When is a trailer better than single cabins?
When guests expect sinks and flushing toilets, when the crowd is large, or when the event runs many hours. A trailer often covers a crowd that would otherwise need many cabins in one spot.
A single cabin is simple to place and easy to move. A trailer with several rooms and running sinks gives guests the experience they expect at a sit-down venue, and one trailer serves several people at once, which keeps the lines shorter than a row of cabins at the same spot.
Trailers are chosen for sink access, flushing and the look a crowd expects. Cabins are chosen for their number, their flexibility and the fact that they can be placed in small spaces. Many events use both, with the trailer at the center of the area and cabins at the edges, and the mix is planned on the call.
What does a trailer need from the ground?
A level, firm surface, a route the truck can take and room for the doors to open fully and for the crew to reach the tanks.
A loaded trailer is much heavier than a cabin, and soft ground under its wheels or jacks can sink or tilt it. Wet grass, sand and mud need a firmer surface first, and a laid pad is the usual answer for a long stay. The technician decides on the walk-through.
Low ground near the river or at the beaches needs thought before a trailer is set there. Hurricane Irma in September 2017 put water through downtown, San Marco and Riverside before dawn, and a trailer on low ground in those areas or near the water is one that has to be moved or secured before a storm.
Does a trailer need water and power?
It depends on the model. Some trailers carry their own water and tanks, and others need a utility hookup. The provider states which applies on the call.
A trailer with its own water and tanks can be set on a spot with no utility at all, which matters on a park or a private lot with no supply nearby. A trailer that needs a hookup has to be connected to a supply the site owner has agreed to, and the connection is planned before delivery rather than made on the day.
Do not connect a trailer to a hydrant, a home supply or a power source without the owner's and the provider's agreement. A connection made without that agreement is a common cause of trouble on an event day.
What moves the price of a trailer up or down?
The number of rooms, the length of the event, any hookup, the distance and access, and the number of servicing visits. No figure is given here, and the price is explained and approved before work starts.
The number of rooms and sinks is the first driver, because it sets the size and the weight of the trailer. The length of the event is next, since a longer event means more servicing and a longer hire. A hookup or a generator adds to the setup, and distance and road access add to the trip.
This site publishes no price and no range. The provider gives the quote on the call, explains each part of it, and waits for your approval before the truck is loaded.
How is a trailer kept usable in the heat?
Shade where the lot allows it, more frequent checks on sinks and tanks, and a servicing plan built around the hottest hours of the day.
The 1991 to 2020 normal July average high is 91.9 degrees, and recent Julys have run above it. A trailer's sides and roof take the sun, so shade on the sides and doors facing away from the afternoon sun help most. The provider sets the visits around the afternoon on the call.
The crew checks sinks and tanks more often on the hottest days, and it helps to plan the servicing visits around the afternoon peak rather than the morning. Ask the provider to set those visits on the call, so the schedule is written down before the event opens.