THE TRAILSLAYERS REFERENCE
Field Manual
From your first sign-in to running your club. Find a task and follow the steps.
Start with your account, find your people, then make it yours.
Getting started & your account
New here? Start with these five steps
A first visit from download to finding your crew.
- Open TrailSlayers and choose sign in or account setup. Use the same sign-in method on the website and app to reach the same account.
- Complete the requested account details, eligibility confirmations and email verification. Choose a trail name people will recognize.
- Open Profile & Garage to add your photo, introduction and rig. You can return to this later.
- Open Contacts to find friends, or My Club to explore club membership. Use Trail Talk to find a conversation and say hello.
- Open Menu → Field Manual whenever you need help. Search a task such as “create club”, “photo”, “monthly” or “delete account”.
Basecamp is home. Contacts finds people; Camera opens TrailCam; Menu opens the feature list; Settings opens account controls. Phone bottom buttons are shortcuts. On a computer, use the side menu. Some features require sign-in, verification or a particular role.
Back to contents ↑Create an account, sign in and recover access
Choose the right account and return with the same provider.
- Open Account settings. Choose the offered Google, Apple or email/password option. Google and Apple may ask for their own passkey or device confirmation; that is different from a TrailSlayers password.
- For a new email/password account, follow the password requirements shown (at least 12 characters). Finish your trail name and account setup, accept the displayed policies, then check your verification email.
- Choose Personal for your individual membership; Vendor for business participation; Event Coordinator for organizing events; or Club for an independently owned club account. Account type does not grant platform administration.
- If the email already exists, sign in using the method you originally used. Use password reset for an email/password login. Do not create a second profile simply because you switched devices.
- Use the sign-out control when finished on a shared device. Reopening an app can preserve an active signed-in session; closing it is not the same as signing out.
Apple Hide My Email can give your account a relay address. Keep using the same Apple identity. If you cannot recover access, contact support; never send your password or verification code in an issue report.
Back to contents ↑Change your profile and preferences
Manage your public identity separately from device permissions.
- Open Menu → Account settings and review the available account and profile controls.
- In your profile editor, update your username, personal role/title, Wheeling Since and public profile details, then save. Check your public profile afterward.
- Use Notifications for alerts and TrailWire for newsletter preferences. Camera, photos and location also need permission from your phone or browser.
Member since records when you joined; it is not an editable experience date. Wheeling Since is the separate field for your off-road experience.
Back to contents ↑Trail Talk & your people
Find Trail Talk and open chat
Start here: find the chat button on your phone or computer.
- Sign in to your TrailSlayers account. If account setup or email verification is requested, finish that first.
- On a phone, tap Trail Talk at the bottom left of the screen. You can also open Menu at the top, then choose Trail Talk.
- On a computer, choose Trail Talk in the left menu. The page heading says Trail Talk.
- Choose an existing conversation, or use Create room to search more locations and start a room. The next sections walk through both paths.
Trail Talk is the chat service. TrailMail is email. This manual stays available under Menu → Field Manual whenever you need it.
Back to contents ↑Find a room and join the conversation
Search your rooms, browse another area, and accept private invitations.
- On a computer, look under Conversations on the left. Use Find a room to filter the rooms already listed. On a phone, expand Find or create a room, then search or choose a Conversation.
- Use the room-type tabs to narrow the list: Clubs, Local or Direct. The phone also offers Global; the desktop offers All. Local is a room-list category—check the selected room’s own audience before sharing anything.
- To look beyond that list, select Create room. This opens a combined finder and creation form. Enter a name or place in Search existing rooms and choose the country, state, county or city you want to browse. Clear narrower place fields if you want a broader search.
- Select an existing room in Search results to open it. You do not need to press the Create button to enter a room that already exists.
- For an invitation, choose Accept & open chat. Friends-only rooms need an accepted room invitation. Club rooms need the appropriate active membership; a room link does not bypass access rules.
Hibernating · history saved means nobody is currently active there. The room is still usable: open it and say hello. Subscribe if you want an easy way back.
Back to contents ↑Send a message or photo
Write your first hello, add a photo, and read earlier messages.
- Open a room and wait for the live connection. If it still says Connecting…, wait for it to connect or check your connection before sending.
