Building a trailer - kind of illegal

[tsnover]

This isn't so much a DIY disaster as a DIY no starter!

I was talking with a group of friends the other night and one of them was recalling a story about some advice they asked for in another forum (shocking I know!)

Anyway, he wanted to build a trailer with a friend and was planning on using some sort of mild steel and wanted to know whether that was the right material. However, on asking he was told that it was close to being illegal to build your own trailer for use on the road unless it's to the highest standard.

Just goes to show that asking advice is the right way to go!

 

[geraldthehamster]

This isn't so much a DIY disaster as a DIY no starter!

I was talking with a group of friends the other night and one of them was recalling a story about some advice they asked for in another forum (shocking I know!)

Anyway, he wanted to build a trailer with a friend and was planning on using some sort of mild steel and wanted to know whether that was the right material. However, on asking he was told that it was close to being illegal to build your own trailer for use on the road unless it's to the highest standard.

Just goes to show that asking advice is the right way to go!

Is your friend talking about a little 6x4 trailer or something to transport a tank with?

A trailer needs to be safe, but unless it's over a certain size your only real concern is complying with lighting regulations, which any bog-standard trailer light board will do.

cheers
Richard

 

[SimonH2]

However, on asking he was told that it was close to being illegal to build your own trailer for use on the road ...

Male bovine excrement !

We have really quite relaxed rules in the UK for trailers - some of our European neighbours look at us with horror at our lack of regulation.

Basic rules :
Up to max 750kg MAM (Maximum Authorised Mass, aka max gross weight) you don't need brakes, over that you do. If brakes are fitted then they must work, must operate on all wheels, and must use type approved parts (so no more using Mini backplates from the scrappy with the brake cable working on the handbrake mechanism as used to be the norm when I were a lad.)
The brakes must be "auto reverse", and that means the handbrake must have energy storage (spring) otherwise the trailer moving backwards a little will release the handbrake For this reason, there are are a lot of coupling units where the handbrake is an over-centre spring operated job rather than using a ratchet - because people tend not to yank the lever up to compress the spring when using a ratchet type handbrake. The over-centre type will just spring up further if you trip the auto-reverse devices. The over-centre spring type also avoids the problem where the handbrake can get pulled on a few clicks (eg if the safety cable is too short) and then a powerful tow vehicle can just carry on until the brakes melt - literally, there have been case of aluminium drums have been melted (eg small caravan towed behind large powerful 4x4).
There must be a safety cable in case the coupling detaches - on an unbraked trailer it must keep the trailer attached to the car, on a braked trailer it should fully apply the handbrake and then snap.

Wheels must be covered by mudguards.

The coupling head must not touch the ground when uncoupled - a simple rectangle of flat bar as a "foot" under the drawbar will deal with that.

If the trailer is braked, then the coupling head must be damped - so no using the simpler and cheaper heads that have no damper.

For a small trailer you just need lights (and number plate and reflectors) on the back. Wide trailers need side marker lights (white lights facing forward). Longer trailers need marker lights (amber lights) and reflectors along the sides.

The MAM must be marked on a data plate so the rozzers can easily see if you're overloaded and/or not complying with towing and licensing laws.

And then there's all the stuff like not having sharp bits sticking out or otherwise being dangerous to people around you.

A lot of this is age specific. Old trailers don't have to be retrospectively upgraded - but if you "renovate" an old trailer, I don't think there is any definition of where the line between "renovated old trailer" and "essentially a new trailer" lies.

From memory, with an unbraked trailer, the MAM must not exceed the kerb weight of the car. You must also comply with limits imposed by the car manufacturer. The license restrictions have been covered here quite a few times - and depends whether you only have group B, or have Group B+E either by being an old git like me, or having taken your B+E test if younger.


So not a lot to it really ! Mostly common sense, and a few rules. Don't have a reference to the rules however.

 

[tsnover]

Interesting reading - thanks both!

I thought it'd just be regulations on the lighting too, but the guys on this other forum were apparently adamant that it was illegal to build a trailer.

Perhaps they were trailer salesmen out for his money!

 

[SimonH2]

Well the only thing you can say for certain is that they don't know anything about the legalities of building a trailer

 

[tsnover]

Apparently not! I'll definitely pass the information on!

 

[geraldthehamster]

Interesting reading - thanks both!

I thought it'd just be regulations on the lighting too, but the guys on this other forum were apparently adamant that it was illegal to build a trailer.

Perhaps they were trailer salesmen out for his money!

What forum? What thread? Link?

Cheers
Richard

 

[i_am_fubar]

Oh gods. Where I work, we sometimes build custom trailers from scratch for communication equipment. The UK trailer legislation is a nightmare. There are ruled governing (to name but a few)...

Reflector locations, heights and style.
Lights.
Brakes.
Center of mass vs wheels.
Information plate (manufacturer details, gross and net weights... )

But as has already been said, under a certain weight, providing what you've made is safe, most of these don't count.

Fubar.

 

[SimonH2]

Yes, there are quite a few rules - but lets face it, what you've listed there doesn't really contain anything onerous or hard to understand.

 

[andrew54]

All of the above would seem to be WRONG. Just try googling 'trailer type approval'.

All new trailers now need some sort of type approval, so you can't just build your own new trailer.

I can't see what stops you building a new one that you (wink wink) built ten years ago before this legislation came in.

 

[SimonH2]

So do cars, but you can build your own car and put it on the road - look up SVA. We have what some of our European neighbours consider too lax rules - some of them would like it to be as you think, absolutely nothing on the road that isn't as a large manufacturer designed it to be.

But in the UK we haven't gone down that route. Whenever it comes up (like with the recent stuff about "MoT" tests and modified vehicles), the officials in Europe are usually fairly quick to say it's not aimed at places like the UK which they consider to have an acceptable regime, but at some other countries where you can run modified vehicles without much oversight at all.

 

[andrew54]

Yes Simon I know about SVA and yes you can build your own car, or trailer, and get it tested. But in this thread it seemed the testing was not mentioned. I stand by what I said (maybe you missread it) you can't just build your own new trailer. Meaning you have to build it, then get it tested/inspected.

The cost and detail requirements of SVA are quite off putting for many people.

But with trailers I say again, what stops you claiming that your newly built trailer is an old one?

 

[geraldthehamster]

But with trailers I say again, what stops you claiming that your newly built trailer is an old one?

Absolutely nothing. Trailer's aren't registered, so there's nothing to identify them. Without this it's impossible to say what constitutes the "same" trailer. Given that tow hitches, suspension and wheels get replaced, all that's left is the frame. I know people with small trailers that were stripped down to the frame years ago with the aim of eventually restoring them to use. Then again you can replace the frame of body shell on a car and it stays the same car.

Trailers don't have an identity, so SVA is a bit moot.

Cheers
Richard

 

[zarrahtracey]

Rules must be followed here. It's a guarantee and safer for everyone's sake. Regarding big truck and trailer, I think it requires approval from the inspector's office. I think its best that you make sure that it should be legal and safe.

 

[mattylad]

As was stated up top - there are standards to follow to build a trailer - but do NOT be as gullible to believe that you cannot build your own trailer.

YOU CAN!

It just needs to be to the standards required and may require an inspection.

That does not mean you cannot build one, we can build anything we want - from a trailer to a space rocket.

Bear in mind that the inspection may actually be only so it can be sold in the UK - if your not building something to sell it then you may not need it inspecting. This is often the case with much of our legislation - it is only for stuff being sold.