Building a trailer - kind of illegal

[andrew54]

mattylad, you seem to be ignoring the readily available facts. Any new trailer has to be Type Approved. There is a system of Type Approval for on-off trailers, but it is still a rigmorole that has to be followed, and an expense. At the moment they don't seem to quote a price.

See here... http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/vehicletype/trailers.asp

 

[geraldthehamster]

mattylad, you seem to be ignoring the readily available facts. Any new trailer has to be Type Approved. There is a system of Type Approval for on-off trailers, but it is still a rigmorole that has to be followed, and an expense. At the moment they don't seem to quote a price.

See here... http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/vehicletype/trailers.asp

Right, following a trail on this:

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-approval/individual-vehicle-approval

"You can use the Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) scheme if you’re making or importing a single vehicle or a very small number of vehicles in the following categories"

There follows a list that includes trailers.

Further down it says:

"Your vehicle needs a vehicle identification number (VIN) before having an IVA inspection."

A link from that goes to:

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-registration/vehicle-identification-number

which says:

"All vehicles registered in the UK must have a unique, stamped-in vehicle identification number (VIN) and registration number"

However, to the best of my knowledge there is no registration system for trailers. A trailer doesn't have a VIN, and couldn't have a registration number, because it displays the registration number of the towing vehicle.

So I don't know how IVA for a single trailer would be meant to work ...

Cheers
Richard

 

[mattylad]

You seem to be confusing what people can do in their back yards and what manufacturers who are going to sell them need to do.


How do people who make trikes or kit cars manage it?
They do, they can make them.

We CAN make our own trailers, that CANNOT be denied, you CANNOT say that we cannot make them.

All that is required is that they meet the standards and legal requirements, as does every other vehicle on the roads.

But make them we can!

I am ignoring nothing nor any facts.

I'm off to build a trailer

 

[andrew54]

mattylad, I agree yes we can build trailers, trikes, cars, etc and we do!

but to stay legal every one of those has to be tested, and the test is neither simple nor cheap.

Even if the car you build is entirely for your own use it has to go through a type-approval test. It is a different test if you are only building one, rather than manufacturing dozens - but it still has to be tested and it costs about £400. I seem to remember that gives you one free re-test, but further retests cost hundreds again.

Many special builders are going through this test and strugling. Many modified cars are deemed to be too far away from the original that they are registered as a new car and have to go through the expensive test. There is a points system as to how much you can modify before it needs testing. There is an exemption for cars over ten years old, but I can't figure out just how that applies to cars recently modified.

Many people simply use the V5 logbook off a scrapped car and use that to tax and mot their home built special - but that is a bit dodgy.

Believe me it really is a minefield. Try looking at Locost or Lotus 7 type kit cars on ebay. Some are SVA tested, some were converted built and registered before the legislation came in, others would not pass the test so are sold just for track-day use.
Modify an old car with too many bits, or any modification to the monocoque bodyshell, and it will only pass the SVA test if it has an approved alarm, certificates to show the brake hoses are fit for purpose, and it must have dual circuit brakes.

Have to be honest, I'm not sure all this applies to trikes - but I bet it soon will.

 

[SimonH2]

... and get it tested

Tested where ? And by whom ?

 

[geraldthehamster]

mattylad, I agree yes we can build trailers, trikes, cars, etc and we do!

but to stay legal every one of those has to be tested, and the test is neither simple nor cheap.

My point remains that trikes and cars are registered and have a legal identity, whereas trailers would seem not to.

Cheers
Richard

 

[andrew54]

... and get it tested

Tested where ? And by whom ?

It's all in here, for trailers.. http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/vehicletype/trailers.asp

 

[geraldthehamster]

... and get it tested

Tested where ? And by whom ?

It's all in here, for trailers.. http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/vehicletype/trailers.asp[/b][/QUOTE]

Or here, without the bit in square brackets on the end:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/vca/vehicletype/trailers.asp

However, I refer the honourable gentleman to my previous comments about IVA, VIN plates, and the apparent lack of a way to register and identify a one-off trailer.

Cheers
Richard

 

[andrew54]

.... my previous comments about IVA, VIN plates, and the apparent lack of a way to register and identify a one-off trailer.

Exactly. That was my point when I wrote "I can't see what stops you building a new one that you (wink wink) built ten years ago before this legislation came in."
I feel the legislation can probably be ignored, but it's best we are aware of the legislation.

 

[SimonH2]

Interesting link, mostly in that it confirms pretty much what people here have been trying to explain to andrews54 - there is nothing at all preventing you building your own trailer. Nor does every trailer have to have a European type approval - note that there is a UK scheme for small manufacturers who don't want to be able to sell in Europe.