- Tap the Message box at the bottom, type your message, then press Send. Text messages can contain up to 2,000 characters.
- For a photo, use Add photo or the image icon beside the message box. Choose a picture from your device, or its camera if offered. Check the preview, add an optional caption, then press Send. Remove selected photo clears a picture before sending.
- Your sent message appears in the conversation. If an error appears, read it and retry when the issue is resolved; the composer keeps your text on a failed send.
- Use Load earlier history above the messages to read older conversation. A direct message can wait for someone who is offline; they do not have to be present when you send it.
The people list shows who is online or when they were last seen. In a club’s Members room it can show the full club roster, so every listed person is not necessarily online right now.
Back to contents ↑Friends, Trail Network and direct messages
Add someone to your friends list and open a conversation with just them.
- Open Contacts in the top bar, or Menu → Trail Network. Search by the person’s trail name or business; type at least two characters.
- Choose Add friend. The other person receives a friend request. It becomes a friendship after they accept; a pending request is not an accepted friend.
- Use the Requests view to handle incoming requests or check outgoing ones. Being in the same club can identify someone as a teammate, but it does not automatically make every club member a friend.
- Choose Message on a person’s card or profile to open a direct conversation. In Trail Talk, the Direct tab and Speed dial help you return to your people. You can also use Find people to reach the member directory.
- To manage an existing friend, open their Options in Trail Network. Read the removal or blocking dialog before confirming. Blocking prevents new direct contact between the two accounts.
A direct conversation is for its two participants. A Friends only room is a group room with its own invitations—adding a friend does not automatically invite them to every private room.
Back to contents ↑Save rooms and control alerts
Keep favorite conversations close without leaving every alert on.
- Inside a room, select Subscribe. It changes to Subscribed, and the room appears in your Favorites or Subscribed rooms selector.
- After subscribing, use Alerts on / Alerts off to control alerts for that room. On a phone, expand Chat controls at the top of the conversation to find Subscribe, alerts and Invite.
- Select Subscribed again to remove that subscription. Turning alerts off keeps the subscription; unsubscribing removes it.
- Watch the Trail Talk unread badge and Menu → Notifications for activity. Device notifications also depend on your browser or device permission; a room subscription alone cannot grant that permission.
Subscribing saves a shortcut and notification preference. It does not make a room private or grant access to a room you are not allowed to enter.
Back to contents ↑Understand ranks and moderators
Know what an R-rank means and who can manage a conversation.
| Label | What it means for chat |
|---|---|
| R1–R4 | A member’s rank within a particular club. Titles and delegated permissions can vary by club. A rank alone does not mean someone moderates every room. |
| R5 | The club’s owner/leader. Club leadership and its configured permissions govern that club’s private areas. |
| MOD | A moderator for the room you are viewing. A newly created community room’s creator is its first moderator; additional moderators can be assigned. |
| Leadership room | A separate club conversation. It is available only to the club owner and members with the required leadership-chat permission. |
A moderator helps keep a room usable: they can manage room participants and address disruptive behavior. Those controls apply to that room. Room moderation does not give someone platform-wide administration powers or ownership of your account.
You can belong to multiple clubs and have a different rank in each. Use the selected club and room as the context when reading a rank badge.
Back to contents ↑Create your own chat room
Choose the name, topic, location and audience before opening the room.
- In Trail Talk, choose Create room. On a phone, you can also expand Find or create a room and select Choose a location or create a room.
- Check Search existing rooms first so you do not create a second place for the same conversation.
- Choose Country / region. Add State / province, County / district and City only as far down as the room needs to go. Start with the higher-level fields; each lower field depends on the one above it.
- Enter Chat room title and an optional Topic. Choose Who can view and join? using the audience guide below. For Club only, select an active club you belong to.
- Review the audience and location, then select Create followed by your room title. The room opens and is added to your subscribed rooms. For a newly created room, you are its first moderator.
| Field | How to choose it |
|---|---|
| Country / region | Required. The broadest location for the room. |
| State / province → County / district → City | Optional, progressively smaller areas. Stop at the level you want; leaving City blank is different from making a city-specific room. |
| Chat room title | The name people look for. Use a clear purpose or place, such as “Oakdale trail planning”. Maximum 80 characters. |
| Topic | A short description of what the conversation is about. Maximum 240 characters. |
| Who can view and join? | The room’s actual access rule: Global, Local, Friends only or Club only. See the next section before choosing. |
A fully specified country/state/county/city selection also updates your saved chat area. A matching existing room may open instead of creating a duplicate; that does not make you its creator. Dedicated Club accounts use their own club chats; create general community rooms from an eligible personal, vendor or event-coordinator account.
