Road Home Made Trailer

[Xiaomi]

Thinking about making a trailer here based on a donor chassis. Heavy welding for the drawbar and bracing to be done by a fabricator. We'd only be putting on body ourselves - if we go with this plan.

What is holding me back is getting the trailer legal for the road. I presume it will need to go through some form of type approval and get plated too in order for it to be insured.
There is no point making it and having it unable to be insured. I appreciate the the industry is trying to get rid of home brew contraptions on the road, but we'd be doing it to the right standard and getting it all legal.

The donor chassis would not be plated nor approved as it would require conversion for tractor use.

Anyone done this or backtrack out of doing it after some investigation? The TillyPass seems just to be an MOT - I am looking more for a conformity/type approval check.

It may be more hassle than its worth and I'd be better going to a dealer for one, but I thought I'd fully check it out first before writing off the option.

 

[7610 super q]

They won't like that idea on here. They won't like it at all. Oh deary me no. Prepare yourself for an apocalyptic pooh-poohing the likes have which have never been seen before.

 

[Xiaomi]

I've broad shoulders when it comes to internet forums

 

[TechWise]

For a one-off build you want an "Individual Vehicle Approval", not a "Type Approval". There's a whole minefield of exemptions for certain agricultural, forestry and special purpose vehicles. You would need to study that aspect quite closely to figure out if you even need an approval at all.

Lot's of info here.

Vehicle approval

Type approval, individual (IVA), motorcycle single vehicle approval, voluntary approval, certificate of initial fitness, accessibility approval, fees, forms, replacement certificates

www.gov.uk

 

[J 1177]

I have a tidy 20ft bale trailer that's homemade, it's light single axle on six stud wheels, it's got good tyres, good breaks and all the lights work. My neighbour has a Marshall 25ft, no breaks, bald tyres and knackered lights but its plated. In this case mine would be as illegal as his just because it hasnt got a stamp on it.

 

[Campbell]

@Xiaomi, as in the smartphones?

 

[Xiaomi]

For a one-off build you want an "Individual Vehicle Approval", not a "Type Approval". There's a whole minefield of exemptions for certain agricultural, forestry and special purpose vehicles. You would need to study that aspect quite closely to figure out if you even need an approval at all.

Thanks for that. Lots of useful information there.

 

[Xiaomi]

@Xiaomi, as in the smartphones?

Yip. first thing I seen when creating the user name.

 

[Xiaomi]

Looks like it might not apply:

When does IVA not apply?
Agricultural or forestry tractors, their trailers and interchangeable towed machinery, together with their systems, components and separate technical units and trailers designed and constructed specifically to be towed by them.


I wonder what the NFU has to say as we are insured through them.

 

[Bloders]

go see a factory made trailer. get a picture of whats on the makers plate.
download an instruction manual, which might, if your lucky have a copy of the declaration of conformity.
When you have the relevant standards to use for the DoC, then its not impossible to progress from there.

 

[dowcow]

It's only this last decade or so I've started seeing bale trailers that weren't homemade. When I was a kid most silage trailers were homemade too. Back then trailers had a story to them... "axle came off an old Bedford truck... wood came from the mill they turned into flats... your grandad used to take potatoes to town to sell on the chassis... different axles on it back then of course, which they had taken of an old horse drawn cart...."

 

[Speedstar]

Build a trailed appliances and you go under the radar

 

[Simon Chiles]

Thinking about making a trailer here based on a donor chassis. Heavy welding for the drawbar and bracing to be done by a fabricator. We'd only be putting on body ourselves - if we go with this plan.

What is holding me back is getting the trailer legal for the road. I presume it will need to go through some form of type approval and get plated too in order for it to be insured.
There is no point making it and having it unable to be insured. I appreciate the the industry is trying to get rid of home brew contraptions on the road, but we'd be doing it to the right standard and getting it all legal.

The donor chassis would not be plated nor approved as it would require conversion for tractor use.

Anyone done this or backtrack out of doing it after some investigation? The TillyPass seems just to be an MOT - I am looking more for a conformity/type approval check.

It may be more hassle than its worth and I'd be better going to a dealer for one, but I thought I'd fully check it out first before writing off the option.

I’m fairly certain that Ag trailers ( and probably all trailers ) don’t have type approval. You’d need to make sure that the brakes met the minimum required under C and U regs, 25% is the min but it would be much better to be 50 % for both safety and your bank balance by not wiping out your tractor brakes. Mike Braithwaite’s book Ag Vehicles on the Road sold by Mike Sumner would be a good source of info, especially about lighting requirements and contains useful references to various bits of legislation that you’d want to consider.

 

[Mur Huwcun]

If you do build one stick proper round ten stud axles under it. Only recently did the brakes on an NC trailer on the square ‘commercial’ axles. Flipping 80mm wide shoes FFS and the quality of the slack adjusters were questionable aswell!!!

 

[Nearly]

Sounds like you're having a trailer modified, not built.
Crack on.

 

[Xiaomi]

Sounds like you're having a trailer modified, not built.
Crack on.

Not exactly. The thought is to get a fabricator to cut a rigid truck chassis and covert over. Not sure of the spec yet as nothing purchased.
Apart from getting it road legal just trying to ensure that it is all priced so that it doesn't come near price of one through the local stealer.

 

[snarling bee]

If you are not doing it yourself (labour is 'free'), wouldn't you be better off buying a used trailer made by a proper manufacturer, even if you have to do it up a bit..

 

[Xiaomi]

The only part I don't intend to fab myself is the chassis as want it done properly and with a higher rated welder than mine. The fabricator would close off the cut chassis and add drawbar.
The main concern I have is the stability of the sprung truck axle on a drawbar - concern about susceptibility to lateral roll as the original chassis would expect a wheel on each front corner for stability - not a drawbar in the middle - might make it a bit like a trike. All depends on the CoG of the load though.
You do see single axle trailers beyond 16ft, but I'm not sure the suspension setup would be the same. Welding the axle on solid or a second axle might be the cure, but that adds to the cost and makes it less financially viable.


In regards to used trailers, I'm still looking - nothing is set in stone yet, far from it. I'm just gathering opinions on building at home.

 

[Farmer_Joe]

If you do build one stick proper round ten stud axles under it. Only recently did the brakes on an NC trailer on the square ‘commercial’ axles. Flipping 80mm wide shoes FFS and the quality of the slack adjusters were questionable aswell!!!

this is excellent advice, im not sure its specific to round or square axles i dont think it is but lots of manufactures offer 10 stud wheel drum but the brake shoes within are tiny compared with proper commercial shoes,

get proper commercial axles.

 

[Andrew]

There is no type approval yet for agricultural trailers drawn by a tractor. Trailers pulled by cars and lorries need type approval, but tractor ones do not.

Make sure all relevant C&U regs are complied with including a weight plate.
Make sure it has a CE mark if it will be pulled by staff. This is self certification and can be done yourself, however if you're not an engineer you may need the help from one to do some basic strength calculations - looking strong enough is not good enough.