New trailer/towing legislation

[Nasher]

I received an email this morning from Western Towing with some information which I’ve shortened below.
Trailer Type Approval

From October 2011, all trailers must be type approved and comply with EU standards.

Obviously not an issue for buyers of branded new trailers, except maybe some extra cost to cover the manufacturers approval expenses. But if you are building your own trailer from scratch, once it’s finished you’ll need to get it Type Approval tested before you can legally use it on the road.

This new regulation follows the 1997 Towbar approval where all Towbars have to meet EU and vehicle manufacturers specification.

I’m sure this must apply only to new trailers, which raises several questions for me.
Will trailer MOTs be introduced any time soon?
Will those of us with older trailers still be able to repair them with new axles etc?
Is it going to be enforceable?
Will it still be possible to purchase major components to self build?

VOSA and Tachographs

There are reports that VOSA are getting stricter with vehicles without tachographs.
If you are using your trailer for business, and the combined gross weight excesses 3500kg, your vehicle will need to be fitted with a tacho.

But there are a few exemptions:-

1) Vehicles used by agricultural, horticultural, forestry or fishery undertakings for carrying goods within 100 kilometres of the place where the vehicle is normally based.

2) Vehicles used in conjunction with the sewerage, flood protection, water, gas and electricity services, highway maintenance and control, refuse collection and disposal, telegraph and telephone services, carriage of postal articles, radio and television broadcasting and the detection of radio or television transmitters or receivers.

3) Vehicles not over 7500kg GVW or part of a combination of vehicles not over 7500 kg
combined GVW which is used to carry materials equipment or machinery for the driver's use in the course of his work within a 50 km radius of base and where driving is not the driver's main activity.

There are a few more exemptions, these can be found at on the Department Of Transport website on the following PDF file:-
Tachograph Exemption Declaration Form.pdf

Trailer Width

The Department of Transport have announced an increase in width limit for light trailers. This has been increased to 2.55 metres for light trailers (categories O1 and O2) up to 3500 kg gross weight is irrespective of the towing vehicle, be it car, 4x4 or qualifying commercial vehicle. This brings the UK into line with the rest of Europe.

I’m not sure from the mail if ‘Gross Weight’ is just the trailer and load, or includes the tow vehicle, but if it doesn’t there will be a few that no longer need to (theoretically) deflate their tubes to tow legally, me included.


Nasher.

[Erin]

Originally Posted by Nasher

there will be a few that no longer need to (theoretically) deflate their tubes to tow legally, me included.

I thought the width limit related to the trailer not the load?

[jwalker]

So, if I make a new trailer and stamp 2009 on it, it'll be ok?

[Trailer Bloke]

Originally Posted by jwalker

So, if I make a new trailer and stamp 2009 on it, it'll be ok?

Any trailer manufactured after that date will need type approval. However there is nothing to stop a dodgy manufacturer back dating the manufaturing date. However if there is an accident and an investigation is started will Knot back them up when asked when the running gear was purchased?

One thing this will do stop is cowboys setting up business in their garages selling dangerous equipment to Joe Public.

I think it will be a good thing

[Trailer Bloke]

Originally Posted by Erin

I thought the width limit related to the trailer not the load?

It used to be both as you have always been allowed an overhang

[Trailer Bloke]

Nasher

As far as I understand in answer to your questions:

Will trailer MOTs be introduced any time soon? I dont believe so in the near future however expect it in the next 3 years. But this is a good thing we should all have road worthy trailers

Will those of us with older trailers still be able to repair them with new axles etc? Yes this is not a problem

Is it going to be enforceable? Yup the police and DVLA are not stupid and im sure you will be OK unless you have a spot check/accident

Will it still be possible to purchase major components to self build? Yes but you wont be able to legally use it on the road without getting it certified

[Nasher]

Thanks TB, I was hoping you’d see my post and be able to clarify what was going on.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for trailers being safe and roadworthy, and probably go over the top with servicing etc with my own.

But I’d still like to be able to build and use a trailer without the extra expense of having it certified. Although unfortunately that right is being taken away for all of us by the few who think it’s OK to lash up a trailer in a dangerous condition and cause accidents when it falls to pieces.

I’m not sure it would even be possible to get a one off self build trailer certified.

Obviously the dangerous trailers are not limited to those knocked up at home, as we’ve all seen some pretty dodgy examples thrown together by supposed experts who are not as professional as TB.

Nasher.

[Richard Selman]

MOTs might be a good thing - might drive the UK/EU market to offer proper boat trailer brakes instead of that caravan sh*t that corrode up a couple of days after the first dunking or else need constant maintainance. e.g. proper stainless or galvanised gear with hydraulics like they have in the states. Even the disc calipers on mine need to be stripped each year to avoid seizing. What proportion of boat trailers out there would pass a proper brake test (present company's gear excepted of course!)?