Back to contents ↑Global, Local, Friends only or Club only?
Choose who can discover and enter a room—not just where it is listed.
| Audience | Who can enter | Useful for |
|---|---|---|
| Global | Eligible signed-in community members can discover and join, even if they live outside the selected area. The location describes the room; it does not limit them to that area. | Open discussion or a trip people may travel to. |
| Local | Members whose saved chat area matches the location levels selected for the room, plus its creator. This uses saved country/state/county/city, not live GPS distance. | An area’s trail conditions or local conversation. |
| Friends only | The creator and members who accept a room invitation. Eligible friends can be invited; a friendship by itself is not room membership. | A private conversation for an invited group. |
| Club only | The selected club’s owner and active members. You must belong to that club to select it when creating the room. | Planning with one club’s members. |
“Global” means open to eligible registered members, not an anonymous public chat. Local is not a secrecy setting. Room bans, temporary restrictions, club status and membership still apply. Copying a room link never grants access by itself.
Back to contents ↑Invite people and manage your room
Use the available moderator controls and understand what can be changed today.
- Open your room. Choose Invite near the title; on a phone, expand Chat controls to reach it. Pick an eligible person, then choose Send chat invitation.
- The invitation list follows the room’s audience: Global offers registered members; Local offers your friends within the chosen area; Friends only offers your friends; Club only offers the selected club’s members. An invitation does not override those rules.
- As a moderator, use Waiting for a response in the invitation dialog to review or cancel unanswered room invitations.
- To moderate someone who has joined, select their name in the room’s people list. Choose an Action, a duration where required, and an optional Moderator note; then select Apply room action. If the people list is hidden on your phone or a narrow screen, open the room on a computer with a wider window to reach these tools.
| Room action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Assign moderator / Remove moderator | Give or remove room moderation duties. Choose someone you trust. The room’s creator is protected from these participant actions. |
| Silence messages / Unsilence | Temporarily stop a participant from posting, or lift that message restriction. |
| Kick temporarily | Stop access to this room for the selected duration. |
| Ban until removed / Remove room ban | Stop access without an automatic expiry, or remove that room ban. This is a room restriction, not account deletion. |
Temporary silence and kick durations range from 1 minute to 72 hours. Moderator actions are recorded for the room.
Changing the title or topic after creation: there is no room rename/edit control in the current interface. Set them carefully when creating the room. Changing its audience afterward or deleting the room is also not currently offered. Report a needed correction through Report issue.
Back to contents ↑If something is missing or confusing
Check the common causes, then send a useful issue report.
| What you see | What to try |
|---|---|
| I can’t find a room | Clear the room search and check the room-type tab. Use Create room → Search existing rooms to browse another area. For a private room, check the invitation or membership requirement. |
| I can’t find chat controls on my phone | Expand Find or create a room for navigation, and Chat controls inside the current conversation for Invite, Subscribe and alerts. |
| Connecting… or a disabled Send button | Check your connection and sign-in. The room must connect before sending; enter text or choose a photo. Read any visible account or moderation error. |
| No friends in Speed dial | Open Trail Network and check whether requests have been accepted. Use Find people to locate a member directly. |
| A room is empty or hibernating | That describes current activity. Start a conversation; saved history is still available. |
| An instruction doesn’t match the screen | Use Report issue. Include phone/computer, the button you pressed, what you expected, what happened, and a screenshot if useful. |
Ready to try it? Open an available room, say hello, and subscribe if you want to return. Enjoy your chat.
Back to contents ↑Clubs, chapters & leadership
Your own club name or a TrailSlayers chapter?
