Here's the full pickup flow at a glance, then detail on each step below:
Drive to the pickup location shown in your booking app.
Open the booking app and tap Start pickup.
Answer the pickup questions (nine quick yes/no items).
Take the 5 pickup photos the app asks for.
Read through the 4 short instruction screens.
Your access code appears — use it on the keybox at the trailer tongue.
Take both keys from the keybox: one for the coupler lock, one for the toolbox.
Open the toolbox, remove the coupler lock, store the lock inside the toolbox.
Hitch up. Test lights and brakes.
Drive — and re-lock the coupler every time you park.
The single most important habit during your rental: keep the coupler lock engaged on the hitch any time the trailer is parked or unattended. It's contractually required, it's the condition of our theft coverage, and it's the 30-second step that protects you from being financially responsible if the trailer is stolen.
Before you go
Check your booking app for:
The pickup location address
Your pickup window start and end time
Bring:
A working tow vehicle properly equipped for this trailer (see the tow vehicle requirements article if you're not sure)
Your phone for the booking app and chat
Your driver's license (verified at booking, but bring it in case)
When you arrive at the trailer
Drive to the location shown in your booking app and find your reserved trailer — the keybox is mounted on the driver side of the trailer near the front, low on the main beam. Don't try to open it yet; the booking app will give you your access code in a few minutes.
Start the pickup in your booking app
Open your booking on the app and tap Start pickup. The app will walk you through three quick steps before your access code is revealed: pickup questions, pickup photos, and a few short instruction screens.
Answer the pickup questions
Nine quick yes/no questions — a mix of "do you have the right equipment" and "will you follow the rules during the rental." Read each one. Answering Yes means you agree to that condition for the duration of your rental.
You haven't unlocked anything yet at this point — these are commitments you make before the trailer is yours to use.
Take the 5 pickup photos
The app prompts you for 5 photos: four corners of the trailer and the bed interior. Take them carefully — clear, well-lit, and from the angles the app asks for. These document the trailer's condition at the moment of handover.
If you skip them or take blurry shots, condition disputes at return get harder to resolve in your favor. See the dedicated 5 pickup photos article for the angle-by-angle guide.
Read the 4 quick instruction screens
After the photos, the app shows four short screens telling you what to do once your access code appears: open the keybox, open the toolbox, hitch up, and check lights and brakes. Read them — they're short and useful when you're standing at the trailer with keys in hand.
Your access code appears — unlock the keybox
When you tap through the last instruction screen, your access code appears in the booking app.
Enter the access code on the keybox. The keybox opens.
Inside you'll find two keys: - Coupler lock key — opens the coupler lock that secures the trailer hitch - Toolbox key — opens the locking toolbox on the trailer
Take both keys.
Open the toolbox and remove the coupler lock
This step is small but critical — don't lose the coupler lock between pickup and return.
Open the toolbox with the toolbox key. Check inside for any equipment included with your trailer.
Use the coupler lock key to remove the coupler lock from the trailer's hitch.
Place the coupler lock inside the toolbox — that's where it lives during your rental.
Close and re-lock the toolbox.
Keep the coupler lock key with you — you'll need it every time you park during the rental. The toolbox key can go back into the keybox if you don't need it again before return.
Hitch up
In order:
Back your tow vehicle up to the trailer coupler — slow, with a spotter if you have one.
Lower the trailer coupler onto your ball, then lock it down. Pull up sharply on the coupler to confirm it's seated.
Cross the safety chains under the coupler — left chain to right hook, right chain to left hook.
Connect the breakaway lanyard to a solid point on the tow vehicle (not the safety chain or the ball mount).
Plug in the 7-pin electrical connector.
Crank the jack stand fully up.
Test lights and brakes
Before you drive off, confirm:
Running lights — all on
Brake lights — both working (you'll need a second person at the steering wheel to press the brake)
Turn signals — left and right
Trailer brakes — apply your brake controller's manual lever; you should feel or hear the trailer brakes engage
Anything not working: don't drive off. Message us in chat and we'll work through it.
The coupler-lock habit during your rental
Re-engage the coupler lock on the hitch any time the trailer is parked or unattended — overnight, during loading, during unloading, at any rest stop. This is contractually required and is the condition of our insurance covering theft.
The flow:
Park the trailer.
Open the toolbox with the toolbox key.
Take out the coupler lock.
Engage the coupler lock on the hitch.
Re-lock the toolbox.
When you're ready to tow again, reverse the process: unlock the toolbox, remove the lock from the coupler, stow the lock back inside, drive.
The 30 seconds this takes every time you park is the single most valuable habit of the rental. Theft of an unlocked trailer is on you — both financially (per the rental agreement) and practically (insurance won't reimburse).
You're towing
Once your lights, brakes, and hitch are confirmed, you're ready to go. Drive carefully and check our loading and hauling guide for cargo-specific guidance. If anything comes up mid-rental, message us in chat.
When you're done, see the return walkthrough — the key-handling flow is the same in reverse.