How to Use a Trailer
How to Hook-Up The Trailer to Your Vehicle:
- You will need to ensure you have the correct sized hitch installed on your car, as well as a lighting system ready to attach to the dump trailer. We provide a hitch that is meant to fit with our trailer.
- We recommend having a person outside of your vehicle, standing between the trailer and the vehicle to help guide you to the right location.
- Begin by pulling your vehicle in front of the trailer and try to parallel your tires with the trailer’s tires so you can back up in a straight line.
- Slowly drive backwards until the ball of the hitch is just under the clamp on the trailer. If you are more than a 1/2″ off, we recommend pulling forward a bit and backing up again.
- Once you have centered the ball of the hitch under the clamp, put on both the emergency and then parking brake. Make sure you engage your emergency brake before putting the car in park to prevent your vehicle from shifting. Shut off your car.
- Remove the pin from the foot underneath the crank. Use the crank to lower the trailer slowly onto the hitch. You will notice your vehicle start to sink, that is normal because it is taking on the weight of the trailer. Continue to do this until the leg under the crank is raised all the way up. If it is too low, it will run along the ground.
- You will need to ensure you have the correct sized hitch installed on your car, as well as a lighting system ready to attach to the dump trailer. We provide a hitch that is meant to fit with our trailer.
- We recommend having a person outside of your vehicle, standing between the trailer and the vehicle to help guide you to the right location.
- Begin by pulling your vehicle in front of the trailer and try to parallel your tires with the trailer’s tires so you can back up in a straight line.
- Slowly drive backwards until the ball of the hitch is just under the clamp on the trailer. If you are more than a 1/2″ off, we recommend pulling forward a bit and backing up again.
7. Fasten the clamp onto the ball by securing the latch. If there is a gap showing between the latch and the receiver, that means the lock is not engaging. Sometimes you just have to push forward on your vehicle or backward on the trailer to fix this. Make sure your latch is all the way down and there’s no gap there. Once there is no gap, your hitch lock is engaged.
8. Find the chains located on the trailer and attach them to your hitch. We recommend crossing them to look like an x when attaching them to the holes on the hitch, where the chain on the left side of the trailer would be attached to the right side of the vehicle, and the chain on the right side of the trailer would be attached to the left side of the vehicle. However, it is not necessary to put them on in an x pattern. If they seem to reach better going straight, that works as well. Just make sure the chains do not reach the ground once connected to your hitch.
9. Plug in the light cord from the trailer, to the outlet on the vehicle. The outlet on your vehicle is typically to the left of your hitch.
10. Make sure to test out the light plug connection by testing the blinkers and brakes in your vehicle and making sure the trailer mimics those properly. If it does not, make sure the light plug is plugged in all the way.
11. After you do a walk-around the trailer to make sure all is secured properly, pull out the blocks and chocks that are loose. These can be placed in the secure box in the front of the trailer.
12. Pull the trailer forward slightly, pull out the remaining blocks and chocks and store them.
13. You are off!
5. Once you have centered the ball of the hitch under the clamp, put on both the emergency and then parking brake. Make sure you engage your emergency brake before putting the car in park to prevent your vehicle from shifting. Shut off your car.
6. Remove the pin from the foot underneath the crank. Use the crank to lower the trailer slowly onto the hitch. You will notice your vehicle start to sink, that is normal because it is taking on the weight of the trailer. Continue to do this until the leg under the crank is raised all the way up. If it is too low, it will run along the ground.
How to Use the Tarp:
Once you have loaded your items into the dump trailer, we recommend covering your load with the provided tarp to ensure your materials don’t spill out while driving.
1. The tarp is rolled up in the front of the trailer bed. Grab the rod at the end of the rolled up tarp and pull it back toward the end of the trailer. This may be easier to do with two people.
2. Hook the rod into the two hooks at the end of the bed
3. Tighten the tarp by using the crank located at the front of the trailer to pull it tight.
4. To remove the tarp, begin by loosening the crank you used to tighten it.
5. Unhook the rod from the two hooks holding it in place
6. Return the rolled up tarp to the front of the bed by cranking it from the front of the trailer back into place.
How to Dump the Dump Trailer:
- Make sure you are located in a spot you are okay with the materials being dropped
- Confirm the car has it’s emergency brake and parking brakes engaged
- Remove the tarp that is covering your trailer and crank it back into place at the front of the trailer
- Open the back doors of the trailer by twisting and lifting the deadbolt in the center of the doors
- Secure the doors to the side of the trailer.