Two different paths, with different ownership and approval rules.
| Path | Who starts it | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Independent club with your own name | A Club account with no club already owned | You create and lead your own club as R5. Choose your own name, rules and public presentation within the platform policies. |
| Approved TrailSlayers chapter | An individual Personal, Vendor or Event Coordinator account | Apply through Chapters. Approval is required to use the TrailSlayers chapter identity. The founder remains R5; the approved local Trail Boss is R4. |
You cannot bypass chapter approval by typing TrailSlayers into an independent club name. The creation form reserves that name. Joining TrailSlayers, founding your own club and administering the platform are separate permissions.
Back to contents ↑Set up an independently named club
Create the club, its public location and its first member spaces.
- Sign in with your Club account and open My Club / Clubs. If you already own a club, open that club instead of looking for another creation form.
- Choose Create club. Enter your own club name and organization type, then country, state/province and city.
- Set the public map pin and write About club. Use a meeting area or appropriate public location rather than a private home you do not want published.
- Read and accept the governance agreement, then select Create club. Your account becomes its R5 leader and the club receives its member and leadership conversations.
- Open the club Control panel to finish its page, membership requirements, bylaws and ranks. Applications begin with approval required; change membership settings deliberately.
A missing creation button may mean you are signed in with an individual account or already own a club. The TrailSlayers chapter application is a different route.
Back to contents ↑Apply to lead a TrailSlayers chapter
Prepare a private chapter draft and leadership team for approval.
- Open Chapters from your individual account and choose New chapter application. Do not use a dedicated Club account for the Trail Boss application.
- Complete the proposed chapter name, country, state/province, city, public map pin, introduction and draft bylaws.
- Read the leadership agreement: the TrailSlayers founder remains R5; the approved Trail Boss serves as R4.
- Nominate distinct contacts for the required R3, R2 and R1 positions. Each nominee must accept. Check the application for outstanding acceptances.
- Submit for founder review when the form is ready. A draft or submitted application is not a public approved chapter. If returned, read the review note, make changes and resubmit.
- After approval, use the chapter page and member chat. Any invitation to TrailSlayers Administration has its own assigned permissions; chapter rank is not unrestricted system access.
Find, join, switch or leave a club
Understand applications, invitations and membership requirements.
- Browse Clubs and open a club’s public page. Read its description, requirements and any public bylaws.
- Use the membership action shown. Open membership, application approval and closed membership are different settings; a request does not always mean immediate acceptance.
- For an invitation, review it and choose Accept & open club chat when offered. Accepted membership unlocks the applicable member areas.
- Use My Club and the club selector to choose the club you want to view. Ranks belong to that club, so your badge and controls can change when you switch.
- To leave, use the club’s Leave club action and read the confirmation. Ownership and leadership responsibilities may need resolution before leaving or deleting your account.
Build your club’s public page
Present the club with a logo, banner, sections and useful contact details.
- Open your club and choose Control panel using an account with page-management permission.
- Edit the public identity: logo, wide banner, introduction, organization type and public contact details. Only publish details you want visitors to see.
- Choose the available public sections and their order. Add the relevant event, fundraiser or campaign spotlight when those controls are available.
- Select Save public page & section order. Open Public view to check the result, then Member view to check the separate member experience.
Public page content and a members-only conversation are different audiences. A hidden editing control means you may lack that club’s page permission.
Back to contents ↑Manage members, ranks and club rules
Use delegated powers without confusing club authority with system administration.
- Select the correct club, then open its Control panel. Review the roster, pending applications and invitations in the sections available to your role.
- As R5, use Ranks & powers to review rank titles, descriptions and delegated permissions. Review member-specific exceptions separately.
- Grant only the duties intended: managing applications, invitations, ranks, roster, pages, events, leadership chat and moderation are distinct capabilities.
- Set membership to open, application-based or closed as appropriate. Enter requirements and bylaws, and choose whether bylaws are public or members-only.
- Use Weekly news for the club’s updates. Read confirmations carefully for hold, disband or revival actions; these affect access and visibility.
A club rank does not make someone a TrailSlayers platform administrator. A leadership room is restricted separately from ordinary member chat.
Back to contents ↑Admin and club-leader controls
Where management tools live and why some are missing.
TrailSlayers is one app for everyone. Club R5 leaders and assigned TrailSlayers administrators find their tools under the Admin menu and My Control Panel, using the same sign-in.
