VanBelkumHelp VB4-MST Security Trailer

Before you deploy

Ten minutes of planning at the site saves a return trip. Pick the ground, look up, and check the trailer before you unhitch.

Choose the spot

  • Open sky. The panels need sun for most of the day, with no building, tree, or parked equipment shading them. Face the array south where you can.
  • Nothing overhead. The mast extends up to about 24 feet (7.5 m). The area above the trailer must be clear of power lines, branches, and structures.
  • Firm, level ground. The trailer must be leveled with the outriggers extended before the mast goes up. Soft or sloped ground makes that hard and the unit less stable.
  • Room around it. Keep people clear of the sides while the mast is raised or lowered. In a crowd, set guards about 16 feet (5 m) out.
  • Weather. Lower the mast if high winds or an electrical storm are expected. Do not deploy where flying stones or debris can hit the panels.

Contact with an overhead electric line will cause serious injury or death. Never place the trailer under a line, and never raise the mast without checking above it first.

Check the trailer

Before every tow and every deployment:

  • Tires: tread, pressure, and condition.
  • Lug nuts: all present and tight.
  • Hitch and coupler: no wear or damage, and rated for the trailer’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR).
  • Lights: turn signals and brake lights connected and working.
  • Safety chains and the breakaway cable in good condition.
  • Panels retracted and locked, mast fully lowered and pinned, doors locked.

The ID plate on the trailer carries the VIN, GVWR, and axle rating. Photograph it once and keep the photo; support will ask for it.

Tow it safely

  • Use a 2-inch ball hitch rated at or above the trailer’s GVWR, and confirm the coupler is latched.
  • Cross the safety chains under the tongue. Clip the breakaway cable to the tow vehicle, never to the hitch itself.
  • Swing the jockey wheel up to horizontal and pin it before you pull away.
  • Highway: 45 mph maximum. Off-road: 10 mph or slower, depending on terrain.
  • Leave extra room, avoid soft shoulders and curbs, and skip sudden lane changes. If trailers are new to you, practice turning, stopping, and backing somewhere quiet first.
  • Wipe the coupler and add fresh grease each time you tow. It extends the coupler’s life and stops the squeak.

Some states require trailers to be registered and licensed. Check with your local Department of Motor Vehicles for your unit.