Trailer Laws and Driving Licence

[Shayne]

Thats a different scenario Mark i'm talking about poor welding on new materials . Some may remember i made this back in April

The welding is a mess but it's had about 4 stone in weight thrown on it 500 times or more daily ever since and its held together fine but i doubt it would pass any visual inspection .

 

[Paddler Ed]

Shayne, I think that there is a difference between what you are considering registration of a trailer, and what Clive is talking about.

In the UK commercially produced trailers need to have a Chassis plate detailing the manufacturer, ULW, MGW and a chassis number. What they do not need is their own registration mark (the proper name for the registration plate)

However, in much of Europe (and Australia) they are treated as separate vehicles, and therefore require registration with the equivalent of the DVLC (or whatever they are called this week) and get issued with their own registration mark, as well as undergoing annual or bi-annual (or only on change of ownership) inspections, and have to pay registration fees akin to the UK's VED.

Now what I do know is that since about 2007 trailers commercially built in the UK can only use dedicated trailer components (I wanted to get built a dual purpose canoe/kayak and mountain bike trailer with modules that could be swapped depending on what was being used, but the spring and shock absorbers wouldn't be suitable for both; I wanted to use Monroe Load Levellers but got told that as they were for a car they couldn't be used on a trailer), and I suspect that the home build stuff is coming into line with that.

Having a quick look at the VCA website it also seems that the routes are very similar to cars; high volume Europe wide certification, low volume UK only, and Single Vehicle approval (one off vehicles/Ultra low volume)

Do I support registration and inspections for private trailers? Hell yep.... might stop the caravans falling over on the M5 every summer after their ancient tyres/suspension/chassis has let go once it's been vastly over loaded and under maintained! However, is it practicable? Not really... one day it will be but at the moment, not a chance...

On the subject of driving licences, it's been a bit of a cock-up from what I understand; IIRC the Germans have a much more sensible set up where the car licence holder can undertake one day of training and be allowed to tow... in the inevitable way the UK implemented the strictest proposal, whilst the others did the minimum...

 

[clivehorridge]

Good points Ed.

Here, they're so obsessed with bits of paper.

I was quizzed the other week by the Police for not complying with the manufacturer's tyre sizes. Here we carry a "talon" which is a small mandatory vehicle registration document, showing registered owner, reg no, weight, VIN, all the usual, plus tyre size, which in my case is 215/75/16 can you imagine?

I'm running 305/70/16s at the moment, took a few bob to shut him up, I must say!

 

[Shayne]

It might actually all work out for the best for me because a break in the rain earlier today allowed me to try this



I only bought the camper , pretty much saving it from the scrapyard , to use as a guide because it has the smallest bed , sofa , cooker and sink set up i could find . But today's experiment tell's me it is almost the perfect width for 285/75's . Looks like i will be embarking on a restoration project rather than a new build and i've put out feelers for costing a new axle a longer A-frame and a new canvas though i want pvc rather than cotton so it can be packed away wet .

 

[Chas]

I thought you had sold the camper on eBay Shayne, it had one bid, or did the sale fall through?

 

[Shayne]

I did sell it Chas this one is 20 odd years old , it doesn't look to bad in the pic but that's because the boss said get it scrubbed or get it gone lol the whole thing was green with mould when i got it and Helen refuses to step inside .

 

[Chas]

Ah! right, I thought it was the same one, looks similar.

 

[Shayne]

External dimensions are about the same as the last one if maybe a tad shorter in length over all but open it is at least double the size .

Heres a pic of inside a good one whoever took it was sat on the double bed to get that view .

 

[stumog]

How long does it take to put up shayne had to choose my words there!!
Also company near me called Kingswood canvas do stuff like your talking about.
Also you have attwools ( spelling?) near gloucester/ stroud.

Stu

 

[Shayne]

Only tried it once Stu and despite bent poles that don't want to lock i think its fair to say you will not find anything easier flip the two lids/beds and just extend the poles , it probably takes longer to wind the legs down .

 

[stumog]

So you dont have to zip any sides on? can i have the model as well please. Also sizes when you get chance.
Thanks
Stu

 

[Shayne]

Google "pennine aztec" i found measurement on something called brickyard i think ?

 

[clivehorridge]

That looks really neat Shayne, good luck with the restoration.

And, Sir, (I have my policeman uniform on now) the law requires mudguards over those wheels, don't you know (reaching for my notebook....)

 

[stumog]

I like the combi camp but the model i like are always in dog shit brown or miles away.
Will have a look at yours.
Stu

 

[Shayne]

It doesn't need tyres that big Clive so do you honestly think i might not use the mudguards as an excuse to add crash bars/ jerry can holders and the rest its gotta look the part lol .

Good luck with that Stu the brown you describe sounds good to me - well at least better than the usual gay parade colours . A new canvas can be any colour you want so figure that cost against what trailer you buy , a trailer tent with a torn canvas is not worth much at all .

 

[clivehorridge]

It doesn't need tyres that big Clive so do you honestly think i might not use the mudguards as an excuse to add crash bars/ jerry can holders and the rest its gotta look the part lol.

So Shayne, what do I have to look out for next August from my bedroom balcony, a Mad Max creation, or something similar?

I need to to find some suitable trails for you guys, I had all good intentions of reccying a few this summer, but *bing* a blink of the eye and it's almost December already.

So depressing, and spending half my current life working in Istanbul doesn't help matters.

Anyway, I have till the end of next July to sort out something half interesting.

 

[stumog]

Hadnt thought about just getting a new canvas for it makes alot of sense. Just need the top base and hinge to be good.
Stu

 

[Shayne]

Well i was thinking it might be an idea to have Chas riding shotgun so i will need some kind of turret and onboard air to power a pneumatic cross bow

nah if you look at overland trailer tents they all look pretty much the same - a box with mudguards and a roof tent bolted on top which to me sort of misses the whole point of bringing a trailer .
Inside mine will hopefully be a spartan version of the pic above , everything you see in the pic is part and parcel with the trailer so nothing needs removed to fold it down . I need some decent weather before i can decide if i should replace the tub with a steel version or just reclad what i've got probably with stainless steel checkerplate .

 

[Shayne]

I looked at the camplet Stu and decided its not for me as i wanted a fixed cooker , besides that my last trailer tent ,the one you seen at Lincomb , was a bugger to reverse because i simply couldn't see it while sat in the truck and the camplet would probably be the same . I should also point out that if i drove an 80 i would probably have looked at bigger trailer tents but i reckon the Aztec is about the max size i could get away with having a swb90 . Keeping things in proportion if you get what i mean .

 

[stumog]

It does make driving harder when you cant see whats on the back. I picked up a mini in Essex and could see it or the trailer at all.
I am not fussed about the cooker but not sure if there will be enough room in tge campcombi. We looked at a racelet which was very nice.
Stu