Installing the app never grants a leadership role. Creating an independent club makes its Club account R5; promotion or administration assignment must come through the appropriate authorized process.
Control panels show only the features your account and selected organization allow. Vendor and event-coordinator tools are on their own pages. The same tools are on the website at trailslayers.org.
Public view, member view and management view serve different audiences. If access is denied, check your account and selected club before contacting support.
A separate TrailSlayers Dashboard app is no longer needed; its tools are in the main app for the accounts allowed to use them.
Back to contents ↑Profile, garage & photos
Fit your profile photo properly
Move and zoom the photo, then check the saved-image preview.
- Open Profile & Garage and choose the profile-photo editor. Select your original picture.
- Drag to align it and use pinch/Zoom or the Left/right and Up/down controls. Fill frame covers the frame; Fit whole photo keeps the complete image and may add a border.
- Use Center if you want to reset the position. Check the preview, including the smaller display sizes, before saving.
- Save, then open your public profile to confirm the result. If part of the original was already cut off before upload, upload the original file again; zooming cannot restore missing pixels.
Add rigs and document your build
Create a showcase with vehicle details, parts and installation credit.
- Open Profile & Garage. Select the rig you want to edit or use the add-vehicle control. Enter its name and vehicle details, then choose its display settings.
- In Build specifications, choose Add another part. Select the category and component, then complete the fields offered for that component.
- Choose the manufacturer or brand from the list when available. Use the custom/other entry when your brand is missing. Record who installed it, including self-installation where offered.
- Use Add & save to my build for each part. Existing parts remain listed; use Edit to correct a saved part and the arrow controls to reorder it.
- Save vehicle & display settings, then view the public showcase. Keep serial numbers, private addresses and sensitive documents out of public build descriptions.
The selectable fields depend on the component. A brand entry documents your build; it is not a warranty, sponsorship or platform endorsement.
Back to contents ↑Arrange vehicle photos and visit a showcase
Pick the images visitors see and browse another member’s rigs.
- In the vehicle editor, open Vehicle photos. Tap an available photo slot to add or replace a photo. Follow the limit shown in the editor.
- Use photo one as the rig’s cover image. Review the gallery and save the vehicle settings.
- Open a member’s public profile to switch between their rigs and inspect the showcase. Use Send a message, Add to speed dial or Connect · Show QR as appropriate.
- To flag an inappropriate profile image, use Report this image. For a vehicle photo, open its image view and use the available report action.
Use TrailCam and photo galleries
Capture a framed trail photo and control location information in the image.
- Tap Camera in the top navigation. Allow camera/photo access when your device asks, or choose an existing photo if offered.
- Choose the available frame and stamp options. Include GPS only if you want the location visible in the resulting image.
- Check the preview before saving a copy or using a offered profile/gallery action. A location burned into an image remains visible when that image is shared elsewhere.
- For shared galleries, use their own upload controls and check the selected audience. A saved phone photo is not automatically a chat message or public gallery post.
If permission was denied, change it in your phone or browser settings and reopen Camera. Upload only images you have permission to share.
Back to contents ↑Maps, location & events
Basecamp maps, weather and Go Outside
Find places and switch map layers for the information you need.
- Open Basecamp for Map & local conditions. Choose MVUM, Streets, Satellite or USGS Topo; each shows a different kind of information.
- Expand Map controls for the available location and layer options. Use the zoom controls to inspect an area and Weather for local conditions.
- Open Go Outside to explore the available nearby people, clubs, places and trip-planning information. Check the selected area when results look unrelated.
- Before leaving, read the trail guidance and verify current access, conditions and restrictions with the responsible land manager.
Map coverage and freshness vary by provider. A visible road is not permission to drive it. The app is not a guarantee of offline navigation, trail access or emergency rescue.
Back to contents ↑Turn location broadcasting on or off
Choose the audience and understand background sharing.
- On Basecamp, open Broadcast location. Sign in with an eligible verified individual account and choose the audience offered: friends, club or global.
- Read the sharing explanation, then enable broadcasting and grant the required phone/browser location permission. Global is the broadest audience; choose deliberately.
- In the native app, background sharing needs the appropriate location permission. It is intended to continue while the screen is locked or you switch apps, subject to phone permissions, connectivity and operating-system limits.
