The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Equipment => Topic started by: ladyK on May 26, 2015, 11:38:25 am
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We will be picking up our first trailer this weekend! :excited:
Anything I need to prepare for in advance? Does a trailer need registration / paperwork / insurance? (I sometimes notice trailers on the road that have a registration plate on or the reg details just painted on).
Does the towing vehicle need a licence or something? Obviously it need a towbar with hitch and working electrics - am I missing something else? I notice that in the car registration papers, our Skoda (which doesn't even have a towbar!) has allowable trailer sizes listed, while the Landrover (came with towbar) just had has blanks under the trailer section. Confusing. Should that worry me? ???
Thank you all in advance for any tips!
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Hiya,
First check that your Landy insurance allows you to tow a trailer (I'd be gobsmacked if it didn't), and that your driving license includes trailers (this is automatically included on older licenses, but if you passed your test recently you have to do a separate trailer test).
Though lots of people chance it with cardboard numberplates etc, you should really have a proper one made up. Most of the wee car parts places will be able to do that for you while you wait, but you need to take along the V5 registration documents these days before they're allowed to do it for you. A cheaper alternative is to mail order a 'replica plate' from Ebay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rear-Standard-GB-Euro-Number-Plate-100-MOT-Compliant-Caravan-Trailer-FREE-POST-/201191026257), which to all intents and purposes will be fine as long as you choose a standard font etc.
How big / heavy is the trailer, and does it have its own brakes? Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure a 110 can tow up to 3500kg braked and 750kg unbraked. I'm figuring (hoping) that if you're asking the question as a smallholder, you're probably not even approaching that sort of load though?
Also, be sure to check your electrics and brakes are good, and that there's enough rust left to securely join your towbar to the Landy, and the rear cross member to the rest of the chassis.
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I had to take out a separate trailer insurance (with Shield) because my van insurance covered accidents when towing but the trailer and its contents were excluded. I took a number plate (bought from Halfords I think) with me and it was fitted to the trailer while I waited. My towing limit braked is less than the capacity of the trailer. The law changed a while back though and you don't need to change the trailer plate now, just make sure it is never overloaded. The electrics were a problem because the socket on the van (which was recently fitted) didn't accept the new electrics on the trailer. I fitted an adaptor but that means the reversing light is inoperative which may be illegal?
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The licence plate number, is the one on your car! The trailer stops it being visible, and so needs one on the back.
Also, check the tyres!
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Thank you all, this is really helpful! :thumbsup:
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You don't say if 2nd hand if so check all lights work , the tyres need to be road legal 1.6mm min tread , no cracks and straight , look underneath at any springs and how does the axle look , if possible get each wheel off the ground and check the bearings
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How big is your tailer and when did you pass your driving test?
If you passed prior to 1997 then you can tow anything up to 3500kg (as long as the towing vehicle and trailer are rated to tow that much). The trailer can be plated for anything up to 3500kg - it is the actual weight that matters.
If you passed after 1st Jan 1997 then you can basically only tow 750kg (you can tow slightly more depending on your towing vehicle but it is quite a complicated - I think it is up to half the weight of the towing vehicle as long as the GTW (total of car and trailer) does not exceed 3500kg). It is the plated weight of the trailer (MAM - maximum allowable mass) that counts regardless of if it is actually got that load on it or not.
Basically an unbraked 750kg trailer is fine - anything over that is a minefield that will probably put you out of limits. How well the average policeman knows these rules is doubtful and i am sure that there are a lot of younger people towing horse boxes and caravans who are breaking the law as so few people know what the rules are for post 97 drivers.
Guess what - i passed a few months after the rules changed and it is pretty annoying that i had to pass a trailer test to tow something that someone 6 months older could do without the additional license.
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Thanks for the extra pointers.
We are both OK for pre97 driving licences though I don't think I'll be attempting to tow anything in the near future, leaving that bit to OH.
You mention the 'plated weight' so it has to have the official weight attached on an official 'plate' somewhere? (oh dear, I know I must be sounding really daft...) In any case it is a braked trailer so there shouldn't be an issue with the weight.
