restroom Trailer on the road. Take a quick inventory of all items in your portable restroom trailer to be sure they are secured.

Make certain all items inside of your portable restroom trailer are secured for travel. Also, be sure doors inside the trailer are closed and latched securely.

Front Hitch Jack – The front hitch jack of your portable restroom trailer should be raised as far as possible.

Stabilizer Jacks – Both the rear and front restroom trailer jacks should be raised as far as possible.

Doors and windows – Check through your portable restroom trailer to be sure that all doors and windows are closed and latched.

Pigtail – Check to be sure that the pigtail of your portable restroom trailer is connected properly to the tow vehicle’s electrical plug in.

Lights– The following lights should be tested on both your portable restroom trailer and the tow vehicle.  Firstly, check brake lights, warning lights, flashers, clearance lights, taillights and head lights.

Hitch Coupler/Pin box- Inspect the hitch coupler or pin box on your portable restroom trailer to be sure they are secured.

Power Cord – The 110-volt shoreline cords on your portable restroom trailer must be unplugged from the external source. Place the cord in its compartment. And finally, fasten shut the storage hatch of your portable restroom trailer.

Water Hoses and Shore Line Cords on your portable restroom trailer must be disconnected.  Also, secure all hose and pipe caps.

Tires – The proper air pressure for the tires on your portable restroom trailer is printed on the sidewall of the tire. Air pressure should always be checked when portable restroom trailer tires are cold. Cold tires give the most accurate reading.

Inspect Tires

Before each trip check the tires of your portable restroom trailer for uneven wear, road damage, foreign objects or excessive peeling or bulging. Heat generated by surface friction will increase the tire’s air pressure approximately six to nine psi.  So do not bleed air out of a hot tire. If so, you run the risk of leaving your portable restroom trailer tires low on air pressure.

Note: In the event that your Rich Specialty Portable Restroom Trailer requires a tire change, turn on the tow vehicle’s flashers and set up flares or warning lights. Put a chock under the opposite tire and unhitch the portable restroom trailer from the tow vehicle. Place scissors-type or hydraulic jack on a block of wood directly under the portable restroom trailer frame close to the tire you intend to change. DO NOT use a bumper jack on your portable restroom trailer since it could damage the sidewalls or floorboard.

As part of the restroom trailer operation, raise the jack until the tire clears the ground, then remove the lug nuts. Pull the tire off your portable restroom trailer and put the spare tire on the hub. Replace and tighten the lug nuts. Lower the jack until the tire just touches the ground. The lug nuts on your portable restroom trailer should be inspected and retightened after 10, 25, and 50 miles or whenever a wheel has been reinstalled. It is a good practice to survey lug nuts each time you take your portable restroom trailer out to a venue.

Portable Restroom Trailers Breakaway Switch and Towing

It is important to understand a break away switch as part of the restroom trailer operation.  Portable restroom trailers breakaway switch and towing information is below. The breakaway switch is a safety feature designed to automatically engage the portable restroom trailer brakes.  If the trailer should somehow come unhitched from the tow vehicle.

For your restroom trailer operation, a steel cable connects the switch to the tow vehicle. If separation occurs, the switch is activated by the action of the cable pulling out the switch actuating pin. Make sure the cable is attached to the portable restroom trailer’s tow vehicle with sufficient slack.  Importantly the slack should allow a full 90 degree turn without activating the restroom trailer brakes.

Also, the breakaway switch requires 12-volt current to operate. This current is normally supplied by the tow vehicle electrical system. If complete separation occurs, the portable restroom trailer battery supplies the power needed for brake activation.

Test the breakaway switch before each trip by pulling out the switch activating pin and checking to make sure the trailer brakes have been activated. If the switch and brakes do not operate properly, have the problem repaired before towing the Portable Restroom Trailer. Keep the trailer battery charged at all times to insure the safe operation.  Please feel free to call us with any questions.