- Turn broadcasting off when you want to stop. Swiping the app closed stops its location updates; reopening should not automatically opt you back in. Check the displayed sharing state before a trip.
The website cannot promise the same background behavior as the native app. A last-known position is not proof someone is still broadcasting or is currently at that spot. Do not rely on this feature as an emergency tracking service.
Back to contents ↑Find an event and check who can see it
Review the date, location, organizer and audience before making plans.
- Open Events or the selected club’s calendar. Open an event to read its description, meeting place, date and organizer.
- Check the event’s time zone and upcoming dates. A recurring series can have multiple occurrences.
- Member-only club events require the appropriate accepted membership. Regional and public/global events have different visibility; sharing a link does not override a private event’s access rules.
- Use the organizer’s listed contact method for questions and check the event again before traveling in case details or the series changed.
Create or edit a club run or organized event
Publish the details and select the right audience.
- For a club event, open that club’s calendar with event-management permission. Event Coordinator accounts use Manage events.
- Enter a clear title, description and meeting location. Set the start/end times and time zone in the schedule controls.
- Choose the audience. Club controls offer Members only, Regional or Public/Global. Fill the relevant area fields for a regional event.
- Choose a repeat schedule if needed, review the preview and select Publish event.
- Return to the management view to edit. A series edit affects the series; Cancel series removes it from the event feeds. Read the confirmation before cancelling or republishing.
Schedule a recurring event
Daily, weekly, monthly, annual or the third Thursday of every month.
- In the event schedule, change Repeats from no repeat to Daily, Weekly, Monthly or Yearly.
- Set Repeat every for the interval: 1 means each period, 2 means every second period.
- For a monthly club meeting on the third Thursday, choose Monthly, repeat every 1, select the weekday-based monthly option, set Which week to Third and Day of week to Thursday. Use a first occurrence that agrees with that schedule.
- For a fixed calendar date, use the monthly numbered-date option instead. Select the time zone and choose whether the series ends never, on a date or after a number of occurrences.
- Read the next-occurrence preview before publishing. Verify the first date, local time and ending rule.
Dates that do not exist in a month, and invalid local times during daylight-saving changes, can be skipped. Check the preview rather than assuming every month contains the same numbered day.
Back to contents ↑Buy, sell & lost property
Buy, sell and manage a listing
List parts, message a seller and close a finished deal.
- Open Buy & Sell. Search or filter by area and category, then read the listing’s condition, price, fitment and handoff details.
- Use Message seller to discuss the item privately. Confirm compatibility, payment and pickup arrangements with the seller.
- To sell, sign in with an eligible individual account and choose Sell. Enter the item, condition, price/currency, description and handoff information. Zero price means free; use OBO when you accept offers.
- Add the allowed listing photos and check them before publishing. Published photos are visible with the listing and can be reported.
- Use My listings / My deals to follow activity. Mark sold when complete or Archive to hide a listing you no longer want active. Follow the deal confirmation and rating prompts shown for a member-to-member sale.
A listing or private conversation does not mean TrailSlayers holds payment, guarantees an item or provides escrow. Do not post private payment information publicly.
Back to contents ↑Post, claim and return lost property
Share enough to find the owner while keeping identifying details private.
- Open Lost & Found and choose Post an item. Select Lost or Found, its category, general area and a useful public description.
- Put distinguishing details in the private identifying-details field, not the public description. Add photos using the controls offered after posting.
- If an item may be yours, submit a private claim explaining how you can identify it. The poster reviews claims; an accepted match opens private handoff coordination between the two people.
- Use the returned/closed action after resolution. Close an unresolved listing when it is no longer active; closing stops its handoff conversation. A claimant can withdraw their own claim.
- Use Report listing for abuse and explain the concern. Do not publish another person’s private details to prove ownership.
Vendors & event coordinators
Register a vendor and manage company affiliation
Set up a company identity and complete its verification process.
- Sign in with a Vendor account and open Vendors. Use Register company if you are authorized to represent it.
- Enter the company name, public location/map pin and description. Confirm your authority before creating the company claim.
- Follow the verification instructions and deadline displayed for the claim. Send requested sensitive evidence through the specified private support process, not a public page.
- For an existing company, use its affiliation/application process instead of creating a duplicate. Company membership and leadership require the appropriate approval.
