I have read lots of threads regarding towing weights but what I want to know is, does a wooden trailer have to have a plate on it stating its weight?
Andy
Andy
Towing a wooden trailer
- Thread starter HERTS P&D
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Any purchased trailer will have a plate riveted to its frame, stating it's I laden weight and it's maximum capacity weight.
This is also supposed to apply to any constructed trailer, but of course this is almost impossible to police......a bit of a grey area, this one!
John
This is also supposed to apply to any constructed trailer, but of course this is almost impossible to police......a bit of a grey area, this one!
John
John's right, I think. You could make it out of spaghetti and it would still need a plate. Is it a very old trailer? There might be some concessions as a result of it's age, but I'm not sure no capacity marking would be one of them.
Interesting you mention an old trailer. How is the age of a " homemade" trailer defined? I made a trailer in the late 80's from the running gear off a 1973 Bedford van on an aluminium box section chassis with wooden body . It is still going strong , although it does need a bit of a refurb now, but has no plates. Would it need plates ( I presume so) or is it exempt because of age and if it should have plates could I just as the constructor of the trailer make the plates myself or would it need to have it " officially" tested and plated?
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I like your thinking, but unfortunately
No, no, no .......................
Write your own plate, because its homemade ................
But funny you should say that, I think these guys do a postal service, if I have the correct advert.
http://www.gumtree.com/p/uk-ireland...r-parts-sales-weight-plates-fitted/1046391241
No, no, no .......................
Write your own plate, because its homemade ................
But funny you should say that, I think these guys do a postal service, if I have the correct advert.
http://www.gumtree.com/p/uk-ireland...r-parts-sales-weight-plates-fitted/1046391241
Yeah bit tongue in cheek the bit about writing it myself .
So if the company in your link do a postal service then I could just give them the "specs" (as I see it) and they send me a plate to stick on the trailer? I'm struggling a bit to see much difference unless the trailer is tested or at least physically inspected. As burnerman says almost impossible to police and mine has never been checked in all those years so I'm not really going to bother . The trailer doesn't get overloaded or used that much so little chance of getting pulled over.
. So if the company in your link do a postal service then I could just give them the "specs" (as I see it) and they send me a plate to stick on the trailer?
I'm struggling a bit to see much difference unless the trailer is tested or at least physically inspected. As burnerman says almost impossible to police and mine has never been checked in all those years so I'm not really going to bother . The trailer doesn't get overloaded or used that much so little chance of getting pulled over.Yeah bit tongue in cheek the bit about writing it myself
So if the company in your link do a postal service then I could just give them the "specs" (as I see it) and they send me a plate to stick on the trailer?
It doesn't? tell my car about it! LOL
Ah it's how you tow it
Just a thought , can it be overloaded if there isn't a plate to say how heavy it can be ?
Mursal my trailer is built with suspension , axles and such from a 7cwt van so in theory at least it "should" be able to carry that much or a bit less to be on the safe side. If I could just send off for a plate what would stop me rating the trailer at a ton ? That way it would never be overloaded in a legal sense even if it were overloaded in a physical way . I think that's what puzzles me about the idea of getting a plate made up without testing of the trailer.
Slightly off topic but I remember reading a Pat Kennet article where he wrote about Austin (I think) commercials being sold in Africa and Asia which were engineered to feel unsafe before they were actually overloaded. He didn't give details but it sounded a smart idea.
Just a thought , can it be overloaded if there isn't a plate to say how heavy it can be ?
Mursal my trailer is built with suspension , axles and such from a 7cwt van so in theory at least it "should" be able to carry that much or a bit less to be on the safe side. If I could just send off for a plate what would stop me rating the trailer at a ton ? That way it would never be overloaded in a legal sense even if it were overloaded in a physical way . I think that's what puzzles me about the idea of getting a plate made up without testing of the trailer.
Slightly off topic but I remember reading a Pat Kennet article where he wrote about Austin (I think) commercials being sold in Africa and Asia which were engineered to feel unsafe before they were actually overloaded. He didn't give details but it sounded a smart idea.
No just musing really. Seems a bit of a loophole if a plate can be issued for a vehicle without any sort of inspection. Suppose then it would come down to which is the greater offence , no plate or the wrong plate. Going back to the definately tongue in cheek idea of making one up oneself , if pulled over would the average copper go to the bother of checking if the plate was legit or just take it at face value? I have another factory made trailer with a plate but to be honest that plate is a bit scuffed and knocked about and isn't very distinguishable .
As I say I'm just musing this over and not going to act on it so don't bother wasting any time searching or whatever
As I say I'm just musing this over and not going to act on it so don't bother wasting any time searching or whatever
I'll order one with the velcrow fixing
If you built a trailer tomorrow, it would need an Individual Vehicle Approval test. The plate would be part of the inspection and yes, it would need to be verified that the trailer was up to carrying the waight claimed on the plate. For an old trailer, there is nothing to stop you making up your own plate. Typically, the max laden weight of the trailer would be dictated by the "weakest" component. So, for example, if the tyres only had a 500kg load each, and it had 2 tyres, it wouldn't matter if it had 2 tonne suspension units fitted, the plated weight would have to be 1 tonne. My trailer has four 500kg tyres, and two 1 tonne axles. The brake test report that came with the brakes was for over 2 tonnes, but the hitch is rated at 1700kg, so my trailer plate says 1700kg.
The only thing younger drivrs need to be careful of is if their licence doesn't cover them for towing a trailer of that weight (even if it is empty)! The police seem to use the RATED weight of the trailer for prosecutions for driving licence offences. Obviously if they're doing you for being overloaded, it's the max. plated weight of the trailer (or Gross Train Weight of the vehicle and trailer combined) that they'd do you for.
The only thing younger drivrs need to be careful of is if their licence doesn't cover them for towing a trailer of that weight (even if it is empty)! The police seem to use the RATED weight of the trailer for prosecutions for driving licence offences. Obviously if they're doing you for being overloaded, it's the max. plated weight of the trailer (or Gross Train Weight of the vehicle and trailer combined) that they'd do you for.
IIRC if the trailer is under a certain weight it does not need to be plated.
If you are stopped and it is over that weight . . . . . . . . . .
If you are stopped and it is over that weight . . . . . . . . . .
A lot of this legislation simply doesn't work though, because there's no compulsory registration scheme for trailers and most of the legislation refers to trailers "first used on or after...such-and-such date". Without the trailer being uniquely identifiable and registered, there's no proving what date it was first used on. Mine is a case in point. It was built long before any of the current legislation came in, but has had a hard life and been substantially repaired over the years. In fact, I think only te left hand number plate mounting bracket is original now...
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