Richard

[C2 RIBS]

Originally Posted by Trailer Bloke

One thing this will do stop is cowboys setting up business in their garages selling dangerous equipment to Joe Public.

Simeon, I know it is a serious subject but I have to say that if they sell to Joe Public some dangerous equipment then Joe wont go back to him again!
Happy new year

[Neil Harvey]

Originally Posted by Nasher

Trailer Width

The Department of Transport have announced an increase in width limit for light trailers. This has been increased to 2.55 metres for light trailers (categories O1 and O2) up to 3500 kg gross weight is irrespective of the towing vehicle, be it car, 4x4 or qualifying commercial vehicle. This brings the UK into line with the rest of Europe.

I’m not sure from the mail if ‘Gross Weight’ is just the trailer and load, or includes the tow vehicle, but if it doesn’t there will be a few that no longer need to (theoretically) deflate their tubes to tow legally, me included.


Nasher.

I always thought the 2.3m rule was trailer, whereby the load was allowed to overhang by 30cms each side. this mwant my rib, at 2.75m width inflated, was just within allowable limits

[C-NUMB]

Might be that the situation in UK will be more or less the same as here now, in a few years?

Possible to build Your own trailer, but not much point in it as brakes, axles, lights, towbars needs to be CE certified(= purchased as a part with paperworks). No welding, and some calculations for the frame also needed. Number of light/reflectors will also increase. Over here the requirement for towbar certification started 2007, since then not very popular to DIY trailers due to cost.

Unbraked(750kg) no MOT, but braked MOT every second Year. Good or bad, don't know but thats how things tends to work within EU.

[Jon.esp]

I have a small unbraked trailer sitting in a store that I have not used for many years. It is probably at least 15ys old. It gives the appearance of being well and professionally built (fully galvanised) and is certainly far more substantial than many trailers I have seen of similar size. The previous owner used it for a jetski whilst some years back I used it for a sub 3m rib.

I am pretty sure it has no plate showing maximum gross weight or year of manufacture but will check next week sometime when I am at this store.

From the Parkers website I understand that

“Since 1982 all trailers, including unbraked ones, must be clearly marked with their maximum gross weight in kilogrammes.

Since January 1, 1997, all unbraked trailer plates must show the year of manufacture.”


Although it cost me very little it seems a shame to scrap what seems like a well built piece of kit so if I want to use it how do I make it legal?

Do I have to get it certified and if so how do I go about this?

Jon

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Richard Selman

MOTs might be a good thing - might drive the UK/EU market to offer proper boat trailer brakes instead of that caravan sh*t that corrode up a couple of days after the first dunking or else need constant maintainance.

I don't understand the logic of your argument. It is already illegal to use a trailer on the road in an unsafe condition (i.e. with defective brakes). All a spot test once a year will do is (a) mean that once a year the trailer gets fixed enough to pass the test; (b) make people believe [as they do with cars] that if they have an MOT certificate they will be road legal for the next 12 months. It could actually make "driver's" feel less responsible for the roadworthiness of their trailer.

Originally Posted by trailer bloke

One thing this will do stop is cowboys setting up business in their garages selling dangerous equipment to Joe Public.

Will it? if someone is a cowboy then they are hardly going to worry about regulations which Joe Public won't understand. Eventually trading standards etc might catch up - but a look at how the RCD is not actively enforced by trading standards probably given an insight as to what would happen to stop "cheaptrailer.com" setting up this year and reappearing as "bargain-trailers.co.uk" when someone starts complaining.

Will trailer MOTs be introduced any time soon? I dont believe so in the near future however expect it in the next 3 years. But this is a good thing we should all have road worthy trailers

with no centralised database or register of trailers this sounds rather difficult to manage / enforce (if I had 3 trailers could I get one Mot'd and produce the same paperwork for whichever one I get asked for). A precursor will presumably have to be some insistence on a unique VIN type no on each trailer, and some registry of this info. There would also either need to be some exemption for old trailers (difficult to prove how old a trailer REALLY is without a registration system though!) or some way for all old trailers to be brought onto the registry... ...all of which sounds complicated and expensive and yet, as far as I am aware trailer defects contribute only a small fraction to the accident and casualty statistics on our roads. Would the cost and beaurocracy really justify the result? Would a few more roadside VOSA inspections (with resulting prosecution) not achieve a more effective result, quicker, and at lower cost?