- Manage the company page and team through the controls granted to your role. Joining a club does not by itself grant access to a vendor’s private spaces.
Registration is not automatic verification or endorsement. Keep public contact details separate from private verification evidence.
Back to contents ↑Add or update a local business listing
Help members find useful services and accurate public information.
- Open Local business directory and search first to avoid duplicates.
- Use the submission or claim option appropriate to the existing listing. Enter accurate public location, contact and service details.
- Where the form offers them, add hours, a member discount, booking link or current fuel information. Check external links before saving.
- Use Manage to update listings you are authorized to maintain. Submitted or claimed entries may need review before appearing as approved.
Use an Event Coordinator account
Organize events with your individual identity and public profile.
- Choose Event Coordinator during account setup when organizing events is your role. Complete your individual public profile so people recognize the organizer.
- Open Manage events to publish and maintain your event series. Use the event and recurrence topics in this manual for each field.
- Check the public event page after saving, including contact details, meeting location, audience and upcoming dates.
Coordinator status does not grant another club’s management powers or unrestricted native Dashboard access. Those permissions remain separate.
Back to contents ↑News, email & community
Claim your TrailMail address and send email
Choose a permanent address, compose a message and find your drafts.
- Open TrailMail with a verified account. If prompted, choose an available personal address and select Claim permanent address. This address cannot be changed after claiming it, so check the spelling first.
- If you have more than one mailbox, select the correct active mailbox. A shared mailbox may give you viewing access without permission to send.
- Choose Compose, enter To, Subject and your message, then Send. Separate multiple recipients with commas or semicolons. Wait for the send status; an accepted message appears in Sent.
- Use Save draft or close the composer to save unfinished text. Open Drafts → Continue draft to resume. If a send is pending, use Retry saved send rather than creating duplicate messages.
- Use Inbox, Starred, Sent, Drafts, Archive and Trash to organize mail, and Search TrailMail to find it. Open a message to Reply or Forward text. Download original message (.eml), when offered, to access the original email and its attachments.
Setup mode means network delivery is not activated; the Send control follows that status. Forward text forwards the displayed text, not an automatic copy of every original attachment.
Back to contents ↑Forward TrailMail or receive new-mail notices
Keep messages in TrailMail and optionally send copies to your verified outside email.
- Open TrailMail, select your mailbox and open Mail options. Only a mailbox owner can manage outside delivery.
- Choose In-app only for no outside email, New-mail notice for a short notice and link, or Full forwarding for message text plus the complete original as an .eml attachment.
- Check the verified account email shown as the destination, then Save mail options. The choice applies to new incoming messages; old mail is not forwarded automatically.
- If outside copies failed, use Retry recent copies when offered. The originals remain in TrailMail; older copies may require a manual forward.
These settings are separate from TrailWire newsletter delivery and chat notifications.
Back to contents ↑Read or submit a bulletin announcement
Share community news through the review queue.
- Open Bulletin to read current announcements. Check their area, dates and links.
- Choose Submit announcement. Enter a clear headline, details and any relevant link; choose the appropriate community news, help or vendor-offer category.
- Set the offered local reach or global audience, center area and expiry. Submit it for review.
- Wait for approval before expecting it on the public board. Keep corrections factual and use Report issue if an announcement needs attention.
Choose your TrailWire newsletter
Read the web edition or control the weekly email you receive.
- Open TrailWire / Newsletter. Read the web edition or open your email subscription choices.
- Choose the relevant area and sections, then verify the delivery address. Use the offered TrailMail secondary delivery option only if you want it.
- Select Save choices to apply preferences. Use Opt out or the unsubscribe link in an email to stop the newsletter.
The email newsletter does not include third-party advertising. TrailSlayers may include its own updates or merchandise links. Newsletter choices are separate from chat alerts and necessary account messages.
Back to contents ↑TrailMail versus Trail Talk
Choose email or live chat for the job.
Trail Talk is the live room and direct-message service. TrailMail is the separate email area under Menu → TrailMail. A chat subscription is not an email inbox or newsletter subscription.
Open TrailMail while signed in and follow the mailbox setup or access instructions shown for your account. Use the mail view’s message and compose controls when available; an unavailable mailbox is not fixed by creating a chat room.
