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Trailer question


Paul Gibney - Lancashire AO

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Do they need some sort of MOT or not...

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4 minutes ago, paul gibney said:

Do they need some sort of MOT or not...

 

Hi, no they don't. A service now and again (especially if braked) is advisable though.

 

Oh and don't leave the brake on when parked... I've had this problem with the better half's horse trailers 😳

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Ta much 

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keep an eye on tyre pressures and don't let them get low which can cause overheating and blow outs

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Just had a coffee with a mate who is a plant and HGV operator....  the subject of VOSA came up..... I mentioned trailers (cos I've got one) and he rattled off a couple of useful things to remember, first you can be asked to provide on request the certificate of conformity for the trailer (if it was commercially constructed), not often asked for but the overseas version of VOSA will ask more often than not..... I think when overseas, failure to have it to hand is linked to revenue raising or some such. The other one is Tyre age, large vehicles have a 10 year age limit as do Taxi's but not private cars, VOSA DO check the age and condition of Tyres and DO enforce with penalty notices and impound until rectified, so any crazing or iffy looking Tyres will be victimised..... again VOSA have a vested interest as the penalties go towards their funding (all of this I can only assume to be true on an 'as told to me' basis).

 

I'll stand corrected if none of it applies to us non commercial users.

 

Nem.......

 

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1 hour ago, Nemesis said:

The other one is Tyre age, large vehicles have a 10 year age limit as do Taxi's but not private cars,

 

I was told this week that out of date tyres on a car is an MOT fail, assuming the tester CBA to look up the date code on his magic light box...

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Caravan & trailer tyres are recommended for change every 7 years .

However there's no age limit enforcement yet .

 

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Vosa can make life difficult for people towing these days and as others have pointed out they are now a self funding organisation living off fines raised.

 

On commercially built trailers they can ask for conformity certificates but for older self built ones there was no such requirement. These days there is an equivalent to the IVA test that kit cars undergo. 

 

Weight should be displayed and I did read one reported claim that a car was towing a kit car so was well under weight but the maximum weight it could carry was more than the car could tow if fully loaded.

 

Key thing if it looks dodgy with flapping straps nose heavy and unloved, you are more likely to get a pull. On tyres, not heard about dates being illegal but using "car" tyres is dodgy as you really want reinforced unless the manufacturer specified different

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Do those with trailers, do you service them or do you give them to someone to service?

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I get mine serviced locally, every two years. 
 

For reference, single axle service, plus replacement of jockey wheel and trailer damper was £180

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Hmm.  Mine needs a service.  @RussH, Do you have to take it to a specialist?

My jockey wheel and drums need doing

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It depends a lot where you keep it.. if it’s out doors in the sun, and not used much it might be worth taking the wheels off and putting them in the dark, also reducing the risk of flat spots.   Trailers are also very desirable for thieves, less so without wheels..  If it’s kept indoors it won’t need much love provided it’s all in good condition. 

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7 minutes ago, NickBW said:

Hmm.  Mine needs a service.  @RussH, Do you have to take it to a specialist?

My jockey wheel and drums need doing


I take mine to a Caravan guy.

 

My jockey wheel only needed replacing because it was damaged. 

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Mines in the garage but i know the handbrake needs to be tighter and i am not sure when it was last serviced, if at all.  Just worries me if i am towing it and its not braking as much as it should

My jockey wheel has a flat spot where it has stood for a while.  

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