[bosun]

As far as trailer testing goes ,boat trailers won't fit in most MOT bays attached to the back of a car unless its a drive-through bay (which is rare) so the brakes can't be tested on car mot rollers (unless the trailer isn't attached to a car,in which case it will be uncontrollable when the brakes are applied) plus car brake rollers won't do twin axle trailers because the axles are too close together. So that leaves VOSA testing stations ,usually used to testing trucks,buses and HGV trailers and they havn't the capacity to start testing thousands of small trailers ,which unlike hgv trailers aren't registered anywhere so big brother doesn't know how many there are or who has got them.
So I wouldn't expect this to happen any time soon!
(I own an MOT station)

[C2 RIBS]

Recent forum updates about tachos has made me check again- The local garage has shown me some legislation but as operators there appears to be no way to avoid having a tacho fitted for commercial work
I copied this which is similar to start of this post but feel it needs highlighting as October was the start time

"Until recently the effect of this legislation in relation to vehicles below 3,500 kilograms
maximum permissible weight when drawing trailers was slightly confusing. There was
guidance issued by the Department of Transport that stated that trailers not used for the
conveyance of goods need not be considered in the weight calculation. However this
has since been challenged in Court and the Court’s finding was that all trailers must be
considered in the weight calculation when considering whether recording equipment
should be used.
In simple terms it means that any vehicle with a gross train mass exceeding 3,500
kilograms drawing a trailer of any description, and used in connection with a trade or
business, is required to use activity recording equipment and comply with EU drivers hours regulations.
There are SOME Exemptions-
Vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of not more than 7.5 tonnes carrying
material or equipment for the driver's use in the course of his work within a 50 kilometre
radius of the place where the vehicle is normally based, provided that driving the vehicle
does not constitute the driver's main activity."

Looking at most of the commercial ribs circa 8 metre the weight of the RIB, Trailer equipment and fuel with the tow vehicle will be over the 3500 kg level

Towing a smaller unit under the 50 k range we may be exempt.
I am guessing this will affect us all and will impact on Olympic delivery to Weymouth in the near future if you are sending/taking RIBS / boats.

Pls tell me if I am missing the point/rules

[Dirk Diggler]

Originally Posted by Trailer Bloke

One thing this will do stop is cowboys setting up business in their garages selling dangerous equipment to Joe Public.

Weren't you an agent for matey in Christchurch?

[Trailer Guy]

Trailer Bloke & Trailer Guy?.....

Think I might have to change my name on here, to avoid any confusion!

Ben (Trailer Guy!)

[Dry_Doc]

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

Recent forum updates about tachos has made me check again- The local garage has shown me some legislation but as operators there appears to be no way to avoid having a tacho fitted for commercial work
I copied this which is similar to start of this post but feel it needs highlighting as October was the start time

"Until recently the effect of this legislation in relation to vehicles below 3,500 kilograms
maximum permissible weight when drawing trailers was slightly confusing. There was
guidance issued by the Department of Transport that stated that trailers not used for the
conveyance of goods need not be considered in the weight calculation. However this
has since been challenged in Court and the Court’s finding was that all trailers must be
considered in the weight calculation when considering whether recording equipment
should be used.
In simple terms it means that any vehicle with a gross train mass exceeding 3,500
kilograms drawing a trailer of any description, and used in connection with a trade or
business, is required to use activity recording equipment and comply with EU drivers hours regulations.
There are SOME Exemptions-
Vehicles with a maximum permissible weight of not more than 7.5 tonnes carrying
material or equipment for the driver's use in the course of his work within a 50 kilometre
radius of the place where the vehicle is normally based, provided that driving the vehicle
does not constitute the driver's main activity."

Looking at most of the commercial ribs circa 8 metre the weight of the RIB, Trailer equipment and fuel with the tow vehicle will be over the 3500 kg level

Towing a smaller unit under the 50 k range we may be exempt.
I am guessing this will affect us all and will impact on Olympic delivery to Weymouth in the near future if you are sending/taking RIBS / boats.

Pls tell me if I am missing the point/rules

For commercial operators:

If the plated weight of the combo is under 3500kg - no tacho/o-licence required.

Between 3500kg and 7500kg - tacho required (although the 50km exemption applies). O-licence may be required depending on the ULW of the trailer (this sounds like the bit that may have changed). In the past, if the ULW of the trailer is less than 1020kg, then it was ignored for the purposes of calculation.

Over 7500kg - tacho and o licence required.

Links to relevent documents:

Goods vehcicle operator licensing (GV74) http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repositor...Jan%202011.pdf
1020kg exemption still seems to apply (P6)

Rules on Driver's Hours and Tachographs (GV262) http://www.dft.gov.uk/vosa/repositor...d%20Europe.pdf
The 50km limit still applies for combos under 7.5t (P15)

[Nos4r2]

Originally Posted by C2 RIBS

Simeon, I know it is a serious subject but I have to say that if they sell to Joe Public some dangerous equipment then Joe wont go back to him again!

Can Trailers springs to mind...then runs off with everyone's cash...