It's a second hand trailer so I know it can be a hit and miss, but it was advertised as 'lights and brakes working well, recently refurbished' and the photos look very good I have to say, so I can only hope it was worth taking the plunge - we'll see... (We took a similar risk when buying the Landy, and I have to say that was waaaay well worth it!)
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Well, I answered my own question (sort of):
I just spent considerable time googling the requirement of 'trailer plating'. Lots of non-conclusive and contradicting info. While various forums disagree on whether this is a legal requirement or not, there is no clear requirement stated on the gov.uk website (for trailers under 3500kg):
under 'small trailers' there is no mention at all
and under horseboxes it merely states:
Trailers may also have plates showing similar information with regard to the maximum weight they can carry, together with maximum capacity of each axle.
Hmmm :thinking:
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I think you are right about the need for a plate but ask 10 people and you will get 10 different answers!
I had a big braked trailer with no plates on it at all for a couple of years (since replaced with a nice new one) and never had any problems - but then again I have never been stopped by the police so didn't have to test my theory that it would be OK.
I think new trailers need plates but ones made before a certain date didn't, so if in doubt your trailer was manufactured 30 years ago!
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Sorry, yet another daft question of the hopelessly clueless...
In anticipation of the trailer pickup I am looking to bolt a new hitch to the towbar plate (Landy came with towbar installed but no tow hitch attached.)
The hitch part indicates fixing bolts to 240Nm. Now... we don't have a torque wrench... I don't mind getting one but the cheapest I can find that goes up to 250Nm is almost £100 ::)
Can I consider getting a cheaper wrench marked up to 210Nm for this job or is this just too much of a compromise on safety... this being what fixes the trailer to the vehicle?! (And I don't suppose I should even think about getting those bolts tightened with a simpler tool?)
EDIT: To confuse matters further, various sources advise different torque settings for the actual bolts, anything from 190Nm to 220Nm... Should I go by the bolts or by the tow hitch?! (it's the bolts carrying the tension, right?)
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10 newtons are close enough to 1kg so 250n (or 25kg) force applied to a 1 meter lever will give 250nm torque. To get the same torque with a lever half the length you would need to apply double the force (50kg).
I won't ask how heavy you are but if I had a 50cm spanner (or more likely a 50cm length of pipe slipped over a ratchet handle as I don't have any spanners that long) and stood on it to tighten the nut I would be applying 320Nm of torque (I weigh 64kg) which I would consider close enough to the 250Nm required.
Adjust length of pipe and weight of person as required but err on the side of slightly too much force as you probably won't stand on the very end of the bit of pipe.
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What a crystal clear explanation! Thank you!
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Recently some folk on one of the other sites I frequent have been complaining that they have been prosecuted for towing a trailer that has a bigger weigh capacity than their vehicle allows for .
The judgement has been made that as the trailer is plated for a greater capacity than their vehicle is allowed to tow , there is the intention to use it at the bigger illegal weight.
The way round it is to look up your permissible towing weight etc.and make sure the new plating affixed to the trailer indicates that is what the trailer capacity etc. is for.
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That's ridiculous Cloddopper! We have a wee unbraked ifor sheep trailer. If I tow it behind the Landy, I can load it right up to the 750kg all up maximum. However, if I pull it with my Fabia I'm limited to about five sheep.
Am I really supposed to change the ID plate every time I change the numberplate? ??? Grrrr.
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My stock trailer is standard 3500kg gross and my last towing vehicle was rated at 2700kg max , when I asked about re plating I was told that the braking system works 100% at max wt and to re plate down the braking system would need re calibrated , then done again for any new vehicle , was easier to buy a new towing vehicle rated at 3500kg max . Have been pulled in 3 times at check points only ever checked tyres, lights ,brakes and soundness . Probably already done but ive retightened , lifted,put on new ball hitches a few times (no torque bar ) and I always apply LOCTITE THREAD LOCKER . For a smooth running trailer you need to get the ball at the correct height , the trailer when attached should be almost level just slightly down at the front , some brackets have a choice of holes to fit the ball hitch or if not you can buy different length necks on the ball hitch
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I have a single axle 6ft X 4ft trailer and the only advice I can give is this. Practise reversing in private, this will save embarassment at the abattoir :innocent: :innocent:
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Thanks all, more good advice :thumbsup:
Didn't pick it up yet, as OH is still battling against a work deadline and can't leave the house, but will do later this week.