- Locate the remote control for the hydraulic lift, the remote should be located in the locked box at the front of the trailer.
- Confirm no one is standing behind the trailer and press the up button
- The trailer should begin to slowly start rising to a 45 degree angle.
9. Once the trailer has lifted all the way to a 45 degree angle use a shovel or a broom to clear out whatever remains
10. Press the down button to lower the trailer all the way back down to its chassis
11. Store the remote back into the locked box
12. Secure the back doors of the trailer
- Make sure you are located in a spot you are okay with the materials being dropped
- Confirm the car has it’s emergency brake and parking brakes engaged
- Remove the tarp that is covering your trailer and crank it back into place at the front of the trailer
- Open the back doors of the trailer by twisting and lifting the deadbolt in the center of the doors
- Secure the doors to the side of the trailer.
9. Once the trailer has lifted all the way to a 45 degree angle use a shovel or a broom to clear out whatever remains
10. Press the down button to lower the trailer all the way back down to its chassis
11. Store the remote back into the locked box
12. Secure the back doors of the trailer
6. Locate the remote control for the hydraulic lift, the remote should be located in the locked box at the front of the trailer.
7. Confirm no one is standing behind the trailer and press the up button
8. The trailer should begin to slowly start rising to a 45 degree angle.
9. Once the trailer has lifted all the way to a 45 degree angle use a shovel or a broom to clear out whatever remains
10. Press the down button to lower the trailer all the way back down to its chassis
11. Store the remote back into the locked box
12. Secure the back doors of the trailer
How to Unhook the Dump Trailer:
- Back the trailer into the parking spot, going just a few inches past where it will end up sitting
- Have someone get out and put chocks in front of the trailer wheels closest to your vehicle
- Once the person has moved a safe distance from the trailer pull forward just a bit to allow the chocks to secure the position of the tires
- Place your emergency brake and parking brake
- Get out and place the remaining chocks and blocks behind the tires
- Unhook the electrical cords and wind them up and place them back where you found them
- Unhook the chains and hook the ends to where you found them on the trailer
- Undo the pin that is on the hitch and store the pin where you found it
- Back the trailer into the parking spot, going just a few inches past where it will end up sitting
- Have someone get out and put chocks in front of the trailer wheels closest to your vehicle
- Once the person has moved a safe distance from the trailer pull forward just a bit to allow the chocks to secure the position of the tires
- Place your emergency brake and parking brake
- Get out and place the remaining chocks and blocks behind the tires
- Unhook the electrical cords and wind them up and place them back where you found them
9. Begin cranking to lower the foot in the front of the trailer, you should start to see your vehicle rise up because the weight is coming off of it
10. Continue to crank until the weight is fully off your vehicle and there is enough space between the ball and the clamp to drive your vehicle forward safely without hitting the clamp
11. Use the pin on the foot to pin it into place
12. Confirm you have returned everything where it needs to go and everything is secure
13. Drive off, thank you for using DIY Trailer Rentals!
7. Unhook the chains and hook the ends to where you found them on the trailer
8. Undo the pin that is on the hitch and store the pin where you found it
9. Begin cranking to lower the foot in the front of the trailer, you should start to see your vehicle rise up because the weight is coming off of it
10. Continue to crank until the weight is fully off your vehicle and there is enough space between the ball and the clamp to drive your vehicle forward safely without hitting the clamp
11. Use the pin on the foot to pin it into place
12. Confirm you have returned everything where it needs to go and everything is secure
13. Drive off, thank you for using DIY Trailer Rentals!
Trailer Driving Tips:
- Keep in mind your vehicle has now doubled in size and give your self extra space when turning in front of cars and changing lanes
- While pulling a trailer many people will try to rush ahead when you signal your intent to change lanes or merge, just be cautious and pay attention to make sure you don’t drive into one of these impatient drivers
- Give yourself extra space when turning by first turning slightly in the opposite direction you want to go and then reversing the steering wheel to go where you want to go, this will give you a little extra room away from the curb or car that is on the inside of your turn.
- Trailers add weight, especially loaded trailers. This means it will take longer for your car to start and stop, keep that in mind and give yourself some good space between your car and the car in front of you