Trailers??

[rocker]

Does anyone know the rules about trailers on the road? Do they have to have some kind of MOT or can you just manuafcture your own? I've seen some right dodgy ones in my time, and thinking about getting one for using now-and-again (my motor is fine for 99% of the time and getting something bigger for the 1% of the time doesn't seem justifiable, a trailer would sort this problem). I could weld something up real nice like, and build the rest from ply or something, but would that be legal??

 

[Guest123]

The things you'd have to look at would be, braking, suspension and obviously lights. I made a trailer when I was in school and seem to remember that trailers over a certain weight require their own independant braking system. What that weight is I dont remember.

Perhaps a quick google will help.

 

[DurhamSparky]

Just add legs and its rocker

 

[DurhamSparky]

Just add legs and its rocker

 

[monkeyelectric]

As long as its under 750kg gross you don't need brakes, i built one once but things did'nt go well when i put a ton bag of sand on and it destroyed itself in front of me and the highly amused man at the builders yard, so now i've got a twin axle ifor williams but it was £2000 so a tad expensive but worth the peace of mind. Rocker try the south wales argus, i once bought a small ifor williams with mesh sides like new for £300, from risca

 

[rocker]

Just add legs and its rocker

This is amazing!

Cheers for the info, fellas.... may have a look in the argus and free ads, but TBH I just like making stuff.

 

[UNG]

While trailers above 750kgs require brakes you need to be aware of the gross vehicle mass of the the vehicle and trailer combination if this exceeds 3500 kgs you will need a tachograph and will have to abide by the drivers hours rules. The police seem to be more aware these days and alot more commercial vehicle and trailer combinations are being pulled for weighing and / or tachograph checks

Also if you passed your test after January 1997 you are limited to a gross vehicle mass of 3500kgs unless you take the trailer test so you have B+E on your licence

I do know a company whose driver got pulled with an empty trailer on the loaded vehicle he was driving and the police got a conviction for no tachograph as he was about 300kgs over the 3500kgs limit driver got fined and so did the company

May be worth reading this article from 2008 Trailer-towing vans may be lawbreakers - 12/02/2008 - Road Transport Before you purchase a trailer for occasional use with the cost of the tacho and also the driver card for digital tachos it may not be worth the hassle

 

[UNG]

This is amazing!

Cheers for the info, fellas.... may have a look in the argus and free ads, but TBH I just like making stuff.

Indespension are good for parts if you are building trailers from scratch http://www.indespension.co.uk/ site is down at the moment

 

[saveloy]

While trailers above 750kgs require brakes you need to be aware of the gross vehicle mass of the the vehicle and trailer combination if this exceeds 3500 kgs you will need a tachograph and will have to abide by the drivers hours rules. The police seem to be more aware these days and alot more commercial vehicle and trailer combinations are being pulled for weighing and / or tachograph checks

Also if you passed your test after January 1997 you are limited to a gross vehicle mass of 3500kgs unless you take the trailer test so you have B+E on your licence

I do know a company whose driver got pulled with an empty trailer on the loaded vehicle he was driving and the police got a conviction for no tachograph as he was about 300kgs over the 3500kgs limit driver got fined and so did the company

May be worth reading this article from 2008 Trailer-towing vans may be lawbreakers - 12/02/2008 - Road Transport Before you purchase a trailer for occasional use with the cost of the tacho and also the driver card for digital tachos it may not be worth the hassle

If the vehicle/trailer combination is not over 7500kgs, and is used solely for the carriage of materials,equipment or machinery for use in the drivers course of work, within 50 KM of base, and driving is not the drivers main activity then you can apply for a tachograph exemption http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/HGV Tachograph Exemption Declaration Form.pdf

 

[UNG]

If the vehicle/trailer combination is not over 7500kgs, and is used solely for the carriage of materials,equipment or machinery for use in the drivers course of work, within 50 KM of base, and driving is not the drivers main activity then you can apply for a tachograph exemption http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repository/HGV Tachograph Exemption Declaration Form.pdf

If you work within a 30 mile radius of your base then you can apply. Didn't mention this as most people I know who use trailers only use them to save multiple trips carrying equipment to the jobs that are further away