Trailers solve certain problems well. No building or scaffolding is necessary to get an elevated viewpoint, and they can be deployed as fast as they can be towed to a site and powered on. As long as there’s practical space to put them, a trailer system can be extended simply by adding more. And when the camera is no longer needed, the whole trailer can be wheeled away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, conventional trailer systems also bring serious tradeoffs: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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- Generator downsides<\/strong>: If running from an internal generator, trailers emit noise and exhaust gases, and require regular refueling.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ground footprint<\/strong>: Trailers typically take up the equivalent of at least one potential parking lot space. Even when it’s not a parking lot, that ground space may be valuable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Placement needs<\/strong>: Muddy, rocky, uneven, or difficult to access ground can severely limit trailer placement<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Stability<\/strong>: Over a height of 20 or so feet, many trailer-based systems require guy lines to ensure stability of the central mounting pole.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Solving trailer headaches with cabinets<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A different approach to rugged outdoor surveillance, when the environment allows, is to use cabinet-based camera systems instead. Cabinet systems typically enclose the same kind of electronics that a trailer would, but in a much smaller enclosure. That’s because the bulk of a trailer isn’t about the camera at all, or even the network. Instead, most of what makes a trailer big enough to require towing into place is the mechanism of mounting pole, generator, and road-capabile chassis \u2014 none of which a cabinet needs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
With their minimal bulk, cabinet systems are often mounted on a dedicated pole, or on an existing utility pole. They can also be adapted to fit the look and available mounting opportunities of the actual install site. In a concert or area setting, cabinets can be flown on a metal truss the same way speakers or lights are, or they can be non-destructively mounted to a tree in a park or other natural setting. In many cases, cabinets can also be mounted to the side or roof of another structure, such as an oil derrick or a storage silo. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
All-in-one cabinet options such as Eagle Eye’s Anywhere Cabinet Systems<\/a> typically draw power from solar panels. (Anywhere Cabinet Systems by default use a secure cellular connection, and along with Eagle Eye’s other Cabinet Systems can also use wired power. An optional external power supply<\/a> can draw on the power running to existing utility poles.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
More camera bang for the buck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nCabinet systems can’t just be wheeled in the same way that trailers can. However, with their smaller size, cabinets can be quickly shipped in greater quantities than trailer systems, and many of them are literally small enough to fit in a backpack, which means they can be trekked into even the most difficult locations, such as areas struck by a hurricane or a flood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
And even in places like parking lots, you can afford to set up several cabinet systems to give you far more complete coverage at a price lower than renting a trailer system by the week or the month\u2026and for a lot less than a trailer would cost. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once installed, each cabinet system gives you a wide-angle view of the area you need to cover \u2014 or you can attach to it a narrow-view camera for specialized applications like license plate recognition. In areas with available power and network, you can even attach up to seven cameras to an Eagle Eye Bridge Cabinet for widely distributed coverage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In short, cabinets let you get better coverage at a lower price. <\/p>\n<\/div>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.een.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/cabinets-cabinet.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBefore you go<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Surveillance trailers have an ongoing role in the places that demand them most, especially when the need for surveillance is strictly time-limited, and where instant mobility is a high priority. Trailers also have a visibility advantage which may be valuable as a deterrent on construction sites or car lots. And of course, trailers are a technology that’s improving, too, with smaller and quieter generators, more capable batteries, and more compact structures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But innovative mounting and power options mean there are more and more places where a cabinet should be seriously considered over a trailer. In some cases cabinet-attached cameras can be quickly re-aimed or entirely repositioned, and they take up far less of your valuable ground space. Cabinets, too, can be equipped with sirens or talk-down speakers as well as lights, giving you an excellent visible deterrent to thieves or intruders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on your situation, trailers may still be your best option. But before you select them out of habit, it makes sense to see what cabinets can do for you now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Ground footprint<\/strong>: Trailers typically take up the equivalent of at least one potential parking lot space. Even when it’s not a parking lot, that ground space may be valuable.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n