I don't think anyone has ever said that there aren't any legal requirements, but it's a far cry from "you can't build your own trailer".


And as pointed out, unless everything is clearly "very new", then the actual age of the trailer is pretty well indeterminate. New parts may well have appeared during upgrade or repair.

 

[andrew54]

..... people here have been trying to explain to andrews54 - there is nothing at all preventing you building your own trailer. Nor does every trailer have to have a European type approval - note that there is a UK scheme...

You have failed to explain any of this to me because I knew all of this already! I have never said you can't build a trailer. I have never mentioned anything 'Eoropean'.

But before I contributed the thread seemed to be saying you could build a trailer so long as it was built properly - and there was no mention of any kind of test or inspection. Somehow I have been misunderstood here.

 

[mattylad]

Andrew, you are misunderstanding the intention of thread.

It was not about whether it need to be tested it was about if you can build your own trailer.

I can, just as I can build a house, build a rocket, build an aeroplane etc.
I can build all those (well I could if I knew how) but yes they would need to be tested in order to be allowed on our roads, just as a house would need to be built to building regs or a rocket to space aviation regs. But thats not the point of the OPs post.

There is no need to be so obstinate about it, you have a point that they need testing - however you are putting your point over as if that is the be all and end all of it - it is not.

As has been said - there is nowhere that tests or approves them in fact I doubt anyone even tests them.

Get an old mini, make it into a trailer and who will be able to tell if I made it this week or 20 years ago? (if made 20 years ago it would not need to meet all todays requirements).

Or are you going to hark on as usual again?

 

[SUNRAY]

I had to come back to this thread as followed a tailer today carrying 9 canoes [kayaks ?] and a big locker, presumably containing oars and life jackets etc.
This trailer must have been all of 5 metres or more in length and 2 metres high, it had no lights brakes or wheel arches and two wheel one side but the other side had one wheel and a rusty stub axle.


The chassis was very rusty and made of...


Dexion.

edit: and I lost sight of it as I was only travelling at 70mph on the motorway

 

[Sam Gangee]

I can tell you, with some experience of the police force, that a traffic cop will be on the lookout for anything unsafe.

If it doesn't look unsafe, he won't be interested and he certainly won't be familiar with any regulations - other than a general knowledge of light positioning and weight ratios.

Therefore, you can build a trailer and use it will impunity as long as it looks to be safe and in good condition (and hopefully it is!)

The most likely reason for stopping a vehicle is a lighting fault so make darn sure you use a double-bulb system and/or LED lights. The other reason is a load that looks unsafe or too heavy or faulty tyres.

 

[SimonH2]

I can tell you, with some experience of the police force, that a traffic cop will be on the lookout for anything unsafe.

If it doesn't look unsafe, he won't be interested and he certainly won't be familiar with any regulations - other than a general knowledge of light positioning and weight ratios.

Therefore, you can build a trailer and use it will impunity as long as it looks to be safe and in good condition (and hopefully it is!)

That pretty much sums up the situation in general. But ...

The most likely reason for stopping a vehicle is a lighting fault so make darn sure you use a double-bulb system and/or LED lights. The other reason is a load that looks unsafe or too heavy or faulty tyres.

I've been pulled up with a completely roadworthy and legal setup, and one not at all looking "dodgy". As it happens I knew the copper (fellow member of the local Land Rover club), but he started with "that's the sort of thing we're keeping an eye out for" (or something like that). But as you say, once he'd seen there was a breakaway cable and the lights were plugged in, that was it. After that we had a chat about Land Rover and stuff.

But the big issue to consider is not being pulled during a routine journey. It's what happens if "something" happens.
Over in the land Rover forums, there are lots of discussions about various things that may or may not be legal (fitting LED bulbs in standard holders, or fitting non-E-marked lights, for example). Again, the consensus is that you won't get stopped for it, and few would know the regs inside out anyway.
But find yourself involved in an accident and it's a different mater. You may be a completely innocent party, but the coppers are likely to have a good look over your vehicle. All it needs is a "bright young thing" out to impress the boss and your creative interpretation of the regs could just be one of those "bingo" charges - just something else to charge you with in case nothing else sticks.
Also I occasionally see roadside checks where the Police and VOSA are there. They're mostly looking for dodgy commercial vehicles or traders daring to carry an empty cardboard box without a waste carriers licence, but I've also read of them specifically targeting caravans and trailers (caravans have a poor track record !) - and you can expect a VOSA inspector to know the regs fairly well.