October 24, 2024
How Long Will My Portable Restroom Trailer Last? What to Expect
Adding new trailers to your fleet is a large investment, and you always want to make sure that you get your money's worth when it comes to big purchases. With capital investments such as buying a mobile restroom trailer, you want to know how much use you should get out of your purchase or how long it will last.
Here’s a handy guide to help you better understand your investment and how to make it go the distance.
What to Expect From Your Trailer
While there is no surefire way to know exactly how long a restroom trailer for sale will last, certain considerations will help you ballpark its lifespan. When bought new and treated well, a well-maintained trailer can last a few decades. However, poor maintenance, especially when combined with heavy use, can quickly begin to chip away at its longevity.
Because of this, be wary of certain used trailers for sale. They can often come with a shorter lifespan. Look for used portable restrooms for sale that come with certifications, like a 20-point inspection, to confirm you’re getting maximum lifetime for your not-quite-new purchase.
How you treat your trailer is an excellent indicator of how long it will last. For example, if you have a smaller trailer catered to serve shorter guest lists but use it for handling more people, it will likely adversely affect its lifespan. Using your trailer within the manufacturer’s guidelines can help make its ideal longevity more attainable.
With mobile restroom trailer ownership comes the expectation of certain damages to your trailer. Cleaning issues like dust, dirt, and muck are all anticipated but helpful to get ahead of. Hopefully, you won’t encounter any bathroom wall graffiti with your clientele (unless that’s the look you’re going for), but these cosmetic damages won’t diminish the functional life of your trailer.
Since most trailers are outside when used, weather-related damages are sometimes unavoidable. For example, you might want to expect some bumps and dents from falling branches if your trailers are out in storms. Make sure that the damage is just cosmetic in nature before it turns into a more significant problem.
A trailer that is well taken care of can last for many years and give you the most value from your investment. The critical aspect of this, though, is good maintenance.
Quick Fixes and Regular Maintenance
Regular maintenance ensures that your investment lasts as long as possible. You can use your trailer for many years with consistent upkeep and timely repairs and servicing. This maintenance, when kept up with, can take a little bit of time but can hugely impact the lifespan of your trailer.
Standard maintenance involves much of the nitty-gritty work that no one wants to do but has to be done, nonetheless. Cleaning toilets, countertops, sinks, mirrors, and floors all help keep your trailer in working order. While a dirty trailer may not affect the use of your trailer now, it can deter patrons from using one of your facilities. This could lead to overuse on another unit and cause larger maintenance issues if left unaddressed. Without proper cleaning on a regular basis, issues like mold and dampness can pop up, leading to health hazards and more expensive cleaning bills.
Beyond sanitary cleaning, practical maintenance is also essential in keeping your trailer in working order. Checking light bulbs, power outlets, cables, and other electrical components allows you to find and address small issues that can prevent your trailer from being used. Addressing quick fixes right away also helps you find larger issues faster. Say you have a light that goes out. If you choose not to change it, you may not realize that the bulb didn’t go out but instead, there was an issue with the wiring. By addressing minor issues quickly, you can identify significant problems and resolve them faster.
Regular trailer maintenance includes changing tires, repairing defective hinges, and other toolbox jobs. These jobs keep your trailer up and running the best it can, and can give a little boost in your trailer's lifespan. If you are looking for a more comprehensive checklist of what you should address with regular maintenance, look at our trailer maintenance checklist, where all the odd jobs, supplies, and timelines are in one place.
Long-Term Maintenance
Like us, it is important to get regular checkups to fix any bumps or bruises as your trailer ages. While regular maintenance–like tire checks or changing light bulbs–is vital to keeping your trailer in tip-top shape, don’t leave possibly more expensive fixes for later either.
Even though restroom trailers are made to withstand the elements, sometimes extreme weather doesn’t get the memo. If you live in harsher climates, that can shorten the lifespan of your trailer. Look into winterization packages to protect your trailer from freezing in the upcoming colder months.
Additionally, with age comes wisdom and some wear and tear that needs addressing. When structural damages such as dented walls or leaky roofs appear, you should address them quickly. Promptly repairing structural issues ensures they don’t worsen and affect other parts of your trailer.
The quicker you address big fixes, the longer your trailer will last. When problems spread or are left alone without being addressed, they can cause more extensive problems that may not be salvageable or too expensive to justify the cost.
If you want your trailer to live up to its full potential and lifespan, keep up with regular maintenance and any non-cosmetic fixes.
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Infographic
When purchasing a mobile restroom trailer, you want to know its expected usage and lifespan. This infographic provides a useful guide to help you understand your investment and maximize its longevity.
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