For email delivery or mailbox errors, report the time, sender/recipient domain and visible error through support. Never include a password, sign-in code or private message contents that are not needed to diagnose the problem.
Back to contents ↑Challenges and Rig of the Month
Read each contest’s rules before entering or voting.
- Open Challenges and read the published eligibility, dates, entry requirements, judging and prize rules for the specific challenge.
- Enter the requested title/story and an eligible published profile photo when offered. Confirm the entry agreement and submit before the deadline; follow any review status shown.
- Open Rig of the Month to browse eligible rigs and cast the votes offered. Votes are associated with individual vehicles; multiple rigs owned by one person are separate entries.
- Check the displayed tally/update timing and winner results. A submitted entry or vote is not an instant winner announcement.
TrailMerch and external links
Find the shop area and check what is available now.
Use Menu → TrailMerch for the shop area. If it displays a feature preview or coming-soon message, checkout is not available there yet.
For any linked catalog or external checkout, read that seller’s item, price, delivery and return information before buying. An app download price is separate from merchandise or a marketplace transaction.
Back to contents ↑Safety, privacy & troubleshooting
Report a post or block a member
Tap ••• on anything a member posted.
- Tap the ••• button beside a Trail Talk message, a guestbook entry, or at the top of a member’s profile.
- Choose Report, pick what’s wrong, add context if you want, then Send report. TrailSlayers reviews reports within 24 hours. The member is not told who reported.
- Choose Block to block anyone, friend or not. Their messages and guestbook notes disappear for you, and friend requests, direct messages and room invitations between you stop. They are not notified.
- Profile photos and vehicle photos also have Report this image. Marketplace and Lost & Found listings use their own Report listing button.
- Open Contacts / Trail Network → Blocked members to review or unblock someone. Remove friend only ends the friendship; it is different from blocking.
The sheet closes and a confirmation appears at the bottom once a report or block goes through. Reports go to moderation; they do not automatically erase an account.
Back to contents ↑Request account deletion and check its progress
Confirm your identity and retain the private receipt.
- Open Account settings while signed in and find account deletion. Read what will be removed and any responsibilities that must be resolved first.
- Confirm your identity using the account’s supported password, Google or Apple method. Complete any Apple authorization-removal step shown.
- Confirm the deletion request and save the private status/receipt link. Do not post that link publicly.
- Check the status and expected completion date. Deletion requested and Deletion in progress are pending states; Account deleted is the completion state.
- If a cancellation action is still offered and you changed your mind, use it and confirm your identity. Contact support with the request reference if progress needs investigation.
Deleting the app from your phone does not delete your TrailSlayers account. Submitting a request is not proof that all data has already been erased. Club/company ownership may require a handoff first.
Back to contents ↑Fix missing alerts or device permissions
Check both the app preference and the phone/browser permission.
- Open Notifications while signed in and follow the background-alert setup offered for that device.
- For a chat room, subscribe and turn its alerts on. Device permission alone does not subscribe you to every room.
- If nothing arrives, check your phone’s notification permission, Focus/Do Not Disturb and connectivity, then verify that account/room alerts are still enabled.
- For camera or location problems, check the matching permission in device/browser settings. Return to the app and try the feature again.
Permission choices are device-specific. Website and installed-app behavior can differ, particularly when the screen is locked or the browser is suspended.
Back to contents ↑Rules, privacy and getting useful help
Find the policies and send an issue report someone can act on.
- Read Terms, Community guidelines and the privacy/account policies for platform rules. Read your club’s own bylaws as well; club rules do not replace platform rules.
- When a control is missing, first check sign-in, email verification, account type, selected organization and your permissions. Some features are restricted deliberately.
- For a stuck page, preserve unsaved text, then reopen the page/app and check your connection. Avoid repeatedly submitting the same purchase, application or deletion request.
- Open Report issue. Describe the screen, steps, expected result, actual result, device and time. Add a screenshot if helpful, with passwords, private codes and unrelated personal details removed.
- If an instruction in this manual differs from the screen, include the topic title in the issue report so both can be corrected.
Search covers every topic in this manual. Features marked as previews, future revisions or unavailable controls are not instructions to use something that has not shipped.
Back to contents ↑