Just as well, as this plating business gets ever more confusing... and why oh why will a M16 bolt not fit a 16mm wrench bit? ::)
How do you know what fits what - short of taking the bolt along to the shop? (I know I must have got something terribly wrong...)
Trailer reversing shall be practised in due time. Though getting the trailer parked up in our narrow awkward drive will be a crash course in itself! :innocent:
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OK a m16 bolt is 16mm dia on the round but the head is much bigger and needs a 24mm spanner . Please stop worrying about the trailer plate , your landrover can pull 3500kg max so can pull any trailer , and most braked trailers are plated at 3500kg max .
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A neighbour told me the best place to practice trailer reversing is the cinema carpark during the morning. Lots of space and no-one around to laugh at your early efforts. ;) He was right!
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Don't forget to insure it, both for theft from your proerty and for damage whilst being towed.
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That's ridiculous Cloddopper! We have a wee unbraked ifor sheep trailer. If I tow it behind the Landy, I can load it right up to the 750kg all up maximum. However, if I pull it with my Fabia I'm limited to about five sheep.
Am I really supposed to change the ID plate every time I change the numberplate? ??? Grrrr.
Shep's post confirms what I've said.
The guys who got pulled are big machinery movers using small heavy trucks and double wheeled trailers . Most operating daily from Hadrian's wall down to Plymouth & Cornwall , so are easy targets to seek out for starters.
It will not belong before we have to have a separate group specific road licence for all trailers plus insurance and an individual MOT just like it is in most of the rest of the EU
The whole aspect of driving and other folks safety is being/ has been taken off the police and put into civil management using those black & yellow chequered traffic cars you see .
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Over the last few years there have been strong rumours of towing vehicles needing tachograph's and trailer needing an mot , but so far resisted . The problem is that most trailers are not serviced annually and faults are common mostly brakes and lights so we are not helping ourselves !!
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So we picked up the trailer yesterday...
Trailer looking good, seller very helpful, towed it 90 miles back home, all running very smoothly and feeling rather pleased. And then it all went wrong... :o
Attempting to back trailer into our gate wasn't going to be easy (steep and narrow single track, tall verges/hedges both sides, gate a bit of an awkward angle)... and our inexperience showed us up straight away. We either got Landy riding up against the verge, or jackknifing the trailer... But then we only got 3 attempts - then the Landy suddenly died (total loss of power, still half up the verge, facing uphill, obviously blocking the road...) :o
Just about didn't loose the trailer downhill when unhooking it... now we also have a heavy trailer stood across the track, facing uphill, one wheel against the verge. Spent half an hour desperately trying to push or pull the trailer around to get it into the drive and off the road, but no hope in hell. Next a very embarrassed phonecall to helpful farmer neighbour who soon arrived with his 3 teenage kids in tow. Together we somehow managed to bump the trailer off the road and into the drive. Landy had to be precariously towed backwards and downhill off the verge.
Now we have a dead Landy stood in the hedge, a trailer facing into the field but blocking the gate (no clue how we ever going to get it out of there) and we have also both badly hurt our backs in the process. Feeling rather sombre today...
Hoping that if I can get you to laugh about it maybe I can start laughing about it too ::)
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:thinking: Ah the old pride comes before a fall , sure we've all been there :relief:
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We certainly have. :innocent: We had the same problem with our single axle trailer when we first got here. Very narrow lane and a right-angle reverse into a narrow gateway. We nearly burnt out the clutch trying to get it in. Eventually we called it a day, unhitched it and pushed it back to the outhouse ourselves. Really glad no-one was watching.
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A tip for manouvering a trailer in a tight spot with a Land Rover. Put the transfer box into low range. It'll slow everything down and save you having to ride the clutch all the time.
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^ Good tip. Just beware that it will also give you considerably more power and may result in a bent towbar when the rear of the trailer grounds on a rock. Please don't ask me how I know ;D .
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One thing we found very useful was a pair of hand held two way radios. This allows the spotter at the back to relay instructions clearly to the driver without the embarrassment of screaming